As Haile was about to drive me out of HQ on Friday afternoon Ato Lallago who works in the kitchen ( (“Ato” = “Mr” – respect term as he’s a bit old) knocked on the taxi window and asked if we were going past Tor Hailoch. it was pouring with rain and it is quite common for someone to ask for a lift in these circumstances. Many HQ and Bingham employees travel a long way on taxi vans to work and often have to change taxis more than once. Tor Hailoch is a huge interchange for taxi vans and is on our way home (at least, one possible route) so I leaned over to the back seat and moved all my clobber including my lovely big man’s umbrella and Ato Lallago hopped in (as best as a guy his age can).

Ato Lallago speaks little English, but I picked up from his conversation with Haile that he lives near a roundabout further down the ring road from Tor Hailoch, so I told Haile that as it was raining we should just take him home – I’d feel terrible dropping him in the rain at a crazy taxi interchange. Amidst protestations to the contrary, we persuaded Ato Lallago to accept the offer. The route to his home was fun – littered with donkeys, horses and carts, people all over the place and some fun hills Haile's taxi could barely cope with – given three people on board and a boot full of tools and spare parts (which Haile calls his “garage”). On arrival much gesticulating and beckoning happened which I correctly deduced meant I was invited into Ato Lallago’s home for at minimum a drink. I tried to persuade him I needed to get back to Bingham, but he was having none of it, so in I went with him holding his umbrella so I was minimally wet from the still pouring rain. Eight of his nine grandchildren and Ato Lallago’s wife greeted me. We asked each other how we all were, asked about our families general wellbeing and praised God together. No-one spoke English so little conversation took place beyond all the greetings. Haile hovered outside not quite sure what to do, but with an amused grin on his face. The lady under the shelter of the veranda washing clothes in huge orange plastic bowls was probably Ato Lallago’s daughter although I never found out. However she didn’t really look as pale and tired as I would have expected if she’d borne all these children. Feeling slightly awkward I was seated in a place of honour in the sitting room and asked (in Amharic, which I understood), if I’d like coffee or a fizzy drink. I went for the fizzy drink knowing coffee, if done properly, could take an hour or two. Ato Lallago sped off into the rain (he’s remarkably sprightly for a man with nine grandchildren) and returned with three bottles of Coke – one for me, one for Haile, and one to apparently sit on the coffee table undrunk. Attracted by a tall lemon tree in fruit Haile went out into the yard and shortly came back clutching four almost ripe very fragrant lemons. He suggested I go look. Ato Lallago was delighted to show me his huge lemon tree with fruit on branches way too tall to reach. Haile said I should have some. How does a grandfather of nine get lemons down from a lemon tree? With an Ethiopian war spear of course. Ato Lallago appeared with a proper, real spear and used it at arm’s length to cut down five lemons for me. Someone appeared from a mud-walled building at the side of the yard with a bright pink plastic bag (there’s been a glut of these in Addis recently) for me to take them home in. Happily Ato Lallago put the spear away. The Coke drunk, my goodbyes said, Haile and I made our way through the rain to the taxi to head back to Bingham. The whole affair cost me a little more in my taxi fare, but was well worth it to experience gratitude and hospitality that is so uniquely Ethiopian.

Once a year the Korah Kids project near the city dump does a brief medical check for the sponsored children to identify anything that could be simply helped. So yesterday morning (Saturday) three other doctors and I met at the house where five of the sponsored boys live and we turned it into a temporary GP surgery with a  waiting room (the lounge) and four consulting rooms (one an office in which the kids were examined whilst lying on the desk, and three bedrooms) . All 100 or so children were invited, and we saw about 60 between us. These are kids living in the poorest of circumstances, supported by the project and the local church. Most Saturday mornings they have a big get-together at the church for some fun and to learn from the Bible. We saw them without their parents, examined them as best we could and gave them all a tablet to kill all known worms. Many had stomach problems, and there were countless decayed teeth. We’ll get them to a dentist; I’ll issue prescriptions for anything we can treat medically; they will continue to be supported and helped with education, food and income by the project. And they will continue to hear the Gospel. There are still numerous kids needing sponsors. if you are interested, please check out the Korah Kids website.