Visiting Lemma's school with friends from Spicer Street Church
Jerry cans full of water will be carried using the wooden supports on these donkeys
A weaver bird weaving a new nest near Lake Langano
The sun was low in the west as I clambered up the final few metres to the top, behind Naomi, Abera and four of the boys from the house. I surveyed the scene, trying hard not to breathe through my nose.
Bingham gave a group of us an insight into one of the successful charity projects here in Ethiopia.
Here’s Haile and me ready to drive off on our daily commute from Bingham to SIM HQ where my clinic is based. We leave at 07:25 or thereabouts, and get there sometime between 08:00 and 08:30.
Meet Carina. She is from Australia and in Grade 5. She and a group of friends love doing detailed drawings and colourings. Carina had the idea of creating collectable cards - not something you usually find in Ethiopia.
It was my birthday on the 5th May and Beth sent me a text with her good wishes (once) which Ethiotelecom delivered at 9.21 and 11.22.
I also received that same text at 14.30 and 21.32 on the 7th May, at 4.36, 5.36 7.37, 12.39 and 15.41 on the 8th May, at 1.45 and 10.48 on the 9th May, and at 03.55 on the 10th May.
Frustratingly Ethiotelecom does not provide the facility to reply to a single one of them!
Thank you to all of you who have read and commented on our blog - it really encourages us.
I have been frustrated by not being able to respond to some of your comments - often I don't exactly know who has commented (who are you Andrew?!) I deliberately kept the website simple at first, so people would find it really easy to use.
Unlike many African countries Ethiopia doesn’t have a lot in the way of big animals to see. There are some elephants and giraffe if you go looking but nowhere near Addis and not in great numbers.
The new High School building now being complete, the next phase of building work could be started. However at Bingham, major changes are not tackled piece-meal, rather they are all started at once. Three classrooms have been knocked into one large space to be used as a chapel (assembly hall). The large quantity of mud from the dismantled walls being taken away a barrowful at a time. The metal wheelbarrows that the workers use all have the squeakiest wheels you could imagine, rather like running your finger nails down a blackboard.
Easter Monday Blues
I was heartened this week when a friend who works in a project to support AIDs patients in Addis, told me about a recent initiative. It was called ‘peri-urban gardening’. The head of each household was taught how to transform a small patch of ground by clearing away many stones and breaking up the thick, sticky soil. They were shown how to remove the soil to a considerable depth then add manure, charcoal and egg shells for nutrients. Further instruction was given about composting and making a simple fertiliser. During the final meeting a hoe was brought in.