Addis to Debre Marco:  Our First Introduction To The Ethiopia Country Side

                                                           

Addis to Debre Marco: Comments of interest on our trip:

·         We passed the Yaya village: The Yaya Village Hotel is a high altitude training center and resort in Ethiopia, located 11 kilometers north of Addis Ababa

·         Fuel comes from South Sudan by tanker.

·         Lots of cell towers along the way.

·         Newly paved road.

·         We saw a large acreage under glass where flowers are produced for export (Dutch initiative).

·         ‘ Ethiopia is believed to have the largest livestock population in Africa (CSA 2013; Solomon et al. 2003; Tilahun and Schmidt 2012). An estimate indicates that the country is a home for about 54 million cattle, 25.5 million sheep and 24.06 million goats.

·         We saw a number of large cement plants said to be locally owned.

·         There are communal lands for grazing

·         Reforestation is low priority

·         Water is problematic

·         Productive agricultural areas have 600-800 mm of rain fall but the rain fall is erratic

·         In some areas, aquifers come out of the hillside and are piped to stand pipes in villages

·         Gastro- Intestinal problems result from contaminated water.

·         Parasites are a problem

·         Harvesting is all done by hand.  Methods of threshing and winnowing go back to Bible times. 

·         Often stubble is left long for livestock to eat.

·         Livestock is often brought into the house.  Akasha leaves are spread on the floor to make it smell better.

·         Akasha wood is used to make charcoal (environmentally damaging but very widely used as a fuel for cooking in Ethiopia).·         We passed the Yaya village: The Yaya Village Hotel is a high altitude training center and resort in Ethiopia, located 11 kilometers north of Addis Ababa

·         Fuel comes from South Sudan by tanker.

·         Lots of cell towers along the way.

·         Newly paved road.

·         We saw a large acreage under glass where flowers are produced for export (Dutch initiative).

·         ‘ Ethiopia is believed to have the largest livestock population in Africa (CSA 2013; Solomon et al. 2003; Tilahun and Schmidt 2012). An estimate indicates that the country is a home for about 54 million cattle, 25.5 million sheep and 24.06 million goats.

·         We saw a number of large cement plants said to be locally owned.

·         There are communal lands for grazing

·         Reforestation is low priority

·         Water is problematic

·         Productive agricultural areas have 600-800 mm of rain fall but the rain fall is erratic

·         In some areas, aquifers come out of the hillside and are piped to stand pipes in villages

·         Gastro- Intestinal problems result from contaminated water.

·         Parasites are a problem

·         Harvesting is all done by hand.  Methods of threshing and winnowing go back to Bible times. 

·         Often stubble is left long for livestock to eat.

·         Livestock is often brought into the house.  Akasha leaves are spread on the floor to make it smell better.

·         Akasha wood is used to make charcoal (environmentally damaging but very widely used as a fuel for cooking in Ethiopia).

A Slideshow of This Part Of Our Trip is Found by pasting this into your http:

https://www.slideshare.net/LydiaSorflaten/cfgb-ethiopia-2019-community-project-participant-tour-addis-ababa-to-debre-markos?qid=cb101e31-24a7-4ec0-a6a4-f6352df85af6&v=&b=&from_search=1

Each meal we gathered, usually at a big table with Grace before the meal.   Following Breakfast, a different person was designated to present a devotional.  A great way to start the day.                                                                                                                                  We were warned early on to drink lots of water and protect ourselves from the sun.

We were asked what are expectations were for the upcoming trip.  One of the grain farmers hopes to see the circle completed. They want to see the people on the other end benefitting from the CFBG projects.  Some expressed fear of the magnitude of what we were going to see, concern that we would not be able to comprehend what we would see, others look forward to seeing the love and appreciation they have in their hearts, we want to see the hope the projects bring.  One is concerned that we don’t know and we will not understand.    We are advised to listen, ask good questions, to be ready to accept their gratitude.  We expect this experience will change us; we will not be the same people when we come back.  We understand there will be a blessing and a burden resulting from this experience.  The aim is to help them help themselves.    We are assured that the places we are going are quite safe but the politically based insecurity, although turned around by the new Prime Minister, is not totally turned around.  We are warned to be street smart, to lock our suitcases, to show respect, reciprocate, to expect respect in return.  Hope is that we will see beauty beyond the poverty, to look at the beggar as a person.

We are here as guests of our partners.  Be gracious receivers.  We are all biased.  We are encouraged to look at what we have in common.  To be open minded as we listen.  To look at what we have in common.

Monday Morning there was no mercy for anyone now on Ethiopian time (7-10 hours earlier that Canadian time!)  Quality programming brought the group to life.  A consulting firm called Desert Rose help people who come into the country to understand the country.  Martha’s background is in Social-Anthropology quickly made the topic very relevant.

·         Eighty plus classes or groups make up Ethiopia.  Very diverse culture.

·         The colors of the flag of Ethiopia have different meanings.  Martha said some say the Green is for the Holy Spirit, the Yellow for Peace and the Red for Sacrificial Blood.

·         There are three important pieces to the Ethiopian culture: 

1.    Relationships:

§  Ethiopians love to be around people.

§  Family is very important (they don’t want to be alone)

§  Family goes beyond the nuclear family.  For example, responsibility extends to cousins.  If financial help is asked for, obligations may have to be postponed until next month to help you cousin. This applies to education, medical help, immigration and more.

§  There are lots of orphans in Ethiopia.  Adoption is accepted.

§  People live in close family compounds.

§  There is not a good system for emergency police, ambulance.  Rely first on family, then on neighbors.

§  Network is important.  They make sure they have many people in their network.

§  It is not important what you know, it is who you know.

§  You can only depend on your network to get the services you need!  (Martha gave two life threatening examples in her own life)

§  1^st responders in any crisis are the neighbors

§  The population of Ethiopia is 102 million ((2016).  Canada, by comparison was 36.2 million in 2016.  Canada  is 9 X the land size of Ethiopia!

§  Of the 41million children in Ethiopia, only 5 million are able to eat well.

§  There are many displaced people, refugees. 

§  There are 16 million hungry (the government says 8 million)

§  Diplomats have their own community network

§  Tourists?

§  Why would expats want to live here?

§  People want to go to a better life

§  For outsiders to build a new relationship, difficult

§  Outsiders are called Farage (people from the outside)

·         Four rules will help build relationships

1.    Smile:  If you smile, you are accepted by them.  A smile is a door opening to build a new relationship.

2.    Greeting:  How to acknowledge another person.  We deserve to be greeted.  Greet everyone every morning.  It is very important to recognize another person’s space. 

We had demonstrated to us the ‘shoulder bump hand shake, the three part cheek kiss, the hand shake touching the right arm with the left hand, all with appropriate eye contact and head position’.

3.    Smile and greet

4.    Greet and smile

§  Invest time to make social visit.  Family, friends, neighbors.

§  Weddings, funerals, sickness, birth, holidays-all times to make visits, to celebrate life.

2.    Status.  Power in Culture. 

§  Hierarchy vs Equality

§  Customs:

·         The man slaughters the chicken or goat

·         Inheritance is to the male child or children

·         There is an attempt to change the society.  For example, 50% of the cabinet are women

§  The Five A’s of Position in the Ethiopian Society

·         Ancestors- eg King or Queen, Indian caste, Somali

·         Achievement- graduated, appointed to a position

·         Age-older people have more respect

·         Assignment-government appointment

·         Appearance is important-(how I want to represent myself to you).  Clean shoes are important!

§  Criticism throws Ethiopians off.  It is painful.  People may become defensive or aggressive. 

§  Evaluation is stressful for senior management

§  It is hard to receive criticism, not easy to take

§  Here it is exceedingly hard to manage, the culture makes it difficult.  Everything is taken personally.  It becomes part of who they are.   The Ethiopian must be respected.

·         The Expat says, ‘I will respect you when I see results.’

·         The Ethiopian says ‘I will give you results when I am respected'.

§  If not greeted, the Ethiopian feels disrespected. 

3.    Holidays and Celebrations:

§  Religious       vs      Social

§  Christian:  Finding the cross;  Christmas Jan 7^th, Epiphany: Baptism of Jesus, Easter

§  Muslim:  There are two official holidays in Islam: Eid Al-Fitrand Eid Al-Adha. Eid Al-Fitr is celebrated at the end of Ramadan (a month of fasting during daylight hours), and Muslims may invoke zakat (charity) on the occasion which begins after the new moon sighting for the beginning of Shawal (Google)

§  Desert Rose provides training for religious groups to understand each other.

4.    Social Events

§  New Year, Childbirth, Baptism, 1^st Birthday, Graduation, Weddings, Funerals

§  Financial Burden:  For example, a wedding may include 1000 guests with 200 invited to a luncheon.  (They say the main reason for divorce in Addis is the wedding!)

§  Why is celebration important?

·         Escape from the Hierarchy

§  In Ethiopia, there is strong distinction between formal vs informal

·         If you want to talk to someone, have coffee, not a meeting.  Coffee is a green light for discussion.

·         In an informal setting, it is easier to give feedback.

 Poverty vs Sufficiency:

We then played a game where we were given a card representing a person in Ethiopia.  We were each given a small amount of money.  We were asked to pay our necessary bills.  Many of us did not have enough to pay our bills.  To make matters worse, we had to draw cards and deal with unexpected situations usually requiring money.  Some of us had been given extra money so you know what happened.  We had to call on neighbors for help. 

This brought up topics like:

·         Independence vs Inter dependence. Everyone is helping. 

·         Present vs the Future

·         Investing?

·         Networking

·         Resources

·         To do something bigger, if everyone contributes, we can do bigger projects

·         Money-invest in network, land and resources

This was a very valuable morning, one that we would think about many times over the duration of our travels to communities where we visited CFGB projects.

  https://www.facebook.com/desertroseconsultancy/

Canada Foodsgrain Bank (CFGB) Project Leaders Tour 2019 Ethiopia

Sam Vander Ende: Regional Field Representative Canada Foodsgrain Bank, Ethiopia

Sam was out host, tour guide, mentor, interpreter and friend for our tour of CFGB project work in Ethiopia, February 2019.  

Sam came from a family of seven.  His mother always worried about him (he has been involved internationally for 43 years) saying ‘you need to come home and get a proper job’.  Sam was working a desk job when he saw a newspaper ad for Canada Foodsgrain Bank (CFGB) looking for a person to monitor food aid in South Africa.    Sam has worked for CFGB for 29 years.  He says it’s been a wonderful ride.  He has no regrets.
The man Sam is shaking hands with is Mr. Mesafint Belete. He is a member of the ‘Community Care Coalition (CCC)’ – which is a government entity – comprised staff from government line ministries and community elders . He is also the chairperson of the “FH Fruits Association” – this association has been formed by ‘graduates of the FH ‘Orphan and Vulnerable Children Project’.  

Our Group Newly Landed In Addis

Meet our tour participants:

                          Kent Mayers, Cardigan PEI, Coordinator PEI CFGB.  

 As a dairy farmer, Kent’s father had a vision of ‘milk and cookies’.  So Kent became a baker.  ‘Pride of the Island is his bakery in Montague. PEI.  He wholesales (70 km range) and has become famous for his ‘cinnamon buns’.    CFGB started in 1999 in PEI.  There are 8 growing projects in PEI.  The Presbyterian church supports 3 of these projects growing barley, soya beans, wheat and oats.  CFGB is community building!  Fund raisers include concerts, a Chili, Chowder and Cows meal (this event was held in Charlottetown raising $1500.00). CFGB PEI has held a very successful all day evert with music, horses, antique cars, barbeque and a guest speaker. Kent feels that their CFGB is a big part of a healthy church/community life.

Kent is looking forward to meeting the recipients to see the impact CFGB is having on their lives.  He wants to see news of this impact brought back to communities in Canada.

Tyler Bartmanovich, Glenlea Manitoba. 

Tyler took the two year diploma program at U of Manitoba and went on to complete his degree in Agriculture.  Tyler wears two hats.  He farms with his Dad in Glenlea and works in an Agricultural Retailer Customs Business.  As well, he and his Dad manage the books for the CFGB along with managing the CFGB projects.  This link will take you to their ChipIn Glenlea projects. Be sure to watch the video!  There are 5 farms in the project with three churches involved.  They hope to involve more churches.  Depending on crop yields, they raise an amazing amount of money for CFBG.  Last year they raised $70,000.

https://www.facebook.com/ChipInGlenlea/

Dennis and Ruth Reimer Hudson Bay, SK

Dennis and Ruth are farming 5000 acres in Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan.    They have a quarter section (160 acres) 50/50 split with Rotary dedicated to a CFGB project.  This project has been going for 18 years. They look after planting to harvest. Dennis spearheads the coordination of the harvest.  This involves 10 machines. The 160 acres is harvested in 1 ½ hours.  People want to be invited. When the combines are finished, Rotary offers a lunch of chili.   CFGB is celebrating 30 years this year.                                                               Ruth feels young people should learn about farming and is pleased that her daughter in law, a teacher, brings her students to the farm.  They show them how the combine works.  Ruth is an avid quilter. 

Chris and Leianne Lea Manitou, MB.

Chris and Leianne are farming 1200 cultivated acres.  They have a 70 cow calf beef herd (black angus/Hereford cross).  Along with this Chris is involved in a construction business. Last spring they dedicated 15 acres to the Grow-Hope Project for CFGB.  Five Anglican churches represent the rural component of this project.  Churches in Winnipeg raise the money (the urban component), they grow the crop. Urban people are very enthusiastic about helping!

Rural and urban come together in the spring to bless the crop.  A tent was set up in the field and over 200 people came.  Great enthusiasm and awareness was created.  Way more than the proceeds from the crop was raised ($14,800 before the 3 to 1 match by our government). 

A calf was donated, raised and a special day was planned to celebrate the auctioning of the calf.  Cheques were written to CFGB beyond the auction proceeds.  Little seed bags of seed (Teff) were given out to plant in people’s gardens to further remind people of CFGB and all the great work it does.

Robert (Bob) and Jeanne Turner, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Jeanne was hired in June 2018 as the Finance Director of Canadian Food Grains Bank.  This tour to Ethiopia is part of her orientation.

Bob is retired.  He grew up on a farm near Killarney Manitoba and has spent his career involved in Agriculture.

This tour to Ethiopia came about as a result of his families’ involvement with Canada Food Grains Bank farming projects.

Allan and Lydia Sorflaten, Brookfield, Nova Scotia

Allan, originally from Winnipeg, has made his home in Nova Scotia for over 30 years.  Allan worked as an Economist in Marketing in Ontario and for the Federal Government. For 12 years, he farmed (cow calf/pure bred Hereford cattle and apple orchard) in the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia.

Lydia is a retired Foods and Nutrition teacher.

Allan and Lydia have volunteered with Canadian Executive Services Organization (CESO) for the last 20 years having worked in Guyana, the Philippines, Cameroon, Rome (FAO), Trinidad and Tobago and Ethiopia.

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Andre Visccher: Southern Alberta Regional Representative CFGB

Andre Visscher has been the southern Alberta regional representative for the Foodgrains Bank since 2009.  “Working with the people of southern Alberta in their efforts to help end global hunger and ensure food security for everyone is really rewarding.” says Andre.

If you are interested in finding someone to speak on global hunger at an event you are planning, or would like to learn more about a Foodgrains Bank event, project or initiative in southern Alberta, Andre would love to connect.