Monday, February 27, 2012

What In The World...


...are we doing here?

To put it very simply we are here to inspire,encourage,guide and love.

The organization that I am here with is called GHNI. It is an NGO (non governmental organization). The people who work within that organization are here because they are passionate about the people who live in rural villages in Ethiopia as well as Kenya.

They wish to bring hope and inspire changes within those villagers day to day lives.

These are the people of Mageladi.


These and people from surrounding villages work hard and are often given a sense of false hope. If a well meaning organization comes in and sets them up with machinery that needs maintenance that they do not know how to give or parts that they are not prepared to buy then that machine becomes useless.

But if you teach a man to fish...

It is the hope of GHNI that by working with a village from one to five years that they can walk side by side with them holding their hand so to speak and gently lead them small step by small step into a situation where they can have

Enough clean water for drinking,cooking and washing

Enough food to mitigate starvation and chronic hunger

Lifestyles that reduce disease and increasing health

Family incomes that are identifiably and significantly improved

90% of their children are in school and the first 5-10 have gone on to secondary.

GHNI has been with Garmaam for a year now and they have made big changes.

Our family together with 99 other sponsors have watched as they have built a bathroom and learned the health benefits simply washing their hands.

We visited Mageladi and now wish to see them succeed in every area that they want to succeed in.

I want to know what that is. I want to ask them what they hope for. What they dream of.

I've already spoken to one lady who asked me why,when I'm from America would I want to come to Africa. I told her it something I wanted to do. She thought for a moment and asked if it was possible for her to go to the USA.

I wasn't sure what to say. I didn't want to give her a false hope. But after thinking for a minute I realized it was possible. I told her that if that is what she dreamed of then she could make it a goal but she would have to work toward it.

This was all done with out a translator. Her English was very broken and I'm not sure how much she understood. But I want to know.

We will return Wednesday to visit again. I want to find her and learn about her. I want to know her name. I want to find what her day to day life is like. I want to find out if she thinks about nutrition as I do. I want to know if she went to America would she want to live there or visit? I want to know if she thinks there isn't enough water or food of if it is just how it is. She doesn't have children. I want to know if that is because she just hasn't yet or if it's because she has been married only one year or if it is for another reason.

I want you to get to know them too. I want to know what you want to know. I am going to do a Q and A. So ask me about Mageladi and I will find out. Ask about Garmaam or Ethiopia. Ask about our hotel or our guides. Ask me why on earth we were singing father Abraham and playing hopscotch. Ask about traffic laws and cultural traditions. Ask about Harar and coffee farms. Ask me how to say I'm full. Ask me for links to other blogs of the people who are here with me. Ask me WHO is here with me. Ask me what the local zoo has to show off. Ask me what our inside jokes are. Ask me what this little girls name is.
Ask anything you want!

I have a gobzillian photos and do not know what to share so ask away and I will narrow it down that way.

Leave a comment here. Write on my wall or message me on facebook. E-mail me. Shout it from the roof tops. But don't call. I'm not likely to answer.

It's just the way it is.

Ciao for now!




A No Photo Post

It's a hard thing to blog with out my own computer. I really want to share photos of what in the world I am up to but only one friend here with me has a card reader on her laptop and if she is using it I can not.

We have been busy.

We have lounged at the hotel.

We have visited the rual village of Mageladi.

I have typed e-mail after e-mail of updates and either lost them of lost half of them.

I have had coffee and avocado juice for breakfast.

I have filled my 16gb camera card with photos.

We have been to Harar and sneezed in the spice market.

We have been eating with our fingers.

We have photographed countless children who just want to see themselves.

We laugh and laugh when someone tries and pronounces an amharic word wrong.

We visited a coffee farm.

We point our every goat and donkey that blocks the road.

We did not buy a chicken from a boy at the market.

We found out they have rabbits and ducks at the local zoo.

We didn't wait around for darkness to try and spot some hyenas.

We sang father Abraham and did all the motions.

I want to share what we are doing here.

I'll try again.

Ciao!

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Not What I Was Expecting

36 hours after leaving home I arrived with my team to our home away from home










and it was not what I was expecting.

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