10 Mar 2013 (1) Harene Medera Elementary School in Haddessa
10 Mar 2013 (2) Adult education, Harene Medera Elementary School in Haddessa
10 Mar 2013 (3) Youth pondering his future leaving Harene Medera Elementary School in Haddessa
10 Mar 2013 (4) Medical clinic in Haddessa
10 Mar 2013 (5) Repairing bore hole pump, 3 km from Heddessa
10 Mar 2013 (6) Broken generator by bole hoe, 3 km from Heddessa
10 Mar 2013 (7) Bruce presenting gifts for distribution to young lady in the Negele women's shelter
10 Mar 2013 (8) Negele women's hostel accommodations
10 Mar 2013 (9) Negele women's hostel kitchen
10 Mar 2013 (10) Negele women's hostel ladies
10 Mar 2013 (11) Negele women's hostel
10 Mar 2013 (12) Lance with some of the residents, Negele women's hostel
10 Mar 2013 (13) Chris discussing issues with representatives, Negele women's hostel
10 March 2013. Some of us woke up at 4:10 am from the loudspeaker call to worship, but we grouped for departure at 7:15 am and headed out to Haddessa (05.0713 N 039.71101 E) to view another school project supported by Rotary back in 2006. Our visit included the Harene Medera Elementary School, the Medical Clinic (completed 7 months ago but unoccupied since no water or electricity), and the local bore-hole water supply about 3 kilometres from Haddessa. The bore-hole had a replaced pump but now had a broken generator so had not produced water for 20 days when we arrived. The nearest water was 75 km distant which the cattle and camels could reach but sheep and goats could not. Subsequently the goats and sheep were dying, but the cattle were deteriorating as well since land around the river had been overgrazed. And so it goes...
We had breakfast in Negele then visited a women's hostel which was converted from warehouses built by the Italians in the 1930's. This was the Swan City's first project in the Negele area back in 2005 and is an outstanding success as today we saw some of the 160 young women who now live there while attending school in Negele. These remarkably resilient and mature young women largely fend for themselves (cleaning, cooking etc), some walking up to 80 km to and from the shelter to lodge while taking classes in Negele. Nine former residents of this hostel are currently attending university, something young women of the region could only dream about when the project started 8 years ago! While it was evident that the facility badly needs some maintenance, the community has stepped in with some financial assistance for the residents of this hostel, and the objectives of this project are clearly being met and sustained.
Although Kote had joined us for part of the Negele women's hostel, his wife tracked him down and was quite upset: her uncle was just found near Heddessa killed by a lion while he was herding goats. And so it goes...
Chris, Bruce, Lance and Kote had supper at the Nile restaurant in Negele along with 5 of the 12 Negele students currently supported by ANSO and invited relatives of the students. Each student has a unique history worthy of exploration, but one example exemplifies, to this author at least, the intersection between opportunity given by ANSO, and determination of the student to excel.
Dahab Jirma was diagnosed with what was apparently a degenerative eye disease. Her prospects looked bleak, and Dahab was expected to be totally blind in 18 months. She was determined to remain in school as long as her eyesight permitted. Bruce found out about Dahab Jirma's condition and paid to have her sent to Addis Ababa for evaluation and treatment. Effective treatment cost about $300 Canadian, over a year's salary for many in Ethiopia. Dahab's condition was treatable, and her eyesight saved from further deterioration. She remains a top academic at time of writing and wants to pursue a career in medicine. Ultimately, timely intervention and inexpensive (by Canadian standards) life-changing treatment may very well be the genesis of a future Ethiopian doctor.
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