Honestly, it was an unbeatable experience to meet and become friends with so many passionate and brilliant leaders who are implementing the very programs that I’ve advocated for during the past four years. When we all boarded the bus Saturday morning, I immediately wrote their names down and tried to memorize them—Khasaoud with Family Guidance Association (IPPF affiliate), Befekadu with MELCA, Tsehainesh with REST, Ytnayet with Engender Health, Belay with Pathfinder, Morgueta with Oromia Development Association (ODA), Aby with People’s Self Development Organization, Yemane with Save Your Holy land, Esayas with DSW, Abebe with Christian Relief Development Organization, Mogues with Lem Ethiopia, and Shewaye with EWNRA—and that’s just half of them! They kindly laughed at my mispronunciation of their names, and patiently answered my questions about their organizations throughout the week. I couldn’t believe that it was all executive directors who were attending this week-long meeting to improve their communication skills to policy-makers, donors, the media and the public. Didn’t they have imperative work to be doing, running organizations and saving lives?! I took it as evidence that these leaders and their organizations are really committed to the population health and environment development approach, and to their meaningful membership in PHE-Ethiopia Consortium.
The training was facilitated by my colleague from Washington DC, Jason Bremner with PRB, who’s the one person I’ll hang out with during these first five months of world travel who I know from my former life. Over the course of the week in Woliso, we became buddies as I picked his brain about his amazing job, his world travels, challenges facing Ethiopia, and U.S. funding streams for these projects. We also happened to be reading the same profoundly moving book about the Sudanese civil war, What is the What by Dave Eggers, so it was awesome to have an American friend to chat with about our perceptions of African issues and culture. I realized that having spent a month in Ethiopia, I had gotten used to seeing goats in the backs of people’s cars, or not being shocked by cultural oddities like the quick sucking of air as a sign of understanding/approval. When my boss called me fat as a compliment on our first night in Woliso, it was awesome to laugh about it with Jason, rather than staring back blankly and trying to comprehend how the situation would go down in the states. :)
Negash Lodge felt too good for the likes of my budget backpacker tastes, with my own apartment-style hut with a TV, king size bed and bathroom. Moreover, it was set within a winding jungle atmosphere, complete with gopher-like critters, dear, and vervet and colobus monkeys playing around us at all times! But it was apparently only $20/night per room, and important for our week of hard work to be complemented with a relaxing nature ambiance. The actual workshop was held in a huge bamboo room, and though it was really well-equipped with powerpoint and speakers, I have to admit I freaked out every half hour or so when monkeys would chase each other across the roof, causing it to shake overhead. The monkeys hanging out so close to us reminded me of this hilarious Dane Cook comedy sketch, where he says “people think monkeys as pets are nothing but fun, bananas and dancing with toothbrushes, but they’re not! They’re smelly and unsanitary and conniving, and monkeys as pets are just wrong!” I kind of have to agree with him, that while monkeys are cute in theory, dozens of them creepily hanging out on my doorstep is a bit terrifying, haha.
While it was amazing to meet the PHE practitioners and learn about their organizations, it was even more thrilling for me to see my boss Negash in action. The first day that he gave an introduction to the issues we’d be discussing throughout the week, I was beyond impressed with his public speaking expertise. He clearly articulates and justifies his numerical points, and always uses full sentences as though he’d written out what he was going to say beforehand. He’s a natural born charismatic leader, very energetic and always laughing, clapping, and introducing people to one another, with an uncanny ability to delegate tasks in a way that makes you excited to work for him. While watching him present on PHE integrated development solutions as a potential climate change adaptation strategy in Ethiopia, I found myself feeling warm fuzzies of inspiration and devotion to his cause. I realized that his country is so lucky to have him committed to passionately advancing these solutions, and moreover I’m lucky to closely work with and learn from him for 2 months! Yay for a new hero to add to my long list of similarly amazing colleagues and mentors who I’ve met in this field.
Another warm and tingly moment for me was tonight, Monday March 22nd, when Negash, Jason, Shewaye, Mogues, Abebe, Meseret, Befekadu and I were out to dinner for the best fried fish I’ve eaten in my life. Our little group has gone to the same hotel restaurant here in Woliso every night, each person generously taking turns in covering the hisab (bill). We were all laughing as Jason and I competed to eat the most fish off the bone that we could, moving on from the fleshy middle parts to the sketchy, boney head and tail. I’m quite proud of myself that I actually took one big bite of the fish’s face! I had to do it, considering Abebe had annihilated it in a matter of minutes, telling us “the face is the best part—it tastes like a crunchy fish cracker.” (!!) As I looked around the table at each person, laughing and encouraging us to enjoy Ethiopian food, I felt pure love and affection for each of them. It was another one of those “I’m so happy to be here right now doing exactly what I’m doing” moments—I really can’t get enough of them during this trip!
Tomorrow I’m excited that we’ll get to visit a PHE Project site in Wenchi, and do some hiking around a crater lake. I can’t wait—both to learn about the Oromia Development Association’s PHE interventions, and for some much needed exercise! :)
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