I had a beautiful, pivotal moment in my life tonight. All of a sudden, the whole reason that I embarked on my round-the-world trip made sense. I'm filled with an overwhelming sense of peace, joy and love for the world, like I'm seeing everything with new eyes. Mostly, I feel a crazy amount of renewed energy, commitment and passion, since I've redefined my life's mission... to fight for global justice! And the best part is, I’m so grateful that I have my whole life to commit toward this purpose… and amazing friends and colleagues throughout the U.S. and the world who will join me in the fight!
I really can't believe that my spirit is uplifted instead of drained right now, because the past three days have been the most overwhelming and heart-wrenching I’ve had during the past five weeks I’ve spent volunteering in Ethiopia. I made my second field visit in my PHE-Ethiopia internship, to learn about the efforts of the LEM Environment and Development Society of Ethiopia Organization. I visited a community called Wenago in the Gedeo zone of southern Ethiopia, the most densely-populated area in the country, and the second most densely-populated area in Africa.
There are more than 1,000 people per square kilometer, 8 kids per family, and scarce, contaminated water. It wasn’t an urban slum like I saw in the Pasig River community in Manila, in the Philippines, in terms of people living in shoebox-sized corregated tin shacks, in the same area as their livestock. But, the fact that it was a densely populated rural area made it was so much worse in some ways, because at least in cities people have access to running water, health clinics, schools and electricity. Here, people are living off the resources in their backyard in mud houses right next to their neighbors, with teensy plots of land (0.5 hectares on average) for growing coffee and vegetables for themselves and for sale. There’s little sanitary water, no electricity, and virtually no social services like health care or education. Most people didn't even have shoes, and were walking through the mud carrying huge bundles on their backs. I saw literally hundreds of little babies from ages one to five, with flies on their faces that they didn’t bother swatting away, running around in red-dirt-colored t-shirts and bare bottoms.
The government mandates that there be a minimum of one health clinic per 5,000 people, but I visited a community of 17,500 people where there are only two health clinics and four total health workers. I visited one of the health clinics, and in the room where women deliver babies, there was a big hole in the wall and the roof was caving in. Even worse than that, I visited two schools that each had 3,000 kids each, and only 25-35 teachers, so there are 80-90 kids per classroom. The schools don’t have libraries, or any water supply, and the school director said that many of the kids don't get enough to eat at home. So while it’s hard enough to come and find a space in the school to learn, they can't concentrate if they're starving.
Seeing these problems first-hand was devastating, and I couldn’t believe that without assistance, these communities will remain trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty. Thankfully, the organization I was with, LEM-Ethiopia, is doing an amazing job working in the community with very little resources. Not only are they conducting awareness raising workshops on family planning and training people in low-resource income generation like using mud bricks to create fuel-saving stoves and bee-keeping hives, but they’re integrating their projects into the government plan, so that it’s sustainable. I was really impressed with how a little goes a long way, for example:
• For $0.80, women can construct fuel-saving stoves made of mud blocks. This saves time walking to collect fuel wood, trees from being cut down, and health from breathing smoke in their households.
• For $0.80, community members can construct bee-keeping hives made of mud blocks. This helps with income generation in otherwise poverty-stricken rural areas.
• For $3.00, community members can plant a mango tree for income generation, nutrition, and to protect their environment. like fuel-saving stoves, bee hives, indigenous tree seedlings and school materials.
Still, their whole budget was a ridiculously small amount, and while USAID is funding the anti-HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns in the community, they’re clearly not putting funds toward long-term comprehensive family planning and agricultural development solutions.
The whole time I was seeing these projects, my mind was spinning with how my friends and colleagues back in the U.S. need to know what’s going on. We need to force our government to help these kids have an opportunity in life, through digging wells, building more classrooms and providing adequate health care. I could barely concentrate during the drive home, I was so busy mentally planning all the advocacy, presentations, letter-writing and fundraising I’d do!
Meanwhile, my guide through the madness of Gedeo zone was one of the wisest and most beautiful spirits I’ve met on my trip so far, whose name I won't mention here. He was the first person who talked openly with me about the corrupt government, and even shared incredibly personal stories of unjust political persecution, when he was just jailed for six years from age seventeen to twenty-three. While I listened to his stories, I couldn’t believe that here he remains, steadfastly committed to having faith in humanity, that given the proper tools and assistance, they will improve their communities’ livelihoods and defeat poverty in Ethiopia.
Tonight on the drive home to Addis, I told him how I’m so energized to make a difference for these projects, and he told me “you’re at a pivotal moment in your life. You’re young, and we hope that you stay committed to helping Ethiopia for a long time.” It was amazing, because the year of my life before leaving for this trip was full of pivotal moments. I even organized a whole campaign around a book called A Pivotal Moment by my hero Laurie Mazur, on the need to fight our current compound challenges of environmental, poverty, health and gender-related crises. I always thought a pivotal moment was a turning point, and here I am only more committed to my current path to fight for global reproductive health, environmental sustainability and poverty alleviation. I think what matters most is what the “pivot point” is based on—how focused, balanced and centered I am in my renewed mission to fight for global justice!
And the true beauty of this realization for me personally, is that I’m right back where I started in why I chose to go on this trip in the first place… to learn about the world, meet amazing people, and experience these kinds of well-informed, justice-oriented “epiphanies” about my place and purpose in the world. It’s just like what my flower tattoo means to me—“rooted, grounded, emboldened—working together sustainably and synergistically—we can ensure a bright, healthy, just future for the world!”
TAKE ACTION!!!!
April 8th is my 26th birthday, and I'm hoping that anyone reading this will consider donating $26 to the incredible MELCA and LEM-Ethiopia organizations that I've visited here in Ethiopia, to help them meet community needs. I really appreciate any contribution you can make to help. In return, I plan to keep you informed of my experiences through a detailed report and of course, pictures! The best way to donate is to send a check to my US address by April 15th; please email me at cassie.gardener@gmail.com for my address. Thank you in advance for your assistance!
I really can't believe that my spirit is uplifted instead of drained right now, because the past three days have been the most overwhelming and heart-wrenching I’ve had during the past five weeks I’ve spent volunteering in Ethiopia. I made my second field visit in my PHE-Ethiopia internship, to learn about the efforts of the LEM Environment and Development Society of Ethiopia Organization. I visited a community called Wenago in the Gedeo zone of southern Ethiopia, the most densely-populated area in the country, and the second most densely-populated area in Africa.There are more than 1,000 people per square kilometer, 8 kids per family, and scarce, contaminated water. It wasn’t an urban slum like I saw in the Pasig River community in Manila, in the Philippines, in terms of people living in shoebox-sized corregated tin shacks, in the same area as their livestock. But, the fact that it was a densely populated rural area made it was so much worse in some ways, because at least in cities people have access to running water, health clinics, schools and electricity. Here, people are living off the resources in their backyard in mud houses right next to their neighbors, with teensy plots of land (0.5 hectares on average) for growing coffee and vegetables for themselves and for sale. There’s little sanitary water, no electricity, and virtually no social services like health care or education. Most people didn't even have shoes, and were walking through the mud carrying huge bundles on their backs. I saw literally hundreds of little babies from ages one to five, with flies on their faces that they didn’t bother swatting away, running around in red-dirt-colored t-shirts and bare bottoms.
The government mandates that there be a minimum of one health clinic per 5,000 people, but I visited a community of 17,500 people where there are only two health clinics and four total health workers. I visited one of the health clinics, and in the room where women deliver babies, there was a big hole in the wall and the roof was caving in. Even worse than that, I visited two schools that each had 3,000 kids each, and only 25-35 teachers, so there are 80-90 kids per classroom. The schools don’t have libraries, or any water supply, and the school director said that many of the kids don't get enough to eat at home. So while it’s hard enough to come and find a space in the school to learn, they can't concentrate if they're starving.Seeing these problems first-hand was devastating, and I couldn’t believe that without assistance, these communities will remain trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty. Thankfully, the organization I was with, LEM-Ethiopia, is doing an amazing job working in the community with very little resources. Not only are they conducting awareness raising workshops on family planning and training people in low-resource income generation like using mud bricks to create fuel-saving stoves and bee-keeping hives, but they’re integrating their projects into the government plan, so that it’s sustainable. I was really impressed with how a little goes a long way, for example:
• For $0.80, women can construct fuel-saving stoves made of mud blocks. This saves time walking to collect fuel wood, trees from being cut down, and health from breathing smoke in their households.
• For $0.80, community members can construct bee-keeping hives made of mud blocks. This helps with income generation in otherwise poverty-stricken rural areas.
• For $3.00, community members can plant a mango tree for income generation, nutrition, and to protect their environment. like fuel-saving stoves, bee hives, indigenous tree seedlings and school materials.
Still, their whole budget was a ridiculously small amount, and while USAID is funding the anti-HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns in the community, they’re clearly not putting funds toward long-term comprehensive family planning and agricultural development solutions.
The whole time I was seeing these projects, my mind was spinning with how my friends and colleagues back in the U.S. need to know what’s going on. We need to force our government to help these kids have an opportunity in life, through digging wells, building more classrooms and providing adequate health care. I could barely concentrate during the drive home, I was so busy mentally planning all the advocacy, presentations, letter-writing and fundraising I’d do!
Meanwhile, my guide through the madness of Gedeo zone was one of the wisest and most beautiful spirits I’ve met on my trip so far, whose name I won't mention here. He was the first person who talked openly with me about the corrupt government, and even shared incredibly personal stories of unjust political persecution, when he was just jailed for six years from age seventeen to twenty-three. While I listened to his stories, I couldn’t believe that here he remains, steadfastly committed to having faith in humanity, that given the proper tools and assistance, they will improve their communities’ livelihoods and defeat poverty in Ethiopia. Tonight on the drive home to Addis, I told him how I’m so energized to make a difference for these projects, and he told me “you’re at a pivotal moment in your life. You’re young, and we hope that you stay committed to helping Ethiopia for a long time.” It was amazing, because the year of my life before leaving for this trip was full of pivotal moments. I even organized a whole campaign around a book called A Pivotal Moment by my hero Laurie Mazur, on the need to fight our current compound challenges of environmental, poverty, health and gender-related crises. I always thought a pivotal moment was a turning point, and here I am only more committed to my current path to fight for global reproductive health, environmental sustainability and poverty alleviation. I think what matters most is what the “pivot point” is based on—how focused, balanced and centered I am in my renewed mission to fight for global justice!
And the true beauty of this realization for me personally, is that I’m right back where I started in why I chose to go on this trip in the first place… to learn about the world, meet amazing people, and experience these kinds of well-informed, justice-oriented “epiphanies” about my place and purpose in the world. It’s just like what my flower tattoo means to me—“rooted, grounded, emboldened—working together sustainably and synergistically—we can ensure a bright, healthy, just future for the world!”
TAKE ACTION!!!!
April 8th is my 26th birthday, and I'm hoping that anyone reading this will consider donating $26 to the incredible MELCA and LEM-Ethiopia organizations that I've visited here in Ethiopia, to help them meet community needs. I really appreciate any contribution you can make to help. In return, I plan to keep you informed of my experiences through a detailed report and of course, pictures! The best way to donate is to send a check to my US address by April 15th; please email me at cassie.gardener@gmail.com for my address. Thank you in advance for your assistance!
Cassie! Your photos are fantastic, you have a real talent. Thank you for sharing your amazing journey with us!
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