news

Catching up on the news. Thanks, mom!

resort

After touring the fancy Haile Resort in Hawassa I know for sure that my birthday weekend in September will include: steam room, sauna, pool, and whatever a "jungle massage" is! Sometimes you've got to treat yourself!

Scrabble

Scrabble with my language tutor, my landlords' son and his friend.

good day

I've had such a good day today! First, I went to a family home with an HEW and we made enriched porridge (with carrots, milk, banana). The family then made coffee for us.

In the afternoon I built a hand-washing station with a coffee, tea and bread shop owner at her shop and taught about when and why to wash hands with soap. I'm so glad to be meeting people with whom it's a joy to work and spend time.

natural lawn mowers

Mid-day routine

Mid-day routine: take bucket bath, wash clothes in bath water + fresh water, hang clothes on line, mop with water spilled on floor from bath and clothes washing, sweep, eat lunch at restaurant or make lunch at home. My ideal day also includes one program in the morning (at household, health center or health post) and another in the afternoon. Also, a one hour language tutoring sessions Monday - Friday.

Good news is that I have a new language tutor. His name is Wansamo and he's the best friend of my former language tutor. He's a chemistry teacher at the local secondary school.

Getnet's birthday

Birthday party of Getnet - a one year old in the neighborhood. His mother is a midwife and his father is the Health Extension Worker Supervisor. There was much food, laughter, prayer, speeches, practicing Sidamic (with two older women before the others arrived), photo taking (by young adults with smart phones) and awkwardness (on my end). I'm so glad I went and am grateful to the family for inviting me.

Rilke poem

You darkness from which I come
I love you more than all the fires
that fence out the world,
for the fire makes a circle for everyone
so that no one sees you anymore.

But darkness holds it all:
the shape and the flame,
the animal and myself.

...and it is possible: its great strength
is breaking into my body.
I have faith in the night.

- Rilke

nutrition education

This morning one of the Health Extension Workers and I taught a family about nutritional diversity. Then, we made mashed banana for the nine month old as a snack. Next time we make enriched porridge.

kindness

This morning: people greeting me kindly, for the most part. One man who spoke a little English praised my Amharic and Sidamic and said that learning a new language is difficult. If I can give more weight and attention to kindness and friendliness and welcome rather than rudeness and hostility, it gets better for me.

struggle

Maybe there will be a day when I can leave my house without steeling myself against anxiety and irritation. Maybe there will be a day when the taunts, jeers, stares, smirks, "foreigner!" "You!" No longer get to me. Thank goodness there are people I work with who are kind, understanding, welcoming, motivated and hardworking. Thank goodness there are people who greet me in a friendly manner. Today I feel overwhelmed. Some days it's not such a struggle to cope. I'll keep working on it.

food

Hawassa haul. Particularly exciting is the sesame oil (harvested and processed in Ethiopia.)

Some other exciting food finds from restaurants and grocery stores in (urban) Ethiopia so far: coconut milk powder, soy milk powder, soy sauce, cumin, coriander, curry powder, teff pancake mix, M&Ms, apple cider vinegar. Butternut squash, bell peppers, broccoli. Indian food, Thai food. Have yet to try Korean, Chinese or Japanese food in Addis, but I know it's available. Beets, carrots, green beans, ginger. Hibiscus tea. Iced coffee. Peanut butter. Oatmeal. Flax seeds.

Exciting food finds at site: fresh injira that's slightly crispy, sautéed greens, lentil stew (misir watt - maybe the most satisfying and tasty of foods in country - I eat this most days at site for lunch), coffee with a bit of salt is actually not bad! (That's how they prepare it in Sidama - the fact that the local coffee is delicious helps with the strangeness of salt in coffee). Coffee with milk. Mango. Avocado and garlic (always available at site on market days). Samosa type things with lentil filling. Cabbage made with local butter, spices and hot pepper. Making home fries for breakfast during potato season. Peanut butter stew with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, potatoes, carrots.

morning time

Potatoes from site. Carrots, peppers and onions from Hawassa. Did you know that carrots, peppers, beets and other veggies can stay relatively good for more than a week without refrigeration? Things Peace Corps teaches you...

home visit training for HEWs

Today the Health Extension Supervisor and I led a training for three Health Extension Workers. The training was about conducting home visits and took place at one of the health posts.

household intake and other activities

Some images from today. I worked with a new Health Extension Worker, we visited a family and completed a household intake. Then she invited me over for coffee with her family afterwards. Ate at a local restaurant. Worked with a midwife at the health center to complete a barrier analysis on complementary feeding with a mother of a one year old. Had language class with my language tutor and found out he's moving to Hawassa for his Masters degree (VERY sad news for me, happy news for him). A Sidamic tutor is an absolute necessity for me so he's going to help me find someone else. Went to the market and bought some bananas, avocados and mangoes. More good plans for tomorrow.

Today's Plan

Injira, misir wat, greens, potato

Coffee with Health Extension Worker's family

Map of town (2018 is 2010 in Ethiopia - they use a different calendar)

wish list

Wish list: Glide floss, Jolly Ranchers, facial sunscreen, Emergen-C, Thai Kitchen soup packets, spice packets, yoga instructional book/magazine, magazines, essential oils.

Address:

Erica Ward, PCV
c/o Peace Corps Ethiopia
PO Box 1767
Hawassa
ETHIOPIA

Thank you!