Ethiopia 2017
Volunteer Work in Hossaina
Brief Report of the Project of February 24th to March 10th, 2017
A trip to Ethiopia means diving into a completely different world. It is a world and a culture literally and figuratively thousands of miles away from the clean conditions in Europe, from smooth and relatively controlled road situations, safe power and water supply, prosperity, and the availability of everyday things. more...
A trip to Ethiopia also means immersing yourself in a different, very old culture, almost untouched by colonial influence. It means immersing in a completely different language (Amharic is
the official language), a different calendar (in Ethiopia it is the year 2009), a different reckoning of time (the Ethiopian day begins withSunrise at 0.00 o'clock), and the great scenic
beauty of volcanic mountains massifs, and special flora and fauna. A visit to Ethiopia is an immersion in a world of deceleration, curiosity, and human warmth. We had many encounters of this
kind during our journey, and they can't be compared with the relatively "anonymous" kind one might expect in Europe.
Our project trip to Hossaina (a city with about 60,000 inhabitants, 230 km south of the capital, Addis Ababa) was no vacation. The goal is to support a small pre-school for about 300 children
aged four to six with our solar energy project, which was founded as a result of the WOW-Day at the Wendelstein Waldorf School. Most important were three kinds of aid, which are also essential
for so-called "developing countries":
- Energy supply from free renewable energy sources
- Improvement of medical care as well as health education
- Improvements in the conditions for education
We had planned support for all three areas. This new project was decided by a vote in a conference of the students in classes 8 to 12 in autumn 2015. We were able to collect money from
WOW-Day revenues of two campaign days from the years 2015 and 2016 (about 11,000 €), the generous support of the Rotary Club (17,000 €), and numerous other sponsorship fees in order to
provide help for the "Divine Providence Kindergarten Hossaina."
The connection with Hossaina came through a personal contact related to our current aid project with the German-Ethiopian agricultural company Ecopia. During a trip to Ethiopia, Jakob Debus,
a former student of the Wendelstein Waldorf School and a participant in the 2012 project trip, met a socially committed, lively, and likeable Ethiopian, who had been living in Hossaina at
Divine Providence for several years. His name is Tibebu Alemu. In August 2016, Dr. Hans Günther, Elisabeth Günner, Silke Pirner, Andreas Pirner, Cornelia Debus, and myself made a preliminary
visit for one week to explore the basic conditions at Hossaina. Tibebu Alemu was our contact, interpreter, organizer, and (especially) friend during the whole stay. Without him none of our
work could have been realized. The pre-school in Hossaina is organized by four Catholic nuns who have been trying for years to prevent the closing of the preschool with all their might. So
far, this was an almost impossible endeavor, because there was a massive lack of resources. The closure of the school with a total of 12 teachers nearly happened several times. Especially
the always positive, cosmopolitan, and spiritual way of life of the nuns was impressive for us all. Their church background was completely undogmatic. Their gratitude towards us was
exceedingly strong: "This project is a living Christianity, an example for some church representatives!" was one of the expressions of Sister Almaz, who leads the school in Hossaina. The
actual head of the entire institution is Sister Maristella, who speaks only Amharic and Italian, but we understood her without words.
The twelve students, along with Lissi Degelmann (nurse), Andreas Pirner (carpenter and engineer), and Guiseppe (Pino) Fusaro, who worked very hard for our project and was a member of the
"Bridge Builders of Humanity" and was invited to join us, felt almost at home right from the beginning. We always got plenty of delicious meals (Noodles, rice, vegetables, and meat, always
freshly cooked) and also dry, clean quarters. At the end of the dry season (it had not rained for five months!) circumstances were anything but simple: there was no running water, and no
power supply for days. Nevertheless, we adjusted very quickly: We unpacked the solar devices on the first evening, so we were the only house far and wide where lamps were lit. Because in
Ethiopia the sun was already down at 6 pm, everyone at the school was very pleased to have this technology. We quickly got used to using only water out of buckets. Teeth were brushed with
bottled water only, due to the danger of infection.
Right from the beginning, we knew that this project would be successful: After 5 months of dryness it rained in our first night in Hossaina. The roofs and gutters that collected the rainwater
and put it in a large cistern provided sufficient and clean water for all of us. Since it rained the following nights as well, the rainy season was a blessing to the nuns. It saved them having
to transport water by truck to our location.
All other materials and means of transport were (for Ethiopian conditions) on time. The bus and the driver were booked because we knew them from the former project. The solar system
(worth 12,000 €) had been driven from Addis Abeba to Hossaina a few days earlier. In total we installed about 96 lamps and 32 solar panels including charging modules. We needed 1300 kg of
wood in addition, so we organised it over the course of one day from Addis Abeba. Since every group member had 46 kg of luggage packed with tools, we were equipped very professionally. The
medical supplies (worth 2000 €) were delivered by our Ethiopian expert in pharmacy, Tewodros (Teddy) Kumsa, from Addis to Hossaina, which meant 6 hours of driving for him.
After regular morning team meetings (the English colleagues will be happy to know that these were always held in English, because Tibebu had to be able to follow everything as leader of the
"logistics team") we went to work. Solar systems were installed on the roofs, and the lights and cables were installed in the houses. The infirmary was cleaned and painted, and the office was
equipped and connected to the Internet. In addition, we built some shelves and other structures from the wood. New wooden swings were also built for the children.
So far the children have not been mentioned. They are the people the whole project is about. Monday morning we were greeted by the students of Hossaina, highly disciplined, loudly singing
children with their big eyes in the dark-skinned and cheerful faces, dressed in dark-green sweaters and pants or skirts. Suddenly, the whole reason for our efforts was abundantly clear.
There stood 300 small Ethiopians, four to six years old, ordered by age and size, all of whom have an uncertain future ahead, but who learn reading and writing, mathematics, and even English
very early by European standards. I was occupied for a long time thinking about whether the Ethiopian government-mandated pre-school practice is actually supportive. At first it seems
astonishing when a five-year-old writes English sentences on a piece of paper and effortlessly solves math problems usually given to eight-year-olds. In the coming days I could experience
the children more closely and tried to focus on the question of age-appropriate development. I was astonished that the change of teeth (a criterion of readiness for grade-school) takes place
with five-year-olds in many cases. In addition, the children are clearly more mature, more disciplined, but also less individual than European children of the same age. Learning happens in
the group, very oriented to the rhythm of the language and above all to the loud singing. Everything happens through the sensations of a clapped or danced group happening, which has an almost
military character for an outsider. But a closer examination clearly shows that school life corresponds to the mental development of the children.
But quite apart from these humanistic considerations, we were all just always overwhelmed by the joy and cordiality of the many children who came to meet us….
Much more problematic is the medical situation: numerous children have intestinal, stomach, or skin problems. Ear, nose, and throat diseases also play an important role. We found out that
our medical equipment did not prevent the repercussions of these diseases. There is still a lack of ointments against external infections and of other equipment, which will be improved
during the next project trips. In addition, information on hygiene issues such as dental care, skin care, and nutrition is of great importance. It is also important to note that some
children suffer from malformations due to the missing resources, including as water and food, that they need in order to grow up more healthily. Sister Almaz assured us that the infirmary
will be opened once a week and a trained nurse will look after the children. A dispensary with goods that are required for medical treatment is now available, too. Lissi Degelmann will
continue to work in the team and travel along, as will a doctor who is familiar with the relevant treatments.
By the end of the first week, we had almost finished all the work, so that we were able to meet with the teaching staff on Friday afternoon. During the tour, where all the innovations on the
school grounds were shown, they cheerfully sang, clapped, and danced. The teachers also thanked us for the financial support for the further training of teachers, which we had already started
in 2016. For 2017 and 2018, further training courses have already been funded.
For 2018, it was also agreed that we would offer a workshop for all the teachers of the faculty with some colleagues from Wendelstein. For instance, wax modeling, candle making, or watercolor
painting will be on the program at the end of March 2018. The aims of this project and training program are creating beautiful and artistic things for the children, bringing our Waldorf
culture to Ethiopia.
After the first week, we went to Chicho Hayo in the Ethiopian mountains for a few days with a separately rented cross-country bus. The nursery school in Hossaina runs another facility
there, where we also supplied some medicines and installed solar panels. Compared to Hossaina, however, the school in Chicho Hayo seems better equipped, so in the future we shall mainly
support Hossaina. The journey through the Ethiopian highlands, along the Omosta Lake, a hike through the village, and the bus ride over 160 km of gravel were once again impressive
experiences for us.
After our return to Hossaina, we spent the last days bringing our work on the houses, the school buildings, and the infirmary to a provisional conclusion. In addition, Lorenz's birthday was
celebrated, and we invited all employees. The bus ride through Hossaina while natives danced, sang, and clapped, was also an incredible experience.
On Wednesday morning, Pino had scheduled a tree planting. After several "trees of humanity" were already planted in Germany, America, Italy, and Brazil, such a tree was planted with a
ceremony in Hossaina on the school grounds. About 500 students from the neighboring high school, local representatives, parents of the school, the children, the faculty, and the bishop of
the region made the festival a joyous event.
The last evening was devoted to the group and our farewell. Sister Maristella, the director of the entire institution, had a present for each of us and a speech for us all. Tibebu, our interpreter, translated what was said from Amharic to German. Maristella handed us a letter, which is appended to this report. After eleven days, we returned with heavy hearts. So many human encounters, heartfelt experiences, and deep conversations had brought us close to the place and the people there, but in the end, we were all looking forward to going home as well.
Further projects and steps are planned for 2018. Many aspects require further work:
- Medical care is to be further improved, as mentioned above
- School furniture must be built or maintained
- School equipment as well as pedagogical skills are to be further improved
- The school houses a room with very old, manual sewing machines, on which teenagers learn to sew. Here, technical assistance and training for the production of school uniforms should take
place. Many of the uniforms were in a desolate state
- Solar panels can be installed specifically for very poor members of the school community in order to improve the living conditions of individual families.
These ideas also serve to make the project more sustainable and, above all, to continue cultivating human contacts.
In retrospect, I would like to thank the numerous helpers, stakeholders, and contributors for making this new stage of our project so successful. First and foremost, we sincerely thank our
fellow travelers Lissi Degelmann, Andreas Pirner, and Pino Fusaro for their energetic commitment. The student team with Carla, Mia, Michelle, Nele, Sarah, Gregor, Jonathan, Lorenz, Luka,
Lukas, Matteo, and Thilo contributed significantly to the project's success through their open, flexible and motivated attitude. We would also like to thank the faculty in Wendelstein, which
gave us the freedom to travel and created appropriate conditions for our global school project in this form.
Thanks to all the students who created a financial foundation during WOW-Day by their work!
Thanks also to the numerous supporters and sponsors. Above all, thanks to the Rotary Club Nürnberger Land as well as the Club Graz for their generous donations!
Thanks to the many staff and to the Sisters in Hossaina for the great hospitality, the good food, and the constant concern that we felt good.
Thanks to Chernit, our bus driver, who drove us safely through the busy streets of Ethiopia.
Thanks to Teddy for bringing the medications. Thanks also to Nikola and Alex from Megenanja for the solar equipment transport and the bus.
Many thanks also to Thomas Koepke from Fosera who, after a few days in Ethiopia, even contacted us by telephone and asked about us and the solar systems.
And, of course, I am very grateful to Tibebu Alemu for his great commitment, which is indispensable as a point of contact between here and there. He will now travel back into the southwestern
jungle of Ethiopia to feed and care for nearly 50 bee colonies. For this we have given him the rest of the solar modules as well as a portable toilet built by Andreas
Finally, a few fundamental thoughts. It is a question of the meaning, aims, and background of such a project. After all, I was asked what my own motivation is for such a project, which
entails costs, requires energy and responsibility, and draws me away from home, school, family, and other tasks.
The following two reasons are the most significant for me:
a) The students from the 11th grade of the "Free Waldorf School" who traveled to Ethiopia at private cost experienced essential global processes in one of the world's poorest countries and
experienced that they were safe and working in a cosmopolitan context. They also became more aware of the privileged situation in which they otherwise live. This can be seen, for example, in
an excerpt from the student report, which is published in full length on our website: "The strong contrast between poor and rich quickly became apparent. Everyone was shaken by the
catastrophic living conditions, especially in the city. Compared to Germany there is a lot of waste and dirt. The bad roads and the dingy corrugated corridors were a terrifying sight for
everyone."A few days later, however, the team writes: "In the meantime about ten days have passed and we all wish we could stay longer. The luxury of home is not lacking, as you realize that
you do not need it to lead a happy life." With a great deal of commitment, the whole team brought their skills to other people on a foreign continent. Many human and cordial contacts arose.
The other form of "school," which in most cases is limited to classroom situations and mental exertions, was complemented here with real action. Even if our actions are only a drop in the
"ocean of global events," it must also be taken into account that the oceans consist only of drops, which in turn can yield an ocean. We can only begin with ourselves by thinking, feeling,
and acting in our present world situation, which requires the possibilities and development of the whole human being.
b) People of a foreign and distant culture, especially the many children in Hossaina, experienced concrete aid and support in areas of life which are significantly less favorable in a
country like Ethiopia than in wealthy Europe. In Ethiopia there is a severe shortage of water, food, medicine, education, energy, and infrastructure, mainly because of the current economic
structure of our globalized world. The humanistic principle of brotherhood, which is increasingly displaced as one of the essential values of the Christian, enlightened world by
protectionism, nationalism, and above all egoism, comes to life and awakens to the current needs, situations, and attitudes in the world. This is also what the "tree of humanity" planted at
Pino's initiative is meant to symbolize.
At the end of the day, I am reminded of Rudolf Steiner's idea that created a school form with Waldorf pedagogy. This form of education is a comprehensive form of the human being and can be
linked to his spiritual background. On June 14, 1921, Steiner, referring to the subject geography, in whose context I see the entire project, said to the first faculty of the Stuttgart
Waldorf School:
"If we really do this vividly, then we put a person into space; we develop in him especially what teaches him interest in the world, and this will show its effects in various ways. A person
with whom we do geography in a sensible way is more loving toward his fellow-man than one who does not learn the juxtaposition in space. He learns to stand beside other people; he takes the
others into account. These things pass deeply into moral education, and the suppression of geography is nothing more than an aversion to love of one's neighbor, which in our age has had to be
pushed back more and more."
Wolfgang Debus, Wendelstein, the 12. March 2017
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Traveldiary Ethiopia journey 2017
Arrival
After a 6 hour long flight and a busride, which was as long as the flight, we finally arrived at the school in Hossaina. Everyone was really exhausted because of the long trip from Addis Abeba to Hossaina. Shortly after our arrival we stored all the tools in a container and moved into our two little houses. The houses were very cosy and offered good space for us all. The 7 boys moved into the bigger one and the 5 girls made themselves comfortable in the smaller one. In the evening we were spoiled with delicious food and went straight to bed afterwards. more...
Day 1
At sunday we started having a detailed tour of the area. Afterwards we were divided into five workgroups: logistics, wood and solarenergy, medical station and education(with a subgroup for the wooden toys). After lunch we started working. The first solarlamps were installed in the mainhouse and we did first preparations for future work. It was a lucky coincidence that we had already installed the lamps in the mainhouse because in the evening we had a power breakdown in town. The whole of Hossaina was dark....except of our house.
Day 2
In the morning we were introduced to the children of the school. We also took part in the morning ritual: early morning exercise, the singing of the national anthem and other songs. The
ritual took place on the grassland in front of the school and in strict order. After this we started to work. A few students drove into the city to buy the stuff we need. They bought an
internet accesspoint, carpets and changed money, these are just a few examples. Here tasks like this have to be managed completely different in comparison to Europe. In Ethiopia one needs
hours in order to get things done like changing money, buying materials and other little things. You might encounter the following occurence: after buying cloth for the medical station the
receipt had to be handwritten, on the receipt there had to be a confirmation stamp, which was not present in the shop but at another remote shop in the town. Now someone had to take a taxi
in order to get the stamp, which finally resulted in the conclusion of the deal.
After a well tasting lunch and the lunch break everyone got back to work. The walls of the medical staion were painted white for the first time and the printer was started up. A few
teammembers went back to town to buy further materials.
Day 3
The third day started with rain pouring down on us. But after we started working the sky cleared up and the rain stopped. The team responsible for the medical station was painting the walls
for the third time now and had a hard day fighting with the plaster. The group responsible for education scanned and printed many schoolbooks. The group responsible for solarenergy was
installing lamps and solarpanels like mad men. After a very short lunch break evryone went back to work. The day was brought to a close with a delicious diner.
The so often mentioned "delicious food“ consists of, seasoned pasta, lamb, pieces of meat, poultry, pizza, beans, sweet potatoes, fresh mangos and several beverages. We have to emphasize
that the ethiopian coffee was one of the best tasting things.
Day 4
Right after having breakfast the group responsible for education and schoolmaterials went to the city center. There they unlocked our internet access, which was more difficult than imagined. Afterwards they bought some wire, which was needed for the curtains of the medical station. Additionaly shelves were built and the walls of the medical station were painted for the last time. After a short break everyone went back to work. Further shelves were built, the website was updated and some shopping was done for the medical station. In the evening we enjoyed the last sun rays of the day.
Day 5
Thursday began with alot of Work, especially the group responsible for the medical station was busy. Firstly they had to sort medicine into the “Roundhouse“ (which is used as a room for
treatment and to rest) and the medical station. Secondly they had to create lists for the medicine and the instruments. The group responsible for solarenergy installed a big amount of
lamps and solarpanels in the classrooms. Since thursday was a holiday there were no kids at school, which enabled the groups to work undisturbed.
In the afternoon one group made a trip into the city and in the evening we admired the clear night sky.
Day 6
Friday morning was very cloudy but after breakfast the sun came out. Before lunch we had already achieved very much, a shelve was built for the office and the last solarpannels were mounted, for instance. The medical staion was opened as it welcomed its first little patient. After the lunch the last books were scanned.In the afternoon there was a small meeting with the teachers of the school. Everyone was introduced to each other, some informations concerning our project were shared and the first results were shown to the teachers. The evening was spent playing “Schnautz“, a card game.
Day 7
After Breakfast we went on a long bus ride to Chicho Hayo. The at first predicted 5 hours turned out to be 8 hours. The condition of the streets were thouroughly foreign to us. The destination was finally reached after many potholes and weightless moments. Completely exhausted of the strenuous day every single one of us went to bed early. Something to emphasize is the fact that in principle the males are “Kings“, because of which, for example, they always get the bigger and better rooms.
Day 8
Breakfast was, as always, at 7:30 am even though the girls overslept. Afterwards we took a tour around the area which consists of some kind of nursery school and a smallclinic. Our work in Chicho Hayo consisted of installing solarpanels and lamps, building swings and sorting medicine. In the afternoon we went on a hike through the local village and admired the beautiful nature of the ethiopianhighland. After that we drove to an enourmous resevoir and finally examined a few Moringa trees which were planted by a community. They use the trees to get nutrition and to sell the leaves of these “wondertrees“.
Day 9
Monday was again a day which was spent traveling. After having brunch wewent back to Hossaina, where we received a warm welcome. It felt like coming home.
Day 10
On Tuesday morning, the birthday of Lorenz was first celebrated and then we went to work again. Only a few small jobs had to be done. For example, children in the infirmary were checked through again or we wrote testimonials. At noon we assembled some solar panels again. Also a little surprise awaited us, because of Lorenz birthday. A coffee ceremony was celebrated, in which the 300 children of the preschool recited songs and we were again spoiled with delicacies. In the evening we went to eat to celebrate the day. We also invited the nuns and the teachers of the school. After a great meal and a crazy ride, we fell tired after a long night in bed.
Day 11
Wednesday was all about the tree planting ceremony. We planted a tree of peace and humanity. Five of these trees exist worldwide: two in Germany and one each in the USA, Italy and Brazil. About 500 people turned up surprisingly. We sang two songs and several speeches were made. Afterwards we continued working and we installed new swings for the children. In the afternoon, some children were treated in the infirmary and then we finished our last evening in Africa relaxed.
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Ethiopia journey 2017 is in preparation
New Date from the 02/24/17 to the 03/11/17
Fortunately for the project, the situation in Ethiopia has deescalated in recent months. more...
The heads of the project have decided that they will begin the project with the current team after all, merely Dr. Günther and his wife won't be able to take part, as they cannot observe the new date, which is from the 02/24/17 to the 03/11/17. Their place will be taken by Giuseppe Pino Fusaro, which we gladly welcome in our Team. The team is excited to partake of the journey after all and will make use of this chance to make great progress in Ethiopia.
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Shift of the project journey 2016
Riots in Ethopia delay project planned for 2016
"For two years, a government plan to expand the administrative district of the capital Addis Ababa far into the surrounding area to make room for the development of one of the fastest-growing
boom cities in Africa is causing a stir. "It is one of many large-scale projects with importance for the development of Ethiopia, which are usually carried through above the heads of those
affected." [ ...] "The new protest wave began in mid-July in the old Amhara capital, Gondar, in the north-west of the country. Here the dispute about a countryside between the Amhara and
Oromo regions was kindled." Source: http://www.taz.de/
more...
The disturbing security situation in Ethiopia has been a concern for our project team. In recent weeks, however, the conflict in Ethiopia has continued to escalate, causing the Foreign
Office to issue a travel warning for Ethiopia.
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/
Thus, the planned project for autumn 2016 is no longer doable.
The project will be continued when the tense situation has calmed down.
Our new project:
We are helping a school in Hosaina
The conference of the upper classes voted for the project in Hosaina
In autumn 2016 there will be a group of about 12 students of the 11th grade travelling to Ethopia. The project in Chencha is finished and now we support another project with two schools south of Addis Abeba. There is a kindergarden as well as multiple hospitals. They support poor people with food and basic health services. more...
The following tasks are awaiting us:
- Solar power installation
- Renovation of the classrooms, water pipelines, toilets and the kindergarden
- Medkits and health materials are desperately needed
- They need pens, schoolbooks and notebooks
- They need a solution for fresh water supply
- Some buildings need renovation
- They need some laptops for administration issues
Our project will be supported by the Rotarianclub in Nurnberg. There will be a financial support which will allow us to significantely improve the situation of the students as
well as the situation of the teachers at the school in Hosaina.
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Report Ethiopia project
Preparatory trip Autumn 2015
The Ethiopia project of the Waldorf School Wendelstein aims to provide development aid in Ethiopia, primarily by developing alternative energy concepts locally. This free stream financially relieves those affected and ensures a continuous power supply even in times of power outages (which are very common). more...
Every two years, a group of students consisting of 12 pupils from the Waldorf School Wendelstein travel to Ethiopia to provide the above-mentioned help directly on site.
In the inter-travel periods, former students and project participants fly from previous trips to Ethiopia to use their previous project travel experience to plan the next journey and project.
This task was taken over by my girlfriend and me in autumn 2015.
Arrival Addis Ababa International Airport
After a 10 hour flight we finally arrived. But standing on Ethiopian soil does not mean being allowed to move freely on it, we soon realized that when we had to go through customs control. It took us 1 hour of patience, nerves and eloquence to finally leave the doors of the airport behind us. Outside we were greeted by Tibebu, a very competent and helpful employee of Ecopia. He arranged a taxi for us, the trunk of it was hopelessly overwhelmed by our large travel bags, so they were simply attached to it with a gift ribbon. Despite fears to the contrary, the adventurous design did what the driver promised and we finally arrived at our hotel. After initial confrontations with cockroaches and bedbugs, it dawned on us slowly what the next two months would be like.
Planning in Addis
The next morning we drove to Ecopia's office to pitch our tent (which was commented by the locals with big "Ohs" and "Ahs": a whole house in a suitcase!), which should be our accommodation for the next few weeks. It was not very spacious or comfortable in it, but at least we were spared by so many insects.
While we were trying to organize our trip to Chencha (which is not always easy with the automotive technology in Ethiopia), we visited the German Embassy in Addis Ababa. Here we came across an employee of the German company Fosera, which sells solar systems in Addis Ababa. With the help of this contact, it was possible to organize the purchase of solar systems directly on site and thus to avoid annoying confrontations with the customs.
As the trip to Chencha threatened to be delayed due to persistent technical problems with the jeep, we finally made the 400km journey by public transport. You have to know that Ethiopian buses are likely to be driven until the last screw has fallen out. To generate further profits, "resourceful" business people of the bus company came up with the idea to fill the buses with people until the saying: "How sardines in a tin" seemed like an excessive understatement. There were also savings made at the toilet, it was not available. But do not worry, if it "squeezes", you have to wait in the worst case, only 4 hours until the next toilet break is inserted. I've learned: Ethiopian buses do not run on schedule, but when they're full (the Ethiopian definition of "full" is a bit strange, which does not make it any easier, an empty bus, later 20 passengers plus luggage will easily fit into it).
Chencha
Locally in Chencha, we found a very well maintained area and a main building, which is in perfect shape. We owe this gratifying fact to Zeleke, an Ecopia employee who oversees the project site in Chencha. The all-round good impression made us very happy, because the goal was to support something that will continue to function sustainably without us. This goal has been achieved across the board. (Picture: The main building with externally visible solar panels)
After initial planning difficulties (a 1-week power outage made life difficult for us: no electricity means no charged cell phone battery, no mobile network, no internet, no light, etc., we finally made our way to the rainforest near Yayu.
Yayu
Yayu is a village near the Sudanese border in western Ethiopia. It is located in the middle of the rainforest. Here, Ecopia plans to build tourism-interesting infrastructure.
However, at this point we had to say goodbye to Ecopia because our project in Chencha was completed and a new project was waiting for us at a school in Hossaina.
The way back to Addis was very comfortable as the jeep was still broken after a month and we got a car from Ecopia. This even had a radio, which quickly turned out as a minus point. (Anyone who has been listening to Ethiopian music for hours at maximum volume knows what I'm talking about).
Hossaina
Unfortunately, due to time constraints, we were unable to attend the school in Hossaina ourselves. But through our cooperation with Tibebu, we were able to get a very accurate picture of the situation on the ground.
Jakob Debus (former student of the Freie Waldorfschule Wendelstein)
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Waldorfschulverein Wendelstein e.V.
In der Gibitzen 49
90530 Wendelstein
Germany
Administration
Carsten Dammasch
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Data protection
OUR BANK CONNECTION
Freie Waldorfschule Wendelstein "Äthiopienprojekt"
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Konto: 221340011
BLZ: 76450000
IBAN: DE74 7645 0000 0221 3400 11
BIC: BYLADEM1SRS
CONTACT
Phone: +49 9129 28 46 0
Email: aethiopien-solarprojekt@online.de
Project management
Wolfgang Debus
Website: Gregor Debus