John Post

Many thank you to Nondini for keeping our blog so healthy.   Getting decent internet access is proving an adventure.  I have been sending e-mail to kind folks without even getting to read all the mail they have sent to me.  I do this to let them know I am thinking of them. 

 

Thankfully, my external wireless gadget seems to work on the NGO network, so perhaps access will improve a touch when I am in the appropriate office.

 

We appreciate everyone’s patience with updates and our inability to respond to blog posts (the filters block these).

 

With warmth:

 

-John

 

 

Nondini Post: July 10th

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

So I wonder what not so early to bed, early to rise and sleepy afternoons amount to.

 

Last night we had a nice dinner with Brooke (Brrrroooke- roll the rrrr) one of Liz’s classmates, as well as Salaam a young woman who also went to school with Liz and now works for the Clinton foundation. It was at an Indian restaurant in Bole called Ajanta, and the menu read like a short novel. We ordered dosa’s and different kinds of chicken dishes and ate family style. Although it had been a long day (meeting with JT in the morning to chat over lunch/spending the afternoon at Salem’s) it was nice to be out of the house at night. Usually we try to be indoors by sundown and limit our traveling to the daylight hours. But Addis seemed to pulse with new life last night with the packed streets, and even more packed minibuses. Ryan and John seemed to “blend in” more and there were less calls of “ Eh Firenge, Selamno!” (Hey foreigner, hello). Ryan suggested we become nocturnal, but we weren’t sure that was the best idea.

 

Early morning: By 7AM John and I were out the door on our way to Lideta. He wanted to get some internet time in and set up a few meetings, while I had my first meeting with the Duke Betty, the coordinators (Aleuf, Mehret, and Howie) and their supervisor SIM Betty. Amazingly leaving early meant we had a smooth ride to Lideta with few stops and instead of an hour commute it only took us 30 minutes. By arriving early we found the Lideta office deserted, so Derek, John and I walked across the street for some coffee and tea. We were embroiled in a political discussion (US politics) and the time passed quickly. Then it was time to meet.

 

The meeting went well, as I pitched some small business ideas to them and gauged their level of involvement and interest in the project. We set up weekly meetings and I promised to email them updates and more information about the projects (baby hats, disposable gloves). Looks like we might have some issues getting good quality yarn here, and need to find a good manufacturer and supplier….But despite a couple of obstacles it seems like the team was ready to push forward. Afterwards Betty and I headed out to explore Lideta a bit more and talk about the project.  We walked around Lideta, and then went to Dembol (a huge yellow building on Bole Road) to eat a bit of lunch. Then we all came back to the house to read, prepare and relax until our support group meeting this afternoon in Bole.

 

One of the womens’ support groups that we met with wanted to talk to us again to share their business ideas, and pick our brains a little bit. It’s flattering and a good sign, it’ll be good to hear what they would like our help with. Internet continues to be a problem, but I faithfully write these posts knowing that we’ll “post” them sometime…and that we don’t want to lose a record of our progress.

 

Cultural Note:

More on the minibus…I feel like I could write a novel about the minibus and the culture that surrounds it. So apparently after dark the “middleman” who usually collects the money gets his opportunity to drive, and LEARN how to drive when the roads are less crowded. So consider it real life drivers ed after dark. Since we don’t go out much at night, and usually take private taxis after dusk we didn’t know about this phenomenon. But last night we decided to dole out our 20 cent fare and take a minibus to the Indian restaurant. Wow. Let’s just say it was a short yet adventurous trip down the road. It’s really the first time that I’ve felt a bit nervous on a minibus…and judging from the looks on John and Ryan’s faces they weren’t feeling so confident either.

 

Don’t bother trying to crane your neck to read the speedometer, it doesn’t work in a single minibus. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s better not to know.

 

Nondini Post: July 8th

Forging ahead…

 

We have finished meeting with most of the beneficiary groups and have met with at least 200 people. Carefully recording their demographic information, as well as trying to glean leadership and entrepreneurial qualities has paid off. We have merged our notes with the research that Jonathan gave us, and have put it all into a large excel spreadsheet allowing us to easily query for specific interests and skill sets. Now if we want to know how many people have handicraft skills we can simply pull it up quickly, and by using a 1-5 rating system for entrepreneurial capabilities we will hopefully be able to leave SIM with a comprehensive list of potential business leaders that they can tap into for future projects.

 

Our immediate projects are making headway as well. On Saturday Ryan and I met Salem for the first time. Salem is a truly incredible woman. She sells various handicrafts and is an artist in her own right. Her jewelry is amazing, and her aesthetic sense is classic yet modern. She has worked with many marginalized communities especially with women, and has created a strong business. John has been facilitating talk of a partnership with her, and her openness to the idea was indeed a very positive sign. Exciting opportunities to do the right thing abound…

 

Yesterday we met with (SIM director) Andy, Bev, Teddy and the team to give everyone an update on what we have accomplished and what we are looking to do over the next few weeks. We laid out our 3 pronged approach: 1. Finding an MFI partner to help with future funding of business initiatives, 2. Creating a framework and process for evaluating business ideas 3. Working on immediate business opportunities that can be started with minimal infrastructure and funding. With each member of the team taking the lead on each prong, and pairing up with a “business champion” Brian, JT, Betty and the SIM team we hope that we have what we need to get the wheels in motion and a plan to how to keep things going after we leave. It was an encouraging meeting, efficient, organized and most importantly the SIM team made us feel valued and showed interest in what we had to say. We continue to be grateful for this opportunity to learn and add value.

 

This week we are all headed in different directions, working with our sub-groups and researching and working through different initiatives and ideas. The change of pace is nice, and having flexibility back in our schedule after weeks of important support group meetings  is important as we dig deeper into what we are trying to accomplish.

 

On a random note: Our dietary protein deprivation is beginning to show, I have been dreaming about eating a big juicy hamburger, or a steak. And the possibility for some good Mexican food is never far from my mind. Even our resident vegan John ate some meat on Saturday morning trying to supplement all the nuts and cheese he’s been trying to pack away over the past couple of weeks. Everyone’s pants are getting looser, and we’re not sure if it’s because we’re losing weight or because we don’t have a dryer. Nevertheless thoughts of home aren’t far from our minds since we live, breathe, eat and think work. Since these weeks have flown by we try to think of the sightseeing we’d like to do before we leave, and are trying to make time to fully take advantage of our time here in every sense.

 

Nondini Post: July 5th

It’s flag day in Ethiopia. It’s one of the first flag days they have celebrated in a long time and has something to do with the new government. Anyway you will find flags in the front of different minibuses and hanging off of cars, and to feel in the spirit I paid 5 birr for my Ethiopian flag. Ryan told me to put it away when I tried to wave it as I walked, because NO OTHER ETHIOPIANS were doing anything of the sort. I complied.

 

Nondini Post: July 4th

It’s Independence day, yet there are no barbecues, fireworks or anthems. Ahh yes. We are not home. I just remembered.

 

But it is a religious holiday here. The Medhalen church on telebole is absolutely packed…Everyone is wearing white, and all the women’s heads are covered. They carry signs with pictures of Jesus and beautifully adorned umbrellas covered with sequins and velvet are being sold all over the place. People buy them and cover their heads with these umbrellas while they process inside and outside the church. It looks like an important celebration but we can’t get any more details about what is going on. Mostly because we don’t know how to ask, and wouldn’t understand the answer anyway. The few English speakers we did talk to didn’t seem to be up on the religious events of the day. So we took notice from afar.

 

Nondini Post: July 3rd

So much has happened these past 2 days, and also so little. Ryan got violently ill – I mean sicker than I’ve seen him in years. His normal flu transformed into a serious stomach issue. The stomach flu here seems to be a much angrier cousin than its American counterpart which in comparison is as scary as a little kitten. John and I had quite a scare seeing Ryan so sick. But luckily for us, Dr. John and his wife Jessica came to our rescue, yet again. Phonecalls late into the night were answered, and staving off dehydration became the main goal. John covered our meetings both yesterday and today, and finally Ryan started to recover. After carefully journaling his food consumption and medication regimen improvements started to occur hour by hour. Thanks to crystal light, saltines, Cipro, Imodium and obscene hours of sleep he pulled through. Today he is finally able to walk around, and is getting back to normal. The flu comes and goes in waves, and after a little brush with the stomach bug myself we are all looking forward to this weekend.

 

We finish up meeting with the beneficiary groups this week, and are carefully procuring updates for SIM management. We are aware that we only have one month left here, and there is still much to be done. Although at times it doesn’t feel like it we have been able to nudge our projects forward: gathering resources, researching, and looking at start-up costs.

 

John covered a men’s group meeting today where they needed to resolve a money issue from the previous week. Gracefully stepping aside the men’s group worked through the issue with heated debate, but pulled it together by the end. Overall, seems like a good learning experience if they plan to go into business together. Team dynamics must be worked through, battles carefully chosen, and diplomacy employed. The earlier these lessons are learned the better for the beneficiaries.

 

I’ve been using my camera quite a bit with the beneficiary groups, and surprisingly they are very willing participants. I can’t vouch for the quality of the pictures, but it’s amazing to capture the beautiful faces of the beneficiaries. As soon as I can leave the house I’m going to have prints made and take them to SIM, I think they’ll really like having the photographs.

 

Still no internet access at the house, it’s our 9^th day without it. Since Ryan and I have been homebound for the past couple of days, we have no way to check e-mail or send any out. It’s gotten to be a bit of nuisance.  But once we can actually get connected again, we’ll get back on the radar.

 

We hope that John stays healthy (miraculous considering that the poor guy lives in a Petri dish) and are looking forward to the flexibility that next week will bring.

 

Cultural Note: The ambassador of Ethiopia. As you can imagine there are a lot of street kids here, and many of them will shine your shoes, sell you some tissues or a pack of gum for just a couple of birr. Generally they are convincing salespeople all using different tactics. Some try to look forlorn while others will go on at length about the superior quality of the product they are selling. For example: Gum? Gum? Nice quality gum. Good taste! Gum? Good price for you…. Talk about your self starting entrepreneur. There was one though that we have taken to calling the ambassador. He can’t be more than maybe 8, and he approached Ryan and me about a week and a half ago.

 

Ambassador: Hello.

Us: hello.

A: How are you?

Us: Fine, how are you?

A: Where are you from? (to Ryan) Are you German?

Us: From America.

A: Oh yes. The United States. What state are you from? California?

Us: North Carolina-

Confused silence.

A: Welcome to Ethiopia!

Us: Thank you. You know, your English is very good.

A: Yes. Me go to school. Are you tourist or working man?

Us: Well we are working here.

A: You stay in Ethiopia a long time? Live here?

Us: No we are headed back to the US in a month.

A: Oh a month. Not a long time. 

 

Then with a smile and wave he was off to peddle his gum to more promising customers.

 

Since then we have seen him 3 or 4 times, and still have yet to buy a pack of gum from him. But he greets us with a big smile, a solemn handshake, and inquiries about our stay and our health. What more could you want from a young ambassador?

 

More to follow…

 

Nondini post: July 1st

(This is posted on behalf of Nondini.  We have been without internet at the house for three weeks…)

 

It finally happened. After weeks of meetings with beneficiaries, and entering the lives of over 120 people, I reached my breaking point. I felt a rush of sickening emotion and I honestly thought, I don’t know if I can do this anymore. It’s just too hard. It’s surprising what hits you the hardest. Strangely enough it was my first meeting with a men’s group that put my stomach in knots, and nearly brought tears to my eyes. The men’s group was the last of a long string of highly intense meetings today. Already weary I was looking forward to wrapping up the day.

 

Ryan was sick at home with the flu as was Betty. And JT was dealing with an emergency health situation at Cherokee. It was my first “healthy” work week, so John and I ploughed through.

 

When the men came into the courtyard of the Bole Office I saw 7 gaunt men with protruding cheekbones and wide eyes. They greeted eachother with shoulder bumps and handshakes and sat patiently waiting for the session to start. What I wasn’t prepared for was the honesty and desperation in their voices as they spoke of their history and what they wanted to accomplish. One by one they described losing their wives to AIDS, their shame evident that they had brought this disease into their homes. Their voices went down to a barely audible whisper as they talked about getting tested, and trying to keep their families free of infection. For many of them they had been orphaned by the time they were 11 years old and had come to Addis Ababa to go to school and to seek their fortunes. They had occupations that ranged from working as guards, to police officers, to construction workers. And although physically they looked like shadows of their former selves their fervent desire to build a business and a better life for their families made them larger than life.

 

They pitched their idea to start a construction supply business and talked passionately about the opportunities to make this dream a reality. But they continuously reiterated the fact that they were open to do ANYTHING, anything that we thought might work. Do you know what it’s like to look into the faces of men who are 20 years older than you, who are struggling to survive ask for your help? They were so proud and worthy of such dignity, that I felt completely helpless. What could I say or do in an hour or two hours that could make a real difference?

 

They were grateful for whatever we could offer, some suggestions on how to think about operations, finances and marketing. They hungrily wrote down every word and with each passing moment my sense of responsibility increased to nauseating levels. They were so thankful for what ever knowledge we were able to share, and we encouraged, challenged and underscored the fact that we don’t have any answers. We are happy to discuss ideas, offer different ways to look at problems, and at the same time wary of offering false hope or unrealistic expectations.

 

John, a generous soul, let me take the lead as the session progressed and I realized that my voice sounded much stronger than I felt. They were excited as we pitched a case study to them and listened to their thoughtful and critically mindful questions. The gratitude in the room was overpowering, the humility of both parties tangible. But instead of feeling a sense of elation that I sometimes after an especially productive meeting, I felt awful.

 

Danny who runs the Bole Office translated the session for us and seemed encouraged by the session, and thanked us profusely. He did an incredible job taking our words and conveying genuine care and emotion as he relayed questions and reshaped our comments for the cultural context. For that we are grateful to all of our patient interpreters. We have a dream team among the SIM staff: Mehret who handles each of our sessions with the enthusiasm of the very first, Howie who gently and patiently spells Amharic names for us, and the resilient Aleuf who assertively gathers answers to even our most difficult questions.

 

Four months of preparation for this trip seem like an oxymoron. Nothing could prepare us for the emotional toll of this work, or the intensity of the project. Three weeks into this experience and it’s certainly one of the most grueling assignments I’ve ever had. The incredibly pressure to perform, to make a difference is completely self inflicted and the whole team is staggering from the weight of wanting to do the right thing. We see our stakeholders every day, we see their needs, their desire for any opportunity, and this fuels passionate discussions about the best plan of action late into every night. The flu, stress and exhaustion make us cranky with one another at times, but we stick together knowing that we share one thing: an incredible commitment to help in anyway that we can. Feeling guilty in taking a moment for a movie, or enjoying a peaceful evening by the fire is lessening somewhat as we recognize that we cannot be of any use to anyone unless we preserve ourselves and our health. John continues to push for us take care, and reminds us of the strides we’ve made in a short time. But still we each struggle alone trying to make peace with a world that feels terribly unfair sometimes.

 

With a month left, we are working on the business cases for different initiatives and hitting milestones. Yet, with so much left to do in such a short time, we fight waves of feeling overwhelmed and move steadily forward…. Tomorrow another 4 meetings with beneficiary groups.

 

More to follow…