Initial Training

The one Internet provider (ETC) has banned blogspot from working so my brother has kindly offered to post my messages. However someone has informed me that it is still possible to send an email to the site so I will look into that.



Apologies for taking so long to update you all on my whereabouts. In Country Training, otherwise known as ICT, (confusing at first for me!) was fantastic. As I said previously we have been located at a Red Cross Training Centre in the capital – Addis Ababa, which is 2400m above sea level. I’ve not experienced any altitude sickness or tummy upset – many others unfortunately have.



The place is great with hot showers and good food. The staple food is called “injera”. Looks and has the texture rather like a rolled up piece of grey carpet underlay and tastes fairly bland also – but it is a good mop for the many types of “wat” – which is essentially curry. The kitchen also seem intent on deep frying every vegetable available – including carrot and courgette. For the less brave, a good selection of pasta (the Italians were here for a while), chips and salad are available. Although we have been warned off lettuce, due to the risk of it holding the water it has been washed in. All in all, I’ve not lost any weight.



The few people I met while training and have been emailing are all here. Most of them will be close by – well within 100km! There are also volunteers from Canada, Philippines, Kenya, Uganda, Sweden and Netherlands – about 10 of them are also doing IT training. At the end of the ICT training – we had a two day IT course to meet existing IT volunteers. We are all “computer experts”. The second day was mainly “sharing” knowledge and skills.



A fair chunk of the sessions involved language training – Amharic. Not dissimilar from a KS3 syllabus we have covered the basics in taxis, shopping, directions, questions, counting – and especially greetings – which is a massive deal here. (If I can attach the photo properly the image is a very polite greeting pronounced - Ten-i-istiling) Unfortunately, although the national language is Amharic – where I’m going they mainly speak – Tigrinian!



As well as language training, we have had many lectures on Ethiopian culture. The “Dos and Don’ts”, expectations, similarities and differences etc. Thankfully, after a few days we were let loose to practise our language as we embarked on a pre-set scavenger hunt in groups. This involved using the “in-line” taxis, which constantly weave in and out of other traffic, carrying passengers around, and in and out of the centre. Standing at the side of the road, you listen for the final destination that the “redat” shouts (boys aged 7-15). Squashing on, you pay about 1-2 Birr (5-10p) and shout “woraj” when you want to stop.



Everyone, as you would expect, is very friendly and helpful. They want to practise speaking English so often make things easier, even when faced with difficulties, there is always someone else who translates. The city offers pretty much anything you may want to buy. Most things being cheaper – expect luxury Western items like chocolate. We had to buy our vegetable team name – red onion, a paper and find the price of various other items. However, I can proudly announce that my group won, even though I was charged eight times too much to get my shoes cleaned, cooking oil as a shiner is extra! You live and learn. Although admittedly, we were lucky enough to be called a vegetable that was in season and readily available.



The weather has generally been very good. It is nearing the end of the rainy season, so when it rains, it pours. Addis is generally cooler than further north where I’m going. I’ve been caught out twice without a jacket and returned soaked to the skin, which has brought great hilarity to the local population, who shout laugh and shout “ferenji”, which means “Westerner”. Generally, people stop everything when it rains and take shelter anywhere they can find. I took the opportunity to buy some stamps, which took a while to realise that everything is weighed, so had to guess what I’d be sending. As there are no addresses here as such, people rent PO Boxes. Round the corner was the bank, (they shut early here also!) where I needed to change 100Birr (£5) notes into ones. Standing on the steps, outside the bank, the road slowly turned into a river making me wish I’d brought my umbrella and wellies.



I’ve been lucky enough to meet the Dean, Vice-dean and my counterpart at the college, as well as two current volunteers at the college. We went for a pizza so I have not been completely bereft of Western food. There is a good selection of restaurants and bars, so you can find always find something to eat. Although after attempting to translate the menu, you may find that most of it is not available. There is a bar around the corner from the training centre, so that has seen many of us keeping the staff working late. My last round of 30 drinks cost 240 Birr (£12)! Although in perspective I shall be earning £125 a month.



Thankfully as Ethiopia, like most of Africa, is football crazy so there is always a bar that is showing football, particularly the Champions League. At least there are more Manchester United fans here. The two-hour time difference means watching from 10pm-12pm. Which interestingly is 4-6 Habasha night time (Ethiopian time) as the day runs from 6am in the morning through to 6pm at night.



Thanks for reading and hopefully I’ll update you on my actual placement next time.