Tena yistillign!

It is now a week since I arrived in Addis Ababa for ‘in-country training’ before beginning my placement in the east of Ethiopia.  The 35 new VSO volunteers come from seven countries (UK, Canada, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, the Philippines, Kenya and Uganda) and will mainly be working in education, health and engineering environments.  Our in-country training is being co-ordinated by three current volunteers, one of whom has been in Ethiopia for five years which is surely a good sign!  We have had daily language tuition as well as sessions on the cultural, political, economic and developmental context in Ethiopia.  There has been plenty of advice about the practicalities of life as a volunteer and the trainers have worked really hard to set us up with mobile phones and internet access.



The Ethiopian Red Cross Training Institute, location of the 'in-country training'

Back to school for Amharic lessons

Last Friday we had our first trip into the city.  This took the form a scavenger hunt with small teams each being given a list of tasks to perform.  Our first task was to take a ‘line taxi’ (overcrowded public minibus, similar to a Kenyan matatu) to a nearby shopping centre.  All went well until we asked for the bill – I thought I’d grasped numbers in Amharic but none of us had a clue what was being said!  Other tasks included buying half a kilo of bananas, buying a newspaper (surprisingly difficult – ended up asking in a bank and being given a paper from July 2011...) and making a call from a public telephone box (not to be recommended...).  A huge thunderstorm and power cut gave us a realistic introduction to life in Ethiopia.  There have been several short power cuts since and internet access is certainly intermittent.  Afterwards we all met in a bar near the VSO Programme Office where I enjoyed my first Ethiopian gin and tonic (about 30p and very drinkable!).  We then spent the evening at an Ethiopian restaurant and cultural show which was very touristy but fun. 





A very wet Addis Ababa



Making our first gin and tonics...



...and enjoying them

We were invited to a reception at the British Embassy on Tuesday evening which was very enjoyable.  The Embassy sits in beautiful grounds that contrast starkly with the fumes and chaos  outside.  We were made to feel very welcome and valued by the Ambassador, and it was great to meet representatives from other organisations such as the British Council.  The red wine and canapés were also much appreciated!

Dressed up for the reception at the British Embassy

 

Yesterday was my best day so far.  We were able to arrange a visit to the Black Lion Hospital (the largest teaching/referral hospital in Ethiopia) through Phillip, an American Neonatal Nurse Practitioner who is also staying here at the Ethiopian Red Cross Training Institute.  He is in Ethiopia for four weeks and working as part of a longstanding relationship between the Vermont-Oxford network (an international network of neonatal units which seeks to improve neonatal care across the globe) and the Black Lion Hospital.  Although the neonatal unit was crowded and cockroach-infested, it was really inspiring to see how much Phillip and his team have achieved through being consistent and by thinking laterally.   We were introduced to a very dynamic and capable paediatrician who is keen for us to visit the Black Lion again and happy to be a source of advice.  Afterwards I learnt that I will definitely living on the Haramaya University campus with Helen, another new volunteer who will be working on Continuous Professional Development for teachers.

Electric stoves heat the Neonatal Unit - important not to trip over them!



The mother of a premature baby keeps him warm in the 'Kangaroo Mother Care' room

Construction of the new Radiology Department at the Black Lion Hospital

Today we have a health sector workshop which will introduce the structure of healthcare in Ethiopia and give us the opportunity to meet current health volunteers.  One of the doctors from my hospital will come to Addis tomorrow so I can meet him together with VSO Programme Office staff - I was pleased to hear that the staff at the hospital are expecting me and are looking forward to my arrival next week!