A Brief Interruption

Thursday January 2 brought a 5:30am wake-up call for Dad and a 6am departure for what will prove to be the most difficult part of this RTW adventure for Dad as he will be away from the family for just over a week, but a time for us all to reflect upon how fortunate we are to spend this uninterrupted time together. 

While most of our posts are jointly constructed, from the photos to the thoughts that we share, this post is being written by Bob.   

I am writing the first portion of this post from Egypt Air flight 985 and it is currently 8:07pm on Friday January 3rd in Awassa, Ethiopia.  I have been on the road for just over 38 hours as I type and I still have more than 3 hours until landing at JFK Airport.  From there, I will find my way to the LIRR to Penn Station and a train to Philly.  With a little luck, I hope to arrive in Philly by 9pm EST.

My journey began with a run from the hotel to the main traffic strip in search of a badjadj or tjoektjoek (pronounced "tuck tuck"), a small 3 wheel taxi, with the first destination being the bus station to catch the 6:30am  Shalom Bus to Addis Ababa.  After flagging down the only taxi in sight, a raggedy looking taxi indeed, I told the driver my destination and informed him that we needed to hurry as it was already 6:19am.  We traveled approximately 3 blocks before the taxi broke down.  The second sprint of the morning followed and I arrived at the bus just before departure.

The bus was actually very pleasant and the price was right at 140 birr or $7.  The ride was more comfortable than my memories of taking Greyhound Buses from D.C. to Philly during law school.  We arrived in Addis around 12:30pm and I headed for the lobby of the Hilton so I would be able to access wifi and work for the next 12 to 14 hours until heading to the airport for a 4:15am flight to Cairo.  

I am returning to take the depositions of several defendants in a case in which we have invested an extraordinary amount of time and resources.  The case is also very personal to me as I believe that a gross injustice took place, and with much effort from the entire firm, we have been able to help the client restore some order to his life.  However, the job is not finished yet and we have a responsibility to make sure that we do not take our collective foot off the pedal.

As much as I dreaded leaving Kathy, Mabret, Roman and Katie, we openly discussed the options and all agreed that Dad needs to briefly return to the States.  We included the boys in the discussion as they initially did not feel good about Dad leaving because they envisioned this total family journey to be uninterrupted.  We explained to the boys our duty to the client and also our responsibility to our team at the office.  Ray, Ed and Marianne have done an incredible job of running the firm while we experience this once in a lifetime adventure.  In addition, they have done it with no complaints and total love and support for us.  However, Dad is the most experienced attorney on the team to take depositions in this type of case.  We further spoke with Roman and Mabret about Dad's responsibility to Ray, Ed and Marianne to make certain that all the hard work that they have done on this case is recognized by maximizing the effect of the depositions. 

Before starting on the real work, the first order of business after arriving at the Hilton in Addis was to fact check some items in our "Education In The Village" post.  I did this via email with Kathy.  After finalizing the entry, I began to get my head into the case.  For the next 10 hours, I worked, ate, hit the gym and had a few drinks.  At 1am, I jumped into a cab for the 15 minute ride to the airport. 

At the airport, I enjoyed a long conversation with a young man who had just finished his shift with Ethiopian Airlines.  We discussed the wonderful people and places that Ethiopia has to offer along with interesting dialogue about the complex problems still facing this developing country.  Shout out to Demelash Hordofa and welcome to the blog.  (Note to our regular readers - I left my camera in Ethiopia and didn't think to use my phone so no photo of Demelash or other sites along the way). 

At 3:45am, I boarded the plane for a three hour flight to Cairo. With a close eye on the weather in the States, I boarded with fingers crossed that upon landing my connecting flight would still be departing for NYC.  The flight was uneventful and we landed just after 7am in Cairo.  The screen showed the 10:35am flight to NYC departing as scheduled.  A sigh of relief.  I grabbed a bite to eat and did some work before departing exactly as scheduled. 

In trying to make this interruption of our travel fantasy into a positive experience, I have been focusing on the true gift that I have received from living this dream.  Spending everyday with Kathy, Mabret and Roman under such intense circumstances where each day brings unique emotions and calls for heightened senses has forced my mind away from the ordinary stress of life and allowed me to connect with them on new levels.  Moreover, we have daily reminders of how different life is for many folks around the globe and how fortunate we are to have one another and such good friends and family.  

Back in Ethiopia, the two finalists on House Hunters Awassa are struggling to win Kathy over as plumbing fixtures need installed and clean-up must be completed.  Kathy has begun the search for furniture as we target Sunday January 12th for moving the kids to Awassa.  Kathy also interviewed and hired a nanny.   Meanwhile, Katie is working hard to maximize the time for school work before we head to India as India will return us to frequent moves and many long travel days.

It is 3:45pm on the east coast and 11:45pm in Awassa.  I have landed at JFK Airport.  

A quick trip through passport control as JFK has the new self-service kiosks for U.S. citizens - very cool and fast.  You simply scan your passport, answer a few yes/no questions on the screen and the machine then takes your photo.  A receipt with your picture and passport information prints out and you simply hand it to the officer as you leave the area.  

I jumped on the AirTran to the LIRR into Penn Station.  Unfortunately, I encountered my first delay of this marathon because Amtrak seems unable to unfreeze the doors on their trains. 

It is now 7:03pm on the east coast and 3:03am on Saturday morning in Awassa.  My train is just leaving Penn Station. With a little luck, I will be in Philly by 9pm.

Since arriving in NYC, I have received many texts, emails and calls from folks who knew that I was headed back checking to make sure that I arrived safely.  Thanks to all for lifting my spirits.

To Kathy, Roman, Mabret and Katie, I miss you guys but don't skip a beat while I am away.  Keep up the adventure and I will be back in a flash.

Throwback Saturday.  A pic from just after landing in Cape Town.  I cannot believe how much more mature Mabret and Roman look now as compared to November 2.

Peace Out. 

Education In The Village

We have been quiet for a few days but not because we were relaxing and enjoying some down time around the holidays. Quite to the contrary, we were busy investigating/visiting the local school near the village.  In addition to gathering intelligence so that we may brainstorm ways to assist the children of Dongora Morocho, we have also been investigating the options for bringing Endris, Shemelese and Yenu to Awassa and enrolling them in a private school.

Seeing the local school and speaking with the school director and teachers gave us much information but also left us frustrated for the people of this village.  As you know from reading this blog, life in the village comes with enormous challenges and is difficult.  Water and food are scarce and most families are without any money.  Therefore, progress for this village and the people who reside here must come from the young generations improving their educational and economic status and communicating with government and nongovernment institutions to build an infrastructure that works for the people.

The vast majority of people in Ethiopia speak either the national language, Amharic, English or both languages. While there are many different languages/dialects spoken in the rural areas, once a person ventures into the developed areas of the country they must speak Amharic and English to thrive.  In fact, the government approved curriculum which must be taught in all schools, public or private, is administered in English.  The standard text books given to the schools are written in English.  In order to attend a university in Ethiopia, a student must pass a lengthy standardized test which is offered after completion of the 10th grade.   The university entrance exam is only offered in English. 

The people of Mabret's village speak Sidamo which is a local dialect common only in this relatively small region.  After traveling outside of the Sidamo Region, it is hard work to find people who are fluent in Sidamo.  As a practical matter, should a young adult leave the village and seek employment in an urban area such as Awassa or Addis, finding a job would be nearly impossible because of the language and cultural barriers.  (More on the cultural barriers later in this post). 

One of the first things that we learned upon arriving in the village 10 days ago is that Endris, Shemelese and Yenu speak only Sidamo. Hagirso, our translator and friend, informed us that they understand little to no Amharic or English that is spoken to them.  The central focus of our visit to the school was to seek answers regarding how Endris 17, Shemelese 14 and Yenu 12 lack even the most basic English and Ahmaric skills when the national curriculum is offered in English, and Amharic is a mandatory subject for all students beginning in grade 1.  Of course, we also were anxious to view the school facilities in such a remote area. 

The students were excited to see the arrival of visitors.

We were fortunate to have an opportunity to meet with the director and other staff at the school and we appreciate their time and the work that they are doing.  

The facilities are primitive with at least one of the buildings unsafe for use.  

However, the director reports that the number one obstacle is a lack of water.  There is no well or tap in the immediate area of the school.  As it is very hot most of the year, this requires the school day to be limited to 4 hours and they must finish by noon.  In addition, most of the children lack proper nutrition.  

While the staff did their best to talk with us in English, it became clear that the English skills of the staff were limited.  Hagirso translated for us and reported that their Amharic skills were also lacking.  As a result, the students appear to be taught mostly in Sidamo.  However, the textbooks that we reviewed are all in English as they are provided by the government and, therefore, comply with the national requirements.  It is hard to imagine that the books available are able to be utilized by teachers or students.  

While there are many needs, one glaring necessity is basic "learn to read books".  The textbooks provided in English are far too advanced to allow a child to learn letter sounds and short words.  Of course, without teachers who speak English and Amharic fluently, the educational gap between children from this and other rural areas and those from urban settings will continue.  While we have begun to discuss possible long term projects to assist the children of Dongora Morocho, our focus also turned to a short term goal - assisting Endris, Shemelese and Yenu in furthering their education and life experience.

Prior to our visit to the local school, we had already begun to discuss the possibility of helping the 3 kids temporarily relocate to Awassa and enrolling them in a private school.  Awassa is home to several very good institutions. This move would require an apartment for the kids along with a full-time nanny to assist with cooking and other household chores.  Moreover, we needed to identify a school willing to take on the huge task of trying to teach these kids both English and Amharic while also communicating the substantive material in other core subjects.  

But first, we had a meeting with Mabret's Ethiopian grandmother, Kayet, and uncle, Tariku.  Through Hagirso, we expressed our respect for their village and the hard work that they do to raise and support the family.  We also explained that we do not want to remove the kids from the village or family but hope to empower them to assist in new ways to support the family.  Before we had the first portion of the message delivered, they were expressing their gratitude toward us and their support for the idea.  They were direct and thoughtful in reminding us that they do not expect or ask for anything from us except what we have already done which is to love and support Mabret.  These are such inherently good and selfless people in such unimaginably difficult circumstances. 

We requested permission to take Endris, Shemelese and Yenu to Awassa for a few days to visit with Roman and Mabret and see how they cope with life outside of the village.  We also wanted to take the kids to one of the private schools that we had visited and identified as the best choice should we be able to pull this together.  Both the kids and the family were excited by the opportunity.  We had no idea how this would go.  These kids have never been beyond their village.  They have never used indoor plumbing or any other basic comforts including electricity.  We were about to experience reality television without the cameras or crafty editing.

As if the contrast between Awassa and Dongora Morocho isn't enough, we are currently staying in a hotel rather than a hostel or lodge setting where we have spent the majority of our trip.  We are happy and proud to report that they did a remarkable job.  With strong support from Mabret and Roman, they adjusted swiftly and we had no major problems.  Although we kept the camera away, Mabret and Roman did teach Endris and Shemelese indoor plumbing 101.  Kathy and Katie assumed the same responsibilities for instructing Yenu. 

Welcome to Awassa.

After purchasing a bathing suit for Yenu and grabbing Mabret's extras for the boys, we gave the swimming pool a shot.  After watching Roman and Mabret cannonball into the water, Endris, Shemelese and Yenu followed them in.  Katie and Dad were ready to jump in assuming a problem was coming, however, these kids went into a unique Ethiopian stroke that somehow kept them afloat.  

They seemed at home with a mattress and flat screen before bed.  I guess it is pretty easy to adapt to that comfort. 

The hotel has an adjacent soccer field where there is a universal language.

After visiting three private schools in Awassa, we settled on the BNB Learning Centre as the best fit for the kids.  The school director, Samuel Bekalo, and the elementary principle, Mr. Targesa, are supportive, understanding and seem up to the challenge.  We have met with them several times and they interacted seamlessly with Endris, Shemelese and Yenu when they visited.  The kids will begin classes at the start of the second semester in early February.

Currently, we have identified several apartments that will work for the kids and we are interviewing candidates for the nanny job.  For now, Kathy continues her own private version of "House Hunters Awassa". 

None of this could be accomplished without Hagirso's assistance which we truly appreciate.  We hope to move the kids up to Awassa the week of January 12th so they can start tutoring sessions at the school and get acclimated to their new surroundings.  We do not leave Ethiopia until January 16th and will stay in Awassa until the last possible moment before heading to Addis and a flight to India.  When we depart, Hagirso will assume the day to day responsibilities of making certain that things run smoothly while communicating with us via email and phone.