Good Morning Everyone
It has been a slow week. This being said we have done some fun things since my last post.
I am reading a ton and I've gotten into some great books. When time is crawling I've been able to pick up a good book that really helps me get through the day. Gondar can be a relatively small place. While it is one of the largest cities in Ethiopia (I heard it's third largest now but I haven't checked that) it can feel quite small when you're here with little to do. Thus far the books I've read have been easy to get lost in, which is something that is typically tough for me to do. I began reading some classics that I read in high school. It's fun reading them with a different perspective and without the need to write a book report on every chapter. It isn't homework now; I read them for fun.
Liz and I started watching the TV show The Wire. It's unreal. We just finished Season 1 last night and I can't wait to get started on Season 2. We try not to watch three episodes a day but it's getting hard. I hope it lasts us another couple of weeks but we'll see.
As I mentioned we've done some fun things over the last week. We visited the Falasha Village and Cemetery. It was stunning. Liz and I were mobbed by people selling things, all of which were beautiful. I ended up buying a magen david made out of clay. I think it's great but it's slowly falling apart. I'll try something made of metal next time around. The interesting thing about the village was that everyone I talked to was Christian. It seemed to be more of a tourist attraction now. There is no originality to it. We were taken to see the synagogue. We were told we had to pay 10 birr to look inside of this small building. We paid the fee, looked inside and there was literally nothing there.
We had to cross a small river to get to the cemetery. Both Liz and I got our shoes soaking wet but it was completely worth it. The cemetery was my favorite part of the experience. The headstones were simple and beautiful. Some had sky blue accents that I really liked. The grass was overgrown. It was very natural and I really loved it.
Some pictures of the village and the cemetery:
The following day (Sept 20) we met up with some people from JDC and toured a few of the ongoing JDC projects. We first went to the Nasia Village well. As soon as you get outside of Gondar the views are spectacular. The well itself was interesting and an absolute necessity as a clean water source for Nasia Village and the surrounding area. The well is controlled by the Water Committee. One person opens the well three times a day.
Next we visited David's Spring at Azaikaw Village #1. Again the views were breathtaking. JDC is currently capping the spring and creating a clean water source for the people there. This project was started before the rainy season and is still under construction but is currently operable. The rain tends to slow everything down.....
We then visited Chilo Primary School. This was very special for me. In 2008 my family went on a JDC mission to Ethiopia and Rwanda. When we returned my sisters and I donated some money to help build a school house here. That was the second school building at Chilo. Last year my family donated some money again to JDC for improvements to Chilo. The result is the new annex that was recently finished. I honestly couldn't believe the difference in the buildings. 14 years ago, the students here were learning in a building made of wood, no plaster on the walls, completely exposed to the elements, no lights. The students sat on the dirt floor that was tiered so that the students in the back could see over the students in front. It's amazing how this compared to the learning environment I had at Norfolk Academy. The second school building, is exponentially better. The students had benches and desks. The brand new building is better still. It has benches, desks, a new chalkboard and a tiled floor. There are four new classrooms in the new school building each holding around 65 students. Here are some pictures of the progression:
JDC also sponsors nine nursing students through their four years of undergraduate education at Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences. We got a chance to sit down and speak to them. They were very shy. Liz and I look forward to working with them during our time here. We aren't sure in what capacity yet but we will meet with them some more and figure out how best to help them.
On Saturday (Sept 22) we visited the Kuskuam Church and Queen Mintwab's Castle. Both historic sites and very beautiful. We were not allowed to go into the church but we were allowed to walk around the grounds of the old castle. A couple of pictures:
This morning we received a call from the principal of Fasiledes. We've just returned from meeting with the head of the English Department. It was productive. The staff at Fasiledes is unbelievably kind and they look forward to having native English speakers to help them teach their students. Liz and I are equally as grateful for their help. We both are anxious to get started and we look forward to helping them in any way possible.
Hope everyone is doing well. All the Best..
It has been a slow week. This being said we have done some fun things since my last post.
I am reading a ton and I've gotten into some great books. When time is crawling I've been able to pick up a good book that really helps me get through the day. Gondar can be a relatively small place. While it is one of the largest cities in Ethiopia (I heard it's third largest now but I haven't checked that) it can feel quite small when you're here with little to do. Thus far the books I've read have been easy to get lost in, which is something that is typically tough for me to do. I began reading some classics that I read in high school. It's fun reading them with a different perspective and without the need to write a book report on every chapter. It isn't homework now; I read them for fun.
Liz and I started watching the TV show The Wire. It's unreal. We just finished Season 1 last night and I can't wait to get started on Season 2. We try not to watch three episodes a day but it's getting hard. I hope it lasts us another couple of weeks but we'll see.
As I mentioned we've done some fun things over the last week. We visited the Falasha Village and Cemetery. It was stunning. Liz and I were mobbed by people selling things, all of which were beautiful. I ended up buying a magen david made out of clay. I think it's great but it's slowly falling apart. I'll try something made of metal next time around. The interesting thing about the village was that everyone I talked to was Christian. It seemed to be more of a tourist attraction now. There is no originality to it. We were taken to see the synagogue. We were told we had to pay 10 birr to look inside of this small building. We paid the fee, looked inside and there was literally nothing there.
We had to cross a small river to get to the cemetery. Both Liz and I got our shoes soaking wet but it was completely worth it. The cemetery was my favorite part of the experience. The headstones were simple and beautiful. Some had sky blue accents that I really liked. The grass was overgrown. It was very natural and I really loved it.
Some pictures of the village and the cemetery:
The following day (Sept 20) we met up with some people from JDC and toured a few of the ongoing JDC projects. We first went to the Nasia Village well. As soon as you get outside of Gondar the views are spectacular. The well itself was interesting and an absolute necessity as a clean water source for Nasia Village and the surrounding area. The well is controlled by the Water Committee. One person opens the well three times a day.
Next we visited David's Spring at Azaikaw Village #1. Again the views were breathtaking. JDC is currently capping the spring and creating a clean water source for the people there. This project was started before the rainy season and is still under construction but is currently operable. The rain tends to slow everything down.....
 |
| View traveling to David's Spring (note the Meskel flowers in the middle) |
 |
| The faucet at the spring |
We then visited Chilo Primary School. This was very special for me. In 2008 my family went on a JDC mission to Ethiopia and Rwanda. When we returned my sisters and I donated some money to help build a school house here. That was the second school building at Chilo. Last year my family donated some money again to JDC for improvements to Chilo. The result is the new annex that was recently finished. I honestly couldn't believe the difference in the buildings. 14 years ago, the students here were learning in a building made of wood, no plaster on the walls, completely exposed to the elements, no lights. The students sat on the dirt floor that was tiered so that the students in the back could see over the students in front. It's amazing how this compared to the learning environment I had at Norfolk Academy. The second school building, is exponentially better. The students had benches and desks. The brand new building is better still. It has benches, desks, a new chalkboard and a tiled floor. There are four new classrooms in the new school building each holding around 65 students. Here are some pictures of the progression:
 |
| First School Building |
 |
| Second School Building |
 |
| Finished new building (on right) |
JDC also sponsors nine nursing students through their four years of undergraduate education at Gondar College of Medicine and Health Sciences. We got a chance to sit down and speak to them. They were very shy. Liz and I look forward to working with them during our time here. We aren't sure in what capacity yet but we will meet with them some more and figure out how best to help them.
On Saturday (Sept 22) we visited the Kuskuam Church and Queen Mintwab's Castle. Both historic sites and very beautiful. We were not allowed to go into the church but we were allowed to walk around the grounds of the old castle. A couple of pictures:
 |
| Kuskuam Church |
 |
| Mintwab's Castle |
 |
| Mintwab's Castle |
This morning we received a call from the principal of Fasiledes. We've just returned from meeting with the head of the English Department. It was productive. The staff at Fasiledes is unbelievably kind and they look forward to having native English speakers to help them teach their students. Liz and I are equally as grateful for their help. We both are anxious to get started and we look forward to helping them in any way possible.
Hope everyone is doing well. All the Best..
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