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Background: Unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule, with the exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974 a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994 and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A two and a half year border war with Eritrea ended with a peace treaty on 12 December 2000. Final demarcation of the boundary is currently on hold due to Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender sensitive territory.

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By Paul
September 1st 2008

Suffering From Efficiency Deficiency

Africa » Ethiopia » Benishangul-Gumuz Region

Ambo
Also on the way to Addis

Why I Love Home Depot I am suffering from efficiency deficiency. Symptoms include headache, frustration, and fatigue from constant trips back and forth in search of answers and solutions. Causes range from lack of infrastructure to general countrywide lack of desire to be productive. Building a hospital in one of the most remote parts of a country that still doesn’t have basic infrastructure has proven to be predictably difficult. But I wasn’t prepared for such extensive amounts of bureaucracy and run around from both government and private business. Even the m [View Full Entry]

By Al and Sara
August 22nd 2008

The Occidental Tourists

Africa » Ethiopia » Benishangul-Gumuz Region » Asosa

Addis street
Down from Piazza to Winston Churchill St. Notice Italian colonial balcony..

Come with me if you want to live... Ethiopian Airlines finally fixed their plane and we got airborne on the Sunday, four days and one wedding after our intended departure for Addis. The whole journey was smoothed out by Judith, a fellow Ferengi working on a Finnish sponsored water project in Beneshangul-Gumuz who has a car and driver in both Assosa and Addis - who kindly offered to give us lifts to the airport in Assosa and from the airport in Addis. Judith is the person who brought about 200kgs of cheese from Nairobi last month and gave us the feast [View Full Entry]

By refugee girl
August 16th 2008

La Faisse Refugee Center

Africa » Ethiopia » Somali Region » Jijiga

A beautiful child
Somali child

Our first week at work in UNHCR Jijiga, the logistics of the registration center where we are working in Kebribeyah were not prepared yet, so we were taken to La Faisse for training in screening cases. The population in La Faisse is made up of newly, arriving Somali refugees coming from Somalia due to the recent fighting. Most arrived in March 2008 and the key to the operation is finding out if the people are really Ethiopian Somalis or Somalis arriving from Somalia. This is a much easier process than working in Kebribeyah because the people are newly arrived and have [View Full Entry]

By refugee girl
August 16th 2008

Working with Kids

Africa » Ethiopia » Somali Region » Jijiga

Kids

A week after arrival, we met the ICMC BID Expert, an American (from Michigan-East Lansing area) named Terry. Unfortunately, within 3 weeks of our arrival his “tour of duty” was ending. As we figured out what we were doing and got truly acquainted with the ways of the Somali refugees in Kebribeyah, we started creating a large binder of cases that needed BIDS. So the BIDS began to pile up and Terry got through a few, but then it was time for him to return home. I had volunteered to learn about BIDS and asked to observe his work. A few [View Full Entry]

By Josiah
August 13th 2008

Final Count Down

Africa » Ethiopia » Addis Ababa Region » Addis Ababa

Well, Less than a week and I'll be back in the states. The last week has been amazing. On Saturday we went on a type of safari trip. We saw a lot of animals but no wild lions only one in a cage. However I did get within twenty feet of a herd of monkeys on an edge of a cliff. Which was great until it stumbled not over the edge but I scared the monkeys that then scared me even more. I try to get some pictures of them up next time. This was my last week at the orphanage. [View Full Entry]

By refugee girl
August 13th 2008

4th of July/ UNHCR parties:

Africa » Ethiopia » Somali Region » Jijiga

Refugee Band playing
Amharic and Somali songs

The best part of this assignment is the parties! Since this is a hardship site, the Head of Office has embraced the concept of taking care of ourselves through creating a social life at the UNHCR compound. UNHCR primarily hosts parties when people are leaving to go to other assignments, which happens very frequently. Our first one happened to coincide with the 4th of July which was nice. I toasted the 4th with another American working for IRC. So, I think we have a party to go to almost every other week. Also, in the spirit of parties after we [View Full Entry]

By Bronnie
August 11th 2008

Some of my last photos from Ethiopia!

Africa » Ethiopia » Oromia Region » Tufa

My favourite family, Alamas and Tsheti and their five boys and a new baby girl

As I am preparing to leave Ethiopia here are some of my last photos.... [View Full Entry]

My last cup of tea with Almas and Tsheti and the boys

Seife, my co-worker, and his irrigation canals!!

By Al and Sara
August 9th 2008

The Lionel Blair cut

Africa » Ethiopia » Benishangul-Gumuz Region » Asosa

What'll it be today then Gov'nor?
The usual, not too much off the top and trim them sideburns please...

We are gutted. The flight on Thursday was cancelled due to a mechanical fault (the weather was perfect) and no flight would be scheduled for Friday - probably not enough people - so they told us we would have to fly on Saturday. This meant we would miss Aynsley's wedding in Addis on Friday (yesterday). It's always a pain when the flight is cancelled because you pack up your bags, lock the valuables away, hand over the keys to another volunteer (ours is the 'safe house' with the medical kit and supplies) and ring at 11.30am for the check-in time. At [View Full Entry]

By refugee girl
August 7th 2008

Working in the Camp:

Africa » Ethiopia » Somali Region » Jijiga

Driving on the bus to work
Don't believe the smile:)...I am still not a morning person

The worst thing about Ethiopia and working in Kebribeyah are the fleas…they are everywhere and we brought them home so last night they kept me up half the night. Ugh! The other annoying issue is the lack of a consistent supply of water. Other than that, this is such a beautiful country and this area is so different than the north. The people are so not interested in foreigners here. Yes, people call out our names and a few kids follow you in the market but nothing compared to the northern area. The Somali people are much more verbal…I consider them [View Full Entry]

By refugee girl
August 7th 2008

The African Diet

Africa » Ethiopia » Somali Region » Jijiga

A local restaurant
Vitalina smiling outside one lunch location as goats mill about

When I quit my job, I told my staff I was going on the African diet. I knew I’d lose weight because of the lack of processed sugar and carbohydrates in the food here. I also had some idea that I might possibly get sick….actually, I knew I’d get sick. So sickness struck me my first “official” week at work. It was great! By the third day, I had self-diagnosed myself with giardia and I had named my amoeba- Yucky Man. The absolute best thing about getting sick is when it happens at work! I actually felt kind-of achy the day [View Full Entry]

Links: Ethiopia Travel Blogs (all) | Ethiopia Travel Photos | Ethiopia Travel Forum | Ethiopia Facts | Map of Ethiopia

Travel Blog » Africa » Ethiopia