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Published: April 27th 2008
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The pulse of Ethiopia By Cayo Coco
A traveller went across the country to get underneath the surface of Ethiopia, peel back its layers to see what lies beneath - in search for the essence of Ethiopia. 'Seeing is believing', the big billboard read with a picture of new luxurious houses. In front of it, a man was lying lifeless on the street. I was walking on the street of Addis Ababa searching for the essence of Ethiopia.
I Looked round. Addis Ababa is a city of contrasts: new commercial buildings alongside shacks, donkeys alongside 'Lada Taxis' and beggars alongside business professionals.
Contrasts may bring dynamics to Ethiopia, but is it really the pulse of the country?
I decided to to travel outside Addis to see if I could find the essence of Ethiopia. I was driving on a dry dusty road. I was heading for the south. The air was filled with black smoke from the exhaust of the car in front of me. Farmers and children were walking alongside the road carrying heavy bags.
The wind was playing with the sand, creating a small tornado that built up and danced across the fields. I passed some villagers who were busy pumping water from the ground.
I arrived at a random town. I could hear loud music from one of the restaurants. It stirred my curiosity, so I decided to have a look and entered the room. I was greeted with the known smell of spices and roasted coffee beans. People were dancing a traditional dance. Their bodies moved freely to the beat of the music.
Culture may add spice to Ethiopia, but is it really the pulse of Ethiopia?
Next I went to Harar. I navigated through the labyrinth of Harar through the narrow alleys. I noticed a mosque and a church that were side by side. I went to the markets. I could smell the aroma of spices. A young boy was standing on a pile of plastic shoes and was organizing them by colours for recycling. I looked at the crowd. Everyone was chilling out in a daze of relaxation chewing 'Chat'.
The women wore colourful dresses that shines in the baking sun. There was a mixture of Afaris, Oromos, Hararis, Somalis etc.
Ethiopia has a rich cultural diversity with its 80 different ethnic groups and 84 different languages.
Diversity may add colour to Ethiopia, but is it really the pulse of Ethiopia?
I stopped the car on the outskirts of Dire Dawa. A little girl caught my attention. The flies were all over her face. She was sitting on a pile of trash. The people here were living in the middle of a 'trash compound'. The smell was assaulting. The flies kept hovering over the place.
Some people were living in tents while others had no shelter at all. A man lay lifeless on the ground in the merciless sun. I was facing the raw reality of poverty. It is estimated that 39% of the total population live below the poverty line.
Ayub Abdureman, 20, said: 'Life is hard here.' He looked down and paused. 'I eat once a day. Not enough food.'
Poverty may bring perspective to Ethiopia, but is it really the pulse of Ethiopia?
Next I was heading north of Addis. I was driving on the open road. I could see the silhouette of the mountains rising majestically in the distance. The sun was rising. I got out of the car and sat down. I looked at the mountains stretching as far as the eye could see. I took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh air. No traffif jams. No people. No noise. I could only hear the wind whispering.
Ethiopia has many national treasures: historical sites, national parks, lakes and mountains.
Scenery may add personality to Ethiopia, but is it reallythe pulse of the country?
Then as I was heading back to Addis, it suddenly hit me: the people; their smiles are the pulse of Ethiopia. Everywhere I had been, the people had been smiling, not only smiling, but smiling a lot. Even the people who faced poverty, deprivation and hardship were smiling.
I talk about the genuine smile that reflects in the eye.
They are the ones that make the country beat. They are the ones that bring vitality to the country.
Ethiopians may not be wealthy in 'material' terms, but they smile a lot and that makes them wealthy within. I had finally found the pulse of Ethiopia: A Land of Smiles.
'Seeing may be believing' as the billboard read, but sometimes, we become blind by the familiar, and we have to clear our opaque glasses and open our eyes again.
Cayo Coco
www.globalwriter.info
ENDS
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