Last Blog Entry from Africa

It is hard to believe that it has been two months (to the day) since Andy and I left San Francisco. So much has happened (much of which we couldn’t blog about). We’ll send out a version with the more juicy details via email when we get home.

So, we are now back in Addis Ababa resting after a very rewarding trip to Gambella. I think we last left you wondering about how the workshop was going. Let me just say, “It went great!”

The students really took to Premiere and finally understood what they were actually doing once they started working in the software. We had waited so long for the computers to arrive that we were afraid the students might start losing interest. But, when life is about taking things slowly and enjoying every moment, people tend to worry less and just accept their situation. I know I have slowed WAY down on this trip and am happy to report that my stress-induced eczema, my furrowed brow, and my constant need to be moving have abated to the point of near non-existence.

Continuing…Akway came in the next morning and I filmed her dragging herself across the ground to her chair in the classroom. She smiled the entire time. When I showed her the footage back, she was laughing hysterically. Honestly, she couldn’t stop. She had never seen what she looked like as she attempted to maneuver about. Her reaction was confusing, but SOOO Akway! When she finished her film, I helped her with the sub-title translations. As we went on and on, I started to get goose-bumps. Just WAIT until you see her movie. I’ve asked Ben to post it at the top of this blog entry. Hope you can see it!

Now I have to digress for just a second (speaking of Ben). Yesterday, we had a big ole ceremony in Gambella with the President of Gambella Region and several others. It was quite something. He is a very powerful man. He said some amazing things (like the fact that he thinks all NGOs in the area should follow the Pearson Foundation’s lead if they really want to help the region…wow). One gentleman asked the students to stand and clap for all of the people they couldn’t see, but who have been tirelessly helping Andy and Erik to bring this wonderful program to them. I loved that. So, they gave a big shout out to Wendy who has been there for Andy and me at every turn. She has responded immediately to all of our needs and we love you! The kids in Gambella love you, too.

Mark, the kids would not have been able to learn as much as they did if were not for your tireless efforts to keep me and Andy awash in funds when the system worked against us. Thanks.

Finally, we could not have been as technically successful had we not had Ben. Ben is Andy’s brother. He works for us at the Foundation. He is a wonderful human being, and also about as technically savvy as one can get. He has saved our butts a thousand times on this trip. Ben, I hope you know that I feel like you were actually with us on this trip the entire time. Words simply can’t express how much we love you. Also, the kids in Gambella asked about you, and Andy was quick to tell them what you’ve been up to.

Back to our departure. We had a lovely afternoon sitting at Opara’s house chewing chat and talking about politics, hut-building, stupid-white-men, etc. We sat under the eave of the house on the ground and chewed, ate peanuts, got merkana (slightly buzzed), and drank Coka. Our friend and student Ojud was there with us. Andy and I gave him a ton of clothing and all of our medical supplies. I gave him my fingernail clippers and then we started on a riff about a new business in Gambella called, “Ojud Cut”…he will cut five fingernails (in his hut) for 500 Birr ($50…an exorbitant and ludicrous idea) or ten fingers for a 1,000. For 2,000 Birr you also get a chicken from the hen-hut not four feet from his bed. We laughed and laughed. Every so often I would look at him and say, “Ojud Cut!” He would reply, “5 for 500, 10 for 1,000. Chicken for 2,000”. Andy and I are going to really miss Ojud. We gave him enough money to pay for three more semesters of school. He so loves his education.

We finished with the kids on Thursday morning, then the President of the region Omud Obang came in and gave a wonderful speech. I spoke, Andy spoke, (a few other spoke), and then the President handed out the certificates to the kids. I can’t tell you how important this was for them. It would be like having a major U.S. Senator show up in the most rural town in America. The kids were thrilled. Also, these certificates that I designed in Microsoft Word are like gold to the kids. They will use them to try and get into schools and get jobs.

We said goodbye, handed out the stipends for their lunch, then packed up the computers to send to Openo TVET. This is the technical vocational training college that is setting up a Pearson Foundation media lab. They have 1,000 students who will now have access to computers…many for the first time. Our students from the past two weeks will be the mentors who will now train others. Talk about legacy and building capacity!

Yesterday afternoon we had our last chat chewing party at Opara’s. It was wonderful. I’m really going to miss that yard with the chickens, the playing children, the maize drying on the ground, and the most intelligent conversation with the most calm and wise men I’ve ever met.

I took my friend Muluken back to town to help him get an injection for malaria and then to visit his Grandmother, Welkenis Bedi. She is about 100 years old. She loves seeing me when I show up in her compound. She praises Allah (she is Muslim, Muluken is Christian) and hugs me hard! She can barely get up off of her chair, but makes a point to greet me, her favorite ferrengie (white dude). We told her that my name is Ojullu (second born) Agwa (father died when I was young) Jur Mar Qwar (spelling wrong, but means white man with red tinge). She loved it. I took her some mango juice and some chocolate cookies and she acted like I’d given her a million bucks. I told her that Muluken’s movie was very good and very moving. It really is. He talked about how hard it is to stay in school when you have to work carrying sacks for $2/day. He used the Flip camera to videotape himself carrying the most massive bag of onions. His movie really is good, and very moving. He passionately pleads for people to come help kids in Gambella continue their education. Ojud’s movie is also really good. We will post all of them on the Pearson Foundation site so that you can watch them. Anyway, Welkenis Bedi told me that Muluken had already begun building his shop in her yard, right on the street. She thanked me and Andy for the $60 we gave him to start up. I was so happy to see that it was already under way!

About four men then showed up, all with the Yellow Eye disease. Welkenis is known for her herbal remedies and people come from 300 miles to be treated. As I sat on the dirt with Muluken, he explained what Welkenis was doing. First, the patient brings a branch and 5 Birr (fifty cents) to Welkenis. She blesses him with the branch, then goes into her hut. I followed. She had some clay pots with the FOULEST smelling broth. Apparently, she has a friend take her by donkey cart into the woods where she digs up the root from a specific tree. She brews it then adds God knows what else. She pours a small amount out, then does a detailed and lengthy ceremony with the patient, all the while lightly spitting on the man. Finally, she gives instructions, and the man goes away. He is to drink the mixture, then lie down for five hours. In five hours he will throw up violently. Then, he is to drink two cups of water and throw up again. Then, two cups of coffee, and throw up. Finally, he is to wash his body, eat food, and lie down. When he wakes up, he will be fine. I asked around, and I heard that it actually works. The local clinic sends people with many maladies to Welkenis. I felt honored to be sitting with her. I said goodbye and she begged me to promise to come back.

Andy and I went to bed early last night and got up to sit for four hours waiting for a ride to the airstrip. We said some very sad goodbyes to our great friends, and now we sit in Addis reflecting on a life-changing trip. From the orphans in Botswana, to the girls in Joburg, to the chimpanzees in Gombe, to the trafficked children in Ghana, to our amazing students in Gambella, we have been blessed to have met them all. As glib as it sounds, Andy and I have gotten so much more from this trip than we could have ever given. As I sit here writing that sentence, I am starting to tear up (oh, now I’m starting to cry) just thinking about how much they’ve given us and how much I’m going to miss them. I think I’ll sign off and go sit quietly and just let the tears come…they are joyful, mind you, with just a hint of sadness. We’re going to miss Africa.

Erik