So i’ve been in Dire Dawa for a week now, but it feels like so much longer. This post is gonna be a mash up of the past few days as access to internet isn’t readily available and I dont have much time.
Rather than bore you with the details of each and every day, I’m going to tell you a brief synopsis of my time so far.
This week has been about getting used to life here, I am adapting well but it is a whole other world. Every day is scorching hot, and a few evenings its rained. When I say rain, I mean torrential storms. Lightening bolts warm the sky, water rushes down the streets and in some places it reaches your ankles. Come the next afternoon the water has almost completely dried out!
Ive spent my time chilling in my home, at church and at a hotel abusing wifi. Ive been assigned work at a charity called JECCDO. I want to tell you more about it, but I havent actually properly started there yet. Because this week is New years (2007), there isnt much work to do. I start on Monday and hopefully I can start working!!
My host home is lovely. Its unlike any houses in England. All the volunteers are living in very different places. I live in a very rural area, to get there I must walk through a flat sandy/muddy field filled with trees without street lights. The house consits of 3 rooms in a line withforward facing doors. An outside kitchen, squat toilet and a bucket shower. My father is a priest, my mother a friendly shop owner and I have a beautiful 6 year old sister. They dont speak english but they smile and serve me food.
The food can vary. The traditional meal is injera, just like a crepe but with a very strong sour flavour. This is paired with spicy stews. They are good but I’m not too keen on the meat used. Thankfully ive only had this a few times. Other days ive had salads, rice and spaghetti.I dont eat much but because of the heat I dont get too hungry. I miss chocolate and sweet things so whenever I get a chance, Ill buy biscuits from shops. Chocolate doesnt seem to exist here!
life here is quite slow paced. Urgency is unknown here. Travelling around is difficult, bajaj dribers charge you what they want and choose whether they want to take you where you want to go. Im getting used to it now and have started travelling without an ethiopian volunteer to help.
Ive seen camels, beautiful birds, dogs, cats , lizards, monkeys, goats, chickens and horses. Animals are treated very differently here. Cats and dogs are mostly stray so a
re treated like a vermin. Goats roam freely and horses are treated as a form of transport.
The landscape is stunning, we are literally surrounded by a mountain! Shops are small huts on the side of roads, selling drinks, biscuits, shampoo, and phone charge. There are lots of markets and side stalls selling fabric, shoes and thats about it!
Churches are circular, brightly painted buildings and prayers are read out over a speaker. Women wear white scarves and shelter from the sun under trees. Its a case of copying for me, I bow when they do, kneel when they do and clap when they do. I have no idea what is said, the bible is read in ge’eez and only certain people and preists understand!
The readings start from 4am and end about 9am and you can hear it everywhere. Sleeping is hard, with that noise and the noises of chickens and goats!
My battery is low now so I will update when I can!
Ramblings of a vso volunteer 