On 14th April, I finally put my step in East Africa.
I started working as an intern at UNICEF Ethiopia office for the next three months.
The work of UNICEF is mainly office-based.
I have had rather field-based experience so I am not sure how much I would like this type of work in development.
I have had rather field-based experience so I am not sure how much I would like this type of work in development.
But let's see.
I like trying new things and also I think more and more that local people who know the country, culture and language would be more suited for field-based work than absolute foreigners like me.
I like trying new things and also I think more and more that local people who know the country, culture and language would be more suited for field-based work than absolute foreigners like me.
In addition, as part of UNICEF which supports the country at national level, I can have chance to participate in policy making and a wider-scale development programmes, which can be very challenging but also exciting.
This week is still my second week at office and in the country.
However, I know more or less my main tasks for the coming three months to complete.
However, I know more or less my main tasks for the coming three months to complete.
This is very different from volunteering experience in Burkina Faso and I am very excited to take this challenge.
I will write about it more later once the work plan is approved/confirmed.
I will write about it more later once the work plan is approved/confirmed.
Today, I would like to talk about more off-work aspect.
On my second day in Addis Ababa, I was already invited to an Ethiopian's house because the day (Sunday) was Ethiopian Easter and the guy who is a friend of my 1st house owner is Christian.
I tried the Ethiopian staple food, Injera.
You eat it with the sauce, called wat, cooked with lots of spicy spices.
The bread on the right side of the photo is a holly bread prepared for such religious occasions.
I also tasted a home-made local alcohol.
I also tasted a home-made local alcohol.
On this Saturday (1 week since my arrival), I moved to a new house.
You might think I am selfish but I am lazy and do not want to cook every evening after work. Of course there is no convenient store with prepared food although you could eat out.
I prefer rather cooking once a lot and eat for a following couple of days. The 1st house where I stayed did not have a fridge. And luckily I was offered another house with a fridge, a bigger room and cheaper rent.
So I did not hesitate to move.
I prefer rather cooking once a lot and eat for a following couple of days. The 1st house where I stayed did not have a fridge. And luckily I was offered another house with a fridge, a bigger room and cheaper rent.
So I did not hesitate to move.
For the next three months, I am going to live with 2 Germans who work for a private company which is developing a wind power farm in Ethiopia.
I do not know very well the geography of the city of Addis Ababa.
So I am a bit scared of taking public transport such as bus, minibus (with wagon) or taxi (in the order of low price).
At the same time, the city is quite big so difficult to walk from the one end to the other.
I do not even know where I live exactly or which area of the city I want to go...
Besides, not everyone speaks English, which is not a surprise. Like in Burkina Faso, each ethnic group has their own language and the country has an official language called Amharic.
Thus, if people realise that I as a foreigner do not know the area, they could try to rip me off.
Thus, if people realise that I as a foreigner do not know the area, they could try to rip me off.
But lats week one night, I had no choice but try a minibus to get back home from the area I had no idea where I was.
I was just told that from the spot, I could take a minibus toward the area of my house.
But no bus toward that direction came for 30-40 minutes while minibuses kept passing for other directions.
I was just told that from the spot, I could take a minibus toward the area of my house.
But no bus toward that direction came for 30-40 minutes while minibuses kept passing for other directions.
I could take a taxi but again, I have to negotiate the price and as I know nothing about the city, I am a foreign woman, I did not want to take any risk of being taken to somewhere else.
I started really worrying what to do. So finally I talked to two men waiting for a minibus and luckily they were waiting to take a bus for the same direction.
We waited together but no bus came so finally we took three different buses to get to the area.
They were really really nice and one of them even paid the fee of two buses for me...
We waited together but no bus came so finally we took three different buses to get to the area.
They were really really nice and one of them even paid the fee of two buses for me...
I was not even sure of the exact place of my (1st) house so really they saved me!
Of course, not everyone can be so kind and it is risky to trust everyone but I really appreciated their generosity.
On Sunday, another generous Ethiopian who is the other intern in WASH section at UNICEF invited me to her wedding.
Although we have known each other since less than one week, she invited me to her special day of her life and furthermore, she gave me the role of flower girl!
As you can see from the photo below, the role of flower girls is often for very young girls...
However, I would not get such a chance anymore so I was very happy to take that and I could experience the entire day of an Ethiopian wedding from inside.
The bride and bridemaids started the day from 7am for the hairsetting and makeup then some photoshoots at the bride's house.
Then in the afternoon finally the groom arrived at her house with his best men.
The bridemaids and other ladies refused the entry of the men into the bride's house by singing and dancing.
However, the men sang them back and gradually managed to get into the house.
Then the groom offered a flower bouquet to the bride to imply the formal propose of marriage.
More photoshoots...
These days in Ethiopia, at least in Addis, the couple hires a professional cameraman and photographers to take the whole day of their wedding.
Very often they hire several BMWs to drive around the city and stop in front of Hilton hotel (I do not know why this spot but they say because it is nice) then sing, dance, celebrate with champagne and take more photos.
In the evening around 6-7pm, finally the wedding dinner party.
Her wedding was relatively small for Ethiopians with 120 invited.
In general, approximately 300-400, or even 700 people can be invited.
In general, approximately 300-400, or even 700 people can be invited.
The food for celebration is also Injera!
At such a special day, there were so many different types of sauce for it.
Only at the wedding, people can enjoy fresh meet (often beeef) hung and a chef cut some for you.
However, other Ethiopians told me that people ate them with lots of spice to kill bacterias so I did not try it to avoid any risk...
However, other Ethiopians told me that people ate them with lots of spice to kill bacterias so I did not try it to avoid any risk...
After meal, let's dance!
In West Africa, including Burkina, the main part of body with which you dance is your hips while in Ethiopia, it is your sholders! They move them very quickly or in different ways.
I could not even imitate them...lol
It is hard to see how they dance on static photos but you see people's armes put on their hips and more their sholders.
While a break from the dance, the parents of both side offer bottles of wiskey to the newlywood.
Why? I do not know...
Why? I do not know...
Then cakecut then more dance.
It lasted until 11pm.
I was very very happy to see a beautiful couple who seemed so happy and also to be part of such a special and cultural occasion.
I wish them a happyand long married life☆
