Project Trust - Field Diary Entry 1

Thursday, April 17, 2007

After 32 grueling hours of travel, I arrived at my aunt’s house in Addis Ababa Ethiopia at 11:30 am (US Time) on Monday.   I took a taxi from the airport to my aunt’s house, which I later found out was a bad idea.   Apparently Addis Ababa taxi drivers are notorious for picking up tourists and taking them to the middle of nowhere - and charging them excessive fares.   Fortunately, I found a driver that was kind-hearted and took me straight to my aunt’s house without any unexpected detours.  

It did not take long for me to remember what kind of life God’s grace has helped us escape.   Not a lot has changed since I left Addis Ababa. Most of the houses that I have seen look as they did.   The walls are made out of sticks that support the structure, and mud is used to form and insulate the walls.   The roofs are made out of aluminum that is incredibly noisy and disturbing when it rains.   The interior of the houses, my aunt’s in particular, consists of three rooms:   a living room, a bed room, and a type of basement some of the family members sleep in.   The living room is the size of my bedroom in the U.S. and my bed room is small to say the least.   With furniture, television and of course people, there was hardly any room to move around.   There was only room for one light bulb and a bed in the bed room.   The basement, which is bigger then both the living room and bedroom, was where all the cooking took place.  

One of the things that has changed since I was last here is in the home technology sector.   Most of the homes I have visited have a television and a phone.   Although this is in the middle of the city and these things are expected, these luxuries were nowhere close to being available for the lower class about 15 year ago.   I have not been able to understand this, because of the costs involved, but more then 70 percent of the adults 17 years of age and up own cell phones.   When I say they have a television, land line phones and cell phones, some might get the wrong impression about the standard of living in these areas.   The television has one channel and is rarely watched, while the land line phone has a lock on the dialer to prevent any “theft call,” where people sneak into a person’s house and make a call.   As funny as that sounds, it is a fact of life they have to endure.  

From the one day I have spent observing the city, it seems that the infrastructure of the city has improved tremendously.   Transportation-wise, there are ample means of getting around the city by taxi, bus, and even private rental cars.   Although the traffic flow is different that the U.S., and requires some getting use to.   In the city, the roads are well maintained.   Communication-wise, there are internet cafés all over the city.  

The thing that has surprised me the most about Addis Ababa so far is the speed in which the children mature.   I have seen children as young as eight with responsibility that I did not have until I was 20.   There are children that take care of their younger siblings, work at a job, and even run their households.  

Overall, the experience thus far has been breathtaking.   This first week, I have seen the wealth and abundance of Dubai, to the devastating poverty of Addis Ababa.   Yet in the midst of the poverty there are real signs of progress/hope.  

My uncle, brother and I are traveling to my grandmother’s house which is in the middle of nowhere and has none of the luxuries we have enjoyed so far.   The travel is about a one day drive and a half day walk and we are planning to make this trip this coming week.   Thanks for your continued prayers!  

Buey