Last May, I traveled with friends to Ethiopia to do a project for Healing Hands of Joy, a maternal healthcare/microfinance organization.
Weeks later, two incredible high school students (oh yes, this was made by two amazing 16 year olds!) visited HHOJ in Ethiopia and made this incredible 5 minutes film, raising thousands of dollars for HHOJ in the process.
Have 5 minutes? Be inspired: http://www.irisfistulaproject.org/#!media-gallery/vstc5=videos
Filed under Africa, Ethiopia, Nonprofit Spotlight
What is Obstetric Fistula? I’ll let journalist Nick Kristof tell you:
“obstetric fistulas [is] a condition almost unknown in the West but indescribably hideous for millions of sufferers in the poorest countries in the world.
It typically occurs when a teenage girl cannot deliver a baby because it is too big for her pelvis. After several days of labor without access to a doctor, the baby dies and the girl is left with a hole between her bladder, vagina and sometimes rectum. The result is that urine and sometimes feces drip constantly down her legs. In some cases, she is also left lame from nerve damage….
They are often abandoned by their husbands and driven out by other villagers.
Take Mahabouba Mohammed, whom I met here in Addis Ababa…After a long labor, she delivered the dead baby herself but suffered crippling internal injuries, including a fistula.
Ms. Mohammed crawled back to the village, but the baby’s father was horrified by her smell. He confined her in a faraway hut and removed the door — so that hyenas, attracted by the odor, would tear her apart at night.
This girl fought off the hyenas and crawled for a day to reach an American missionary, who eventually brought her to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital that Dr. Hamlin heads. Dr. Hamlin was able to repair her fistula, and now Ms. Mohammed is a confident young nurse’s aide at the hospital here.”
HHOJ works with the Hamlin Fistula Hospital and “gives former fistula patients a second chance by giving them a purpose, training, counseling and the opportunity to improve their villages and save lives by training them as Safe Motherhood Ambassadors. We also empower these women economically with income-generating skills training and start-up small business funds.”
Alongside HHOJ’s incredible founder Allison Shigo and her dedicated staff, we met with many of the Safe Motherhood Ambassadors who have gone through the HHOJ program including:
In addition to meeting many of the women who graduated from the HHOJ program, we also met the current group of women who were living at the HHOJ center in Mekelle and going through the program.
We absolutely fell in love with the women at the center and with HHOJ and encourage anyone interested to:
Filed under Ethiopia, Nonprofit Spotlight
What was supposed to happen
Fly 5 hours from Lalibela to Gondar, transfer, then fly from Gondar to Addis Ababa, transfer, and then fly from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar. Arrive. Try to find hotel (we weren’t able to make advanced reservations).
What actually happened:
When we checked in at the Lalibela airport — long story short — it turns out that 3 guys had chartered a special flight that day from Lalibela to Bahir Dar — a 25 minute (as opposed to 5 hour) flight. It was going to arrive in 5 minutes and depart 5 minutes later. And for whatever reason, they were going to let us mooch a ride. Once we arrived in Bahir Dar, the one nice resort (nice is an understatement) in town offered to let us stay for 50% of the price. Well worth it – check out pictures of sunrise over the Lake (above).
Suffice it to say, the rest of our visit in Bahir Dar was a continuation of this unbelievable luck.
Highlights include:
Travel to Bahir Dar
Where to stay: Kuriftu Resort & Spa – what a splurge! This eco-lodge is covered in beautiful flowers and is right on the shores of Lake Tana
Where to eat: Wude Coffee (across from the Kuriftu), St. Gabriel’s “bar” for the only truly cold Dashen beers in town, Chewata Bar for a great place to go out at night
Travel Tips:
What am I doing in Ethiopia? Great question, one I’ll save for a later post. Let’s just jump right into it –
After 30.5 hours of traveling, from New York, through Istanbul, and an overnight stint in the Addis Ababa airport, we in Lalibela, Ethiopia. Sadly, my luggage did not. Thank goodness for the airplane kit with the socks & the toothbrush, which downgraded the situation from desperate for a shower to minor inconvenience.
What we’ve seen is too magnificent for my usual brevity, so I’ve written a bit more below:
The Second Jerusalem
In the 12th Century, King Lalibela of Ethiopia was poisoned by his step-brother, in a power struggle. The King fell into a deep coma, during which angels instructed him to build a second Jerusalem (in response to Christian-ruled Jerusalem falling from Crusaders to Muslim rule in 1178). From his childhood and/or exile memories of time spent in the Holy Land, King Lalibela spent the next 23 years carving 13 magnificent rock churches into the stone ground. The churches are divided into 2 clusters – one which represents physical Jerusalem & the other heavenly Jerusalem.
The Churches
The churches are hewn down into the volcanic rock. That is to say, they are not carved into the sides, rather the roofs are parallel with the ground; one must walk down a set of rock stairs, surrounded by high rock walls, and there before you appear freestanding, monolithic churches. Each is entirely different, but the sites are inspired by the original Jerusalem – there is a Golgotha, tomb of Adam, and even a man-made Jordan river between the Northern & Southern clusters. The churches house treasures of 12th C paintings, icons, and wooden tabernacles. Sadly, ever since the 15 lb. gold cross was returned in 1999 (having been stolen in 1997), it’s no longer on display for tourists.
Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity
Ethiopia is the only country in Africa never to have been colonized. The Christianity here is not that prosthelytized by Europeans in the 19th Century or brought over by modern missionaries ala “Book of Mormon.” Christianity here traces back to the very origin of Christianity. There is a strong Judeo-influence on the traditions, which makes sense given that what is being practiced is 1st Century Christianity and with Ethiopia and the land of Israel deeply connected through history and myth (King Solomon & Queen Sheba). In fact, until 1974, the Ethiopian flag bore the Lion of Judah as its symbol.
Travel to Lalibela
Where to stay: Tukul Village – great find & value, very clean, unbelievable views, great food, and free wifi & breakfast. President Clinton has even stayed here.
Where to eat: Tukul Village for breakfast, Ben Abeba for the views, and Seven Olives for the best food in town
Travel Tips:
– use a guide for the Churches; I highly recommend Tilahun, whom we used (message me for contact information)
– fly to Lalibela — it’s a 1 hr. flight from Addis Ababa (as opposed to the 2 day bus ride)
May 8- Depart for Ethiopia
May 10-11- Lalibela, Ethiopia
May 12-13 – Bahar Dar, Ethiopia
May 15-18 – Mekelle, Ethiopia
May 19 – Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
May 20 – Layover in Istanbul, Turkey & back to NYC!
Leaving tonight for Ethiopia as part of a consulting project through Columbia Business School (Pangea Advisors & Microlumbia). Excited to share the travel adventure & information about Healing Hands of Joy, the amazing organization through which we have this opportunity. More to come.
Filed under Africa, Ethiopia, Travel (General)
