Erkel and A Hope

We went to A-Hope, an orphanage for HIV-positive children in Addis Ababa, with no other goal than wanting to share some hugs with the kids. I never expected to meet a comedian.

This little guy, being held by the Amazing Eva, was in the infants and toddlers room. He saw me come up to him with my glasses on top of my head. Immediately he reached for them and put them on top of his own little bald head and laughed right in my face! I couldn't believe it, it was so unexpected and hilarious. Then he put them on his face, looking all about the room to see who noticed. He looked just like Erkel, that little kid on the old TV show "Family Matters."

A-Hope (http://www.ahopeforchildren.org/) was founded ten years ago to provide a home and a means for adoption for some of the eleven million children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. It is often the only refuge from a life spent begging on the streets. At A-Hope, the kids get an education, their own bed, good nutrition and most importantly, the anti-retroviral medication (ARVs) needed to save their lives.

ARVs are free in Ethiopia now, thanks in large part to legislation passed in the US in 2005, and through generous donors like Bill Gates. But patients cannot receive the medication unless it can be shown they are also getting good nutrition.

Welcome Everybody, How Are You?

I need to learn some Amharic. Either that or get video editing capability on my camera!

I think this is a mixture of English and Amharic. Either way, it's beautiful. Enjoy!

Tag, you're it!

This is an Ethiopian version of tag. We saw it played several ways, usually one or more kids run around the inside of the circle, then they tag someone and then they run outside the circle until they "catch" the other person (usually by throwing their sweater at them). It was unique. Even though we heard the chant about a million times, we never could repeat it. But our clapping along seemed to be sufficient. And yes, we did get tagged - wish I had video of us running around the outside of the circle. It's rocky ground at 8500 feet elevation so ... to be kind I'll just say the kids didn't have that much of a challenge catching us!

P.S. Check out Kalekidan Feleke in the lower third of the video. Watch her turn and smile at the camera. What a beauty! By the way, please ignore the goofy ending, I don't have editing capability on this computer!

The Coffee Ceremony

There are a lot of great things about Ethiopia, but probably one of the best things is the food. Most meals are eaten without utensils. If you've ever been to an Ethiopian restaurant, you know that they use pieces of "injeera," a sort of spongy tortilla, to scoop up their food, which is often various forms of stew made with lentils, rice and meat. And spices! It's yummy! They're quite proficient at using injeera, but they know we aren't, so they usually provided us with spoons so we could at least get the food in our mouths without dropping it.
One of the coolest things is the "coffee ceremony" that accompanies the main meal of the day. Ethiopians believe they invented coffee, certainly they grow some of the best on the planet. But the way they prepare and serve it is really unique. First there is the hand-washing ceremony: someone goes around with a pitcher and basin and you wash your hands. Then the preparer lights a charcoal fire in a little brazier and the raw coffee beans are roasted and taken around in a little pan for you to appreciate. You fan the aroma toward your nose and smile. Next the coffee beans are ground while the water is set to boiling on the brazier. During all this, the meal starts, and you are served injeera and various stews and other dishes while you chat about the day's events. Then, boiling water is poured over the grounds and the resulting coffee is better than any espresso you have ever tasted! They pour it in a demi-tasse cup over sugar and give you a little spoon.
It is an honor to be invited to a coffee ceremony. There are three rounds of coffee served. Each cup has a special meaning. The third cup is the "blessing cup," meaning a special blessing is bestowed upon you when you drink it.