Time for a serious post (the first in an occasional series).
Up until now we’ve been reporting like tourists, but we’re starting to see beneath the surface a bit so the tone of this one is a little different.
Well, this is Africa after all and Eritrea is a poor country which accepts a lot less in the way of help from the outside world perhaps because the institutions of the outside world have never been of much help (betrayal is the word used in a book on Eritrea by Michela Wrong - PLEASE READ IT - when talking about Italy, Britain, the UN, especially the UN, and the USA). VSO is permitted to be here in education only and is perceived as a good thing because its volunteers get stuck in and work alongside Eritreans at less-than-the-usual-NGO wages. I'm not looking for a slap on the back for this fact though. Please read on ...
Last week there was a girl - 11, 12 years old, not much younger than one of my nieces. She was pretty with a shy smile. She was poor. Her school uniform sweater was in holes. She wasn't very clean. She gave Caroline bougainvilla flowers. She followed us home. I hated myself for thinking "she wants money in return for the flowers". She waited for a while at our gate, then she left empty-handed.
We're asked for money a lot and the standard thought is "we're volunteers, we don't have unlimited money to give away" but it's not really like that because, at the end of our time here, we'll be going home ... it's like the line from that Pulp song "if you called your dad he could stop it all" so what to do? - probably give money to the occasional thin, sad, old lady and feel guilty the rest of the time.
So why come here? Well (and of course I didn't know this beforehand) Eritrea's education policy is, in general, a good one under difficult circumstances - get Education out to everyone, modernise as much as possible - hence ICT training for all is a goal, not there yet though!. Eritrea has a number of mother-tongues (7?) so a system has been devised whereby children are taught in their own language until Secondary school age and then taught in English - can you imagine how hard that must be? Add in the different customs of the different ethnic groups (there is one volunteer whose school terms often start late because the children are from a nomadic tribe and aren't there yet - so you go to the top of the nearest hill and shout "WHERE ARE YOU?" - probably not ...). There is also (reportedly) far too much use of corporal punishment in schools - it's still the norm.
But, to end on a positive note, progress HAS been made - I read a report which gave 20% literacy rate for the country in 1995 - even the UN says the figure will approach 80% by the 2015 millenium-target year. So, if we can contribute to the education effort over the next two years it WILL be a good thing and hopefully we will have made a difference however small.
P
Saturday, 29 March 2008
Shops are becoming barer and prices are going up. There have always been a small range of goods in the shops with the same things in all the shops and arranged strategically on the shelves so they don’t look too empty but it’s becoming more marked. It must have been happening for a while but it was suddenly brought home to me yesterday. I bought a tin of oats (breakfast) and the price had gone from 40 nakfa to 50. There are 30 nakfa to the pound. It may not sound a lot but consider that our local wages are 1,230 a month (41 sterling). We also get a top-up every three months from VSO who feel our local wages are not enough to live on and they pay our rent. Even with this safety net we’re finding it difficult to live within our nakfa allowance and have had to change some of the money we brought with us. How much more difficult must it be for the Eritreans supporting a family, and rent to find. Some are lucky and have relatives in the diaspora who send money. The majority are only just managing. And I’m seeing only Asmara. The rest of the country have it worse. These wonderful people are having a bad time. You get the feeling that something’s got to give.
I’ve just read P’s draft blog. It seems our minds are both working in the same direction today. I can’t say much about the little girl. Just the thought of her makes me want to cry. Even VSO tell us it’s best not to let children in but I just want her to come back so I can feed and clothe her and make her happy.
C
I’ve just read P’s draft blog. It seems our minds are both working in the same direction today. I can’t say much about the little girl. Just the thought of her makes me want to cry. Even VSO tell us it’s best not to let children in but I just want her to come back so I can feed and clothe her and make her happy.
C
Saturday, 22 March 2008
Almost all volunteers are in Asmara this weekend, there’s a ride halfway down the escarpment in a steam train tomorrow. The track was originally built by the Italians and then fell into a state of disrepair during the struggles. It was renovated a few years ago, reportedly with the help of some of the elderly Eritrean engineers who worked on the original line. It usually runs a diesel engine down to Massawa on the coast but a tour group has chartered the steam engine and as there’s only ten of them there’s room for thirty of us so they’re going to be outnumbered, I don’t know if they’ve been told that they’ll be sharing the train with a load of scruffy (slightly) loud VSO vols but they’re soon going to find out. There’s a picnic and a coffee ceremony as well so should be a good day.
The cake culture here is not good for me, my daily chocolate doughnut and cappuchino seems to hampering the weight loss we were told that volunteers experienced in Eritrea. I think it must only apply to the ones in the villages, not the Asmarinos.
Fat C
The cake culture here is not good for me, my daily chocolate doughnut and cappuchino seems to hampering the weight loss we were told that volunteers experienced in Eritrea. I think it must only apply to the ones in the villages, not the Asmarinos.
Fat C
Tuesday, 18 March 2008
Sunday Indulgence
Sunday 16th March
The small sum of five British Pounds ... is a lot of money for a VSO volunteer in Eritrea being paid at local rates but that's what gets spent on occasion at Asmara's Intercontinental Hotel on a buffet (all you can eat) breakfast. This time the occasion was nominally the Sunday before St Patrick's Day (there are quite a few Irish volunteers in the current batch) and a mixture of Asmarinos and volunteers from the villages - they have a harder time than we do in terms of having a limited diet and are usually keen on maximising the breakfast experience - showed up for the feast.
It was all quite civilised really - a lot of coffee and food was consumed and there were a few accidents (breadrolls and pastries falling into open bags and the like) and a couple of hours later another Asmara experience had been chalked up and we were all stuffed!
P
Four of us are having Tigrinya language lessons for an hour and a half every Sunday morning - this involves learning a completely new script, the Ge'ez syllabary (we thought we'd left all that behind after our time in Japan). VSO cover the cost for the first 6 months. It's a jolly occasion with a lovely teacher, Amanuel, who was also our teacher on the in-country traing when we first arrived. Because of our slight over indulgence at the Intercontinental yesterday we were all feeling less than ready for the lesson (which was straight after the breakfast at our house) and we spent a lot of the time trying to deflect the teaching process by asking questions about the culture, the number of times I've been on the other end of this scenario ........ It's interesting to learn the language and use it but it possibly has limited use in the future.
C
The small sum of five British Pounds ... is a lot of money for a VSO volunteer in Eritrea being paid at local rates but that's what gets spent on occasion at Asmara's Intercontinental Hotel on a buffet (all you can eat) breakfast. This time the occasion was nominally the Sunday before St Patrick's Day (there are quite a few Irish volunteers in the current batch) and a mixture of Asmarinos and volunteers from the villages - they have a harder time than we do in terms of having a limited diet and are usually keen on maximising the breakfast experience - showed up for the feast.
It was all quite civilised really - a lot of coffee and food was consumed and there were a few accidents (breadrolls and pastries falling into open bags and the like) and a couple of hours later another Asmara experience had been chalked up and we were all stuffed!
P
Four of us are having Tigrinya language lessons for an hour and a half every Sunday morning - this involves learning a completely new script, the Ge'ez syllabary (we thought we'd left all that behind after our time in Japan). VSO cover the cost for the first 6 months. It's a jolly occasion with a lovely teacher, Amanuel, who was also our teacher on the in-country traing when we first arrived. Because of our slight over indulgence at the Intercontinental yesterday we were all feeling less than ready for the lesson (which was straight after the breakfast at our house) and we spent a lot of the time trying to deflect the teaching process by asking questions about the culture, the number of times I've been on the other end of this scenario ........ It's interesting to learn the language and use it but it possibly has limited use in the future.
C
Sunday, 9 March 2008
more
The garden is being smartened up. The walls have been painted and all the wild profusion of purple flowers covering the outer walls and shielding us from the main road have been cut down. It probably hadn’t been done for years and needed to be done but still seems a shame. I like wild gardens. It looks as if the landlord is going to do up the house and put the rent up next year, he’s hinted as much to us before so we may only have one year in here.
It’s National Woman’s Day today (Saturday) so flags up everywhere and most shops are closed. Had it been a weekday we’d have had the day off work, unfortunately you lose out when a national holiday falls at the weekend. Walked into the centre, had lunch out with Tom, tried to buy fish at the fish market but got there too late, sat outside at a pavement café on Harnet Avenue and watched the world go by. The world today consisted of quite a few Indian UNMEE soldiers who are all pulling back from the border to Asmara before being moved out. For those of you who are wondering where this leaves VSO volunteers the official VSO position is that that is no immediate reason for action on the part of VSO to enact their emergency evacuation plan although they are being vigilant and in constant contact with the British Embassy. I have to say that it’s hard to reconcile this with the sleepy weekend atmosphere that pervades. The border stand-off seems a million miles away instead of less than 100 …
C
Today’s MoE football turned out to be a practice match against the Asmara police – who proved to be considerably fitter than our brave lads and we ended up well beaten . It was encouraging to see that the best player on the pitch was quite old but extremely fit. For my own part I only played for 30 minutes and I even felt the pace during that time – still it’s all part of the altitude training. It’s definitely time to try and get some football shoes though, running shoes are just too collapsible.
Shaking hands is big in this country but it’s not like the brief ‘hi, how are you’ with a strong grip then let go like the other person’s hand suddenly became very hot, it’s more you say hello then you continue to hold on during an ensuing conversation – which may last several minutes – so you get the sight of pairs of men holding hands on the football field while they discuss the week’s events and now the guys are starting to know me I’m by no means exempt.
Walking the streets of Asmara it’s noticeable how many very young children are just out playing or even wandering on their own – I guess it’s like the ‘developed’ world used to be before cities became to crowded and choked with traffic and before fear about what happens to children let loose set in – and even 3 and 4 year-olds will offer a hand and say ‘hi’, so hand-shaking starts from an early age.
P
It’s National Woman’s Day today (Saturday) so flags up everywhere and most shops are closed. Had it been a weekday we’d have had the day off work, unfortunately you lose out when a national holiday falls at the weekend. Walked into the centre, had lunch out with Tom, tried to buy fish at the fish market but got there too late, sat outside at a pavement café on Harnet Avenue and watched the world go by. The world today consisted of quite a few Indian UNMEE soldiers who are all pulling back from the border to Asmara before being moved out. For those of you who are wondering where this leaves VSO volunteers the official VSO position is that that is no immediate reason for action on the part of VSO to enact their emergency evacuation plan although they are being vigilant and in constant contact with the British Embassy. I have to say that it’s hard to reconcile this with the sleepy weekend atmosphere that pervades. The border stand-off seems a million miles away instead of less than 100 …
C
Today’s MoE football turned out to be a practice match against the Asmara police – who proved to be considerably fitter than our brave lads and we ended up well beaten . It was encouraging to see that the best player on the pitch was quite old but extremely fit. For my own part I only played for 30 minutes and I even felt the pace during that time – still it’s all part of the altitude training. It’s definitely time to try and get some football shoes though, running shoes are just too collapsible.
Shaking hands is big in this country but it’s not like the brief ‘hi, how are you’ with a strong grip then let go like the other person’s hand suddenly became very hot, it’s more you say hello then you continue to hold on during an ensuing conversation – which may last several minutes – so you get the sight of pairs of men holding hands on the football field while they discuss the week’s events and now the guys are starting to know me I’m by no means exempt.
Walking the streets of Asmara it’s noticeable how many very young children are just out playing or even wandering on their own – I guess it’s like the ‘developed’ world used to be before cities became to crowded and choked with traffic and before fear about what happens to children let loose set in – and even 3 and 4 year-olds will offer a hand and say ‘hi’, so hand-shaking starts from an early age.
P
Sunday, 2 March 2008
Football
Saturday 1st March
Ministry of Education Football
Saturday was the day for me to try and continue with my playing-football-everywhere ambition and, let's face it, I've played in some pretty out-of-the-way places – even once in New Jersey.
Football practice for the Ministry of Education is on Saturday morning, so I'm lying on my back in a pile of dust at around 7:30am (yes that's AM on a Saturday) looking up at an early-morning crescent moon listening to the coach exhorting the guys to greater sit-up efforts and thinking 'this is quite strange, really' and 'good job there's a beer shortage, my head feels fine' ... Earlier, I'd already started to blame the altitude for my inability to keep up in the running part of training – it WILL get better!
Later in the practice match, from my position on the left wing, I didn't do too badly – breathing became easier – and I was on the winning side! The reason for the 7:00am start became obvious, the sun was quite fierce by 9:15 which was when the final whistle was blown – next time I hope not to fade so much in the second half.
Plus, I learned a few Eritrean football shouts ('Bella' and 'Bravo Abdou!' mixed in with Tigrinya – 'kid' – for example 'Kid Daoud!' means 'Go Daoud!').
Sunday 2nd – just strolled outside our front gate to be greeted by an amused good morning nod from a guy riding a bicycle one-handed ... mind you, he was leading a horse with his other one – this is just a scene from daily life where walking and cycling are the main means of transport. The other cycling style in Asmara – the elite- is colourfully lycra-clad and riding expensive racing bikes (Colnago, Bianchi, Trek, etc) – a legacy from Italian times but with moden bikes.
One final note if anyone needs to contact us the 'old' way it's either of us, c/o VSO Eritrea, PO Box 5565, Asmara, Eritrea.
P
Ministry of Education Football
Saturday was the day for me to try and continue with my playing-football-everywhere ambition and, let's face it, I've played in some pretty out-of-the-way places – even once in New Jersey.
Football practice for the Ministry of Education is on Saturday morning, so I'm lying on my back in a pile of dust at around 7:30am (yes that's AM on a Saturday) looking up at an early-morning crescent moon listening to the coach exhorting the guys to greater sit-up efforts and thinking 'this is quite strange, really' and 'good job there's a beer shortage, my head feels fine' ... Earlier, I'd already started to blame the altitude for my inability to keep up in the running part of training – it WILL get better!
Later in the practice match, from my position on the left wing, I didn't do too badly – breathing became easier – and I was on the winning side! The reason for the 7:00am start became obvious, the sun was quite fierce by 9:15 which was when the final whistle was blown – next time I hope not to fade so much in the second half.
Plus, I learned a few Eritrean football shouts ('Bella' and 'Bravo Abdou!' mixed in with Tigrinya – 'kid' – for example 'Kid Daoud!' means 'Go Daoud!').
Sunday 2nd – just strolled outside our front gate to be greeted by an amused good morning nod from a guy riding a bicycle one-handed ... mind you, he was leading a horse with his other one – this is just a scene from daily life where walking and cycling are the main means of transport. The other cycling style in Asmara – the elite- is colourfully lycra-clad and riding expensive racing bikes (Colnago, Bianchi, Trek, etc) – a legacy from Italian times but with moden bikes.
One final note if anyone needs to contact us the 'old' way it's either of us, c/o VSO Eritrea, PO Box 5565, Asmara, Eritrea.
P
of dust and chairs
There’s dust everywhere. My attempts to sweep up a room yesterday resulted in big piles which just dispersed back into the air when I tried to brush it into the dustpan. The small rains are due soon. I’m looking forward to them, damp down the dust and bring out the flowers I say.
We bought two blue plastic chairs yesterday. We can now sit at a table to eat. Things are looking up. We were walking home through the streets of Asmara with them and passed a shop Saskia and I wanted to go in so we left Phil sitting outside on a pile of blue chairs. Michelle (another volunteer, it’s impossible to walk very far in Asmara without bumping into someone you know) walked past, had a quick conversation and walked on, not a word about why he was sitting there. Everything starts to seem normal after a while.
I’ve finished writing my first unit at work (student book and teachers’ guide). Another milestone passed.
An update for anyone thinking of visiting, I’ve changed my thinking on it. Weather-wise the
best time is probably now or January to March next year.
There are nine ethnic groups with different religions, dress, hair-styles living in this country. It’s amazing in a country this size. There seems to be no friction at all between them. The uniting factor is to be Eritrean. More of this later.
C
We bought two blue plastic chairs yesterday. We can now sit at a table to eat. Things are looking up. We were walking home through the streets of Asmara with them and passed a shop Saskia and I wanted to go in so we left Phil sitting outside on a pile of blue chairs. Michelle (another volunteer, it’s impossible to walk very far in Asmara without bumping into someone you know) walked past, had a quick conversation and walked on, not a word about why he was sitting there. Everything starts to seem normal after a while.
I’ve finished writing my first unit at work (student book and teachers’ guide). Another milestone passed.
An update for anyone thinking of visiting, I’ve changed my thinking on it. Weather-wise the
best time is probably now or January to March next year.
There are nine ethnic groups with different religions, dress, hair-styles living in this country. It’s amazing in a country this size. There seems to be no friction at all between them. The uniting factor is to be Eritrean. More of this later.
C
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