written 7/10 published 17/10/07
on J and M in Assosa (Ethiopia), 17/Oct/2007 05:54, 34 days ago
Sunday 7th OctoberThere has been a lot of training this week at the MI organized by the Canadian NGO CIDA. This has involved a total of approximately 130 trainees from the region (not Assosa) over a 4 week period but again the MI is just acting as a hotel for this training. .Sensibly the training has been split into 2 groups but it is still a lot of trainees altogether.The trainees are important people, woreda or district heads from across the region, and so possible future customers of the MI. Sadly they have a lot of complaints about the MI, the food, the lack of water, in fact the facilities in general.On top of this there is an Open University residential course for 3 days at the weekend for 11 people.In addition we have another of our own courses starting on 15th October for about 20 people. Already the photocopier has given up. The manuals used on the CIDA training are more like books and sadly very little of it is original. There is also a concern that there are not enough chairs for all these trainees.The good news is that after 3 weeks our phone is now fixed. Not sure why it could not have been fixed the first day telecoms came to look at it. Then we were told it was the fault of a cable outside the compound. I wrote them a pleading letter during the week and Jeremy went to see them on Saturday so obviously something had an effect. However Thursday, Friday and today there was no internet– I always say you cannot have everything. (this has continued all week).We have had news of other volunteers who came out to Ethiopia with us almost 2 years ago. One, Suzanne, has just got married to an Ethiopian and plans to stay here. Suzanne and her finance have had a civil ceremony and are planning a big wedding in the Tropical Gardens in Addis soon and by coincidence we shall be in Addis at that time which will be wonderful. Another of our intake, Karen, is pregnant due December, father is an Ethiopian and another is living with an Ethiopian. So 3 happy people in permanent relationships who may remain longer than their 2 years in Ethiopia but not with VSO. Considering there were only 14 of us and this included 3 couples, 2 married volunteers who had partners in UK and one engaged this is a good record for VSO sustainability!. Suzanne sent us lovely photos of the legal ceremony and we are looking forward to the actual wedding in November in Addis.On the other side of the world Henry and Shirley were trying to settle back into life in USA, Shirley got a job, they moved into a new house, Lee started school reluctantly and then they went to Canada to collect the remainder of their belongings which they had stored while they were in Ethiopia. On their return to USA Henry who is a Canadian citizen was not allowed back in as they said his paperwork was not in order despite the fact he has been living in USA since May. He now has to sort out his paperwork and this will take 2/3 months. Everything that has happened to us in Ethiopia pales into insignificance in the light of this event. As a family they have now been split by bureaucracy and it will be Lee who will suffer. Inside the last 5/6 months he has had his life completely changed. He does not need his parents to live apart at this important time for him. Shirley has overnight become a single working Mum as the plan was for Henry to remain at home to care for Lee and then apply for a green card to work.We are expecting our next house guests Louisa and Seb today Sunday and are looking forward to it. It will be good to be put back in touch with the’real’ world again. They plan to stay with us for 4 nights and then do an 8 day driving trip round the northern part of Ethiopia.