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Reality Check, July 2006
At first, Addis seems to be a city of juxtapositions. The older
women, covered from head to toe in concealing shawls and wraps,
contrast with the younger generation sporting figure-fitting jeans
and tops. The crescendo and decrescendo of the Friday Muslim prayer
call is soon drowned out by speaker-amplified Protestant worship
services. A slight shift in the wind replaces the pleasant scent
of roasting corn or fresh injera with that of raw sewage and rotting
garbage. Mercedes and donkey jockey for that coveted inch of space
in the gridlock of the morning rush hour. Even the warm sunshine
of the noontime hour is washed away by the cold rains that arrive
by evening everyday. These contrasts are woven together into the
fabric that is life in Addis. more >>
The Other Side of Mercato, August 2006
The people seemed to move to a uniform rhythm. Fistfights, pickpockets,
the occasional stray donkey, and the cacophonous hum of deals being
offered, negotiated, negated, and finally completed, were not aberrations
to the tempo, but rather dissonant chords that added to its complex
musical structure. Foods, fabrics, artwork, and electronics from
all over Ethiopia and abroad stretched to the visual horizon. Humans
provided a dense but fluid insulation between the shops. Raindrops
would have had a hard time finding the ground. This was Mercato,
the largest open-air market in Africa.
more >>
An Unspoken Truth, September 2006
Alemayo is one of the orphans whose housing, food, care, clothing,
and school fees are provided by Save Lives. Although he is 14 years
old, he inconspicuously blends in both physically and socially with
the nine- and ten-year-olds who come to play in the Save Lives compound.
His bright brown eyes naturally radiate joy, as if he has an amazing
secret that he can’t wait to share with the world. Even in
moments when he is upset, his eyes maintain a spark, deceiving others
into believing that nothing is wrong.
more >>
An Everyday Struggle, October 2006
As I crossed the tiny footbridge that demarcates the neighborhood
known as Kuchura Sefer, two eyes stared intently up at me from the
garbage-strewn dirt path. The eyes belonged to the head of a decapitated
sheep, which undoubtedly one of the locals, eager to enjoy his next
meal or sell the sheep’s meat at the market, had discarded
without thought. My passing triggered a swarm of flies on the head
to frantically disperse before settling back down on their prize.
Despite the frenzy of activity, the sheep maintained its fixed expression,
its stare never straying from mine. more
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Story Behind the Story, November 2006
To me he was always the shy kid—the one who would linger at
the back when the other children, in their haste to greet me, formed
a human deluge, the one to whom you had to extend a special, personal
invitation before he would join a soccer game with his peers. Ironically,
it was his introversion that made him stand out. His silence spoke
volumes, and his inclination toward ambiguity seemed to make him
all the more visible. more>>
"What is your Religion?", December 2006
It seems as if I have been asked "What is your religion?" by at least half of the population of Addis Ababa. Within the first few minutes of meeting someone in Addis, the question is inevitably posed, and the implications of the one word response are significant and enduring. Affiliation with a particular religion is like a form of social capital, the value of which appreciates or depreciates depending on the circle in which people find themselves. This perception of religion has little to do with individual faith and a lot to do with preconceived expectations of what a person of a certain religion should wear, how they should behave, what they can eat and drink, and how they negotiate their identity in relation to others in society. To say that religion plays an integral role in Ethiopian culture is a huge understatement. more>>
Stigma, February 2007
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that little girl," Beza said softly, motioning with a nod of her head to my not-so-secret admirer. "She's HIV positive," she disclosed, her eyes drifting out of focus as the sadness overtook her. "But that's just the beginning of the story." more>>
Where is Your Money Going?, March
2007
“Where are all the young men?” was my immediate thought as my eyes
adjusted from the blaring sunlight to the shadowy classroom. Despite
the fact that the room was dimly lit, the only two young men present
stood out like lighthouses among the group of 20 teenage youth leaders
who had come to receive their bi-weekly training on HIV prevention
and awareness from the Save Lives staff. This was one of my first
training sessions as a member of the Save Lives ABY (Abstinence
and Being Faithful for Youth) project team, a program that receives
its funding from PEPFAR. more>>
Alemtsahay, April 2007
I always saw Alemtsahay as a woman who had a grasp on life. In her,
I observed a woman with drive and a kind heart whose potential was
limited only by her circumstances. Even now, the first things that
come to mind when I think of Alemtsahay are her smile, her hospitality,
and how important she was to me during my first weeks in Kuchera
Sefer. Alemtsahay?s house was like my safe haven, a consistent sanctuary
from the uncertainties of life in Kuchera Sefer. And that just makes
this story that much harder to swallow. more>>
Alemayo Part II: Rays of Hope, May
2007
To me, Alemayo is a change agent, a warrior in a society that is
slow and fearful to honestly confront AIDS and what must be done
to overcome the disease. Maybe one day Alemayo will change the understanding
and enrich the lives of others the way he has enriched mine. Only
the future will tell. more>>
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