Genesis Farms, A Labor of Love

Last Saturday I jumped on the motorcycle (I believe I will have to soon christen her – thoughts?) and headed south, to visit Genesis Farms in Debre Zeit. My main purpose for the visit was to learn more about egg laying chickens. I hope to purchase some for Kechene School. Ideally, the chickens will lay enough eggs to subsidize the children’s diet with some protein, and possibly lay enough to sell for income generation. Moreover, once the chickens have finished laying eggs for eighteen months, the school can sell or eat them (evidently, the return on their egg laying abilities greatly diminishes after this ‘ripe’ eighteen month period).

Thankfully, the hour and fifteen minute drive was uneventful. I arrived to find the farm teeming with activity. Locals were shopping at the farm’s market store where they sell fresh produce, poultry and dairy products right off the farm, others were eating at the on-farm restaurant, and the farms many workers were taking care of responsibilities on the last work day of the week. The farm was begun thanks to an investment by two Dutch gentlemen, an American and an Ethiopian. As stated in a brief profile of the farm, provided by the farm manager, ‘Genesis farms in Debre Zeit is part of a project designed to pass on not only skills and knowledge about agriculture and farming, but also to spread the Gospel to others in developing countries like Ethiopia.’ Employing roughly 600 workers, the farm does an exceptional job at providing employment and also food security for the local community.  

Just after arriving, I noticed some women planting lettuce in an adjacent field. I went out to say hello and inquire as to the whereabouts of the chicken coup. The women were excited to see that I was interested in their work and eager to show it off to me. They had an impressive operation underway, and I’ve posted some pictures to the ‘Lamp Post Photos’ link at the right. The drip irrigation was nicely laid out and they had a lush stand of lettuce, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, and other vegetables. Proper irrigation, tending, and a well composted soil greatly increase the yield and capacity of the land at Genesis Farms. I complemented them, and then begged their pardon, but it was time for me to learn about chickens.

The farm manager graciously provided me a tour guide who answered my questions concerning chickens and other aspects of the farm. At the chicken coup I met two other young guys, both Ethiopians, who were interested in chicken farming as well. I thought it fascinating to find these two young guys so interested in farming and chickens in particular – so many of the well-educated young people I meet want to be doctors, engineers or IT professionals. I later found out they were also the local tae-kwon-do instructors, ‘Even better!’ I thought to myself.

After I finished pestering my guide with numerous questions concerning chickens, we moved on to take a look at the dairy farm. I do not know how many dairy farms are in Ethiopia, but I would guess not many. Genesis is the only one I’ve seen; maybe there are a handful of others. The farm produces its own cheese, milk and yogurt on-site. As well, the manure generated by the cows is a wonderful source of fertilizer and is composted with other waste generated by the farm. This compost is one of the reasons the farm generates such healthy vegetables – it enhances and enriches the soil.

After my tour, I had lunch at the farm’s restaurant and was about to turn back into the wind, bound for Addis. Just then, however, an older, enthusiastic farmer, Daniel was his name, struck up a conversation. His passion and excitement for farming was so evident that I could not resist when he asked if I would, ‘come and take a look at my patch of land.’

I told him to jump on and we ploughed down the dirt road, deeper into the valley. The landscape all around was beautiful – a well kept farm in a nice valley surrounded by guardian mountains. All the way we were generally on Genesis Farm land but just before reaching a shrinking lake (it is the dry season) we stopped at a small patch of land the farmer claimed for himself. I quickly gathered that he was just getting into farming – not only from his words but his rows were a bit crooked and he had yet to master the drip irrigation layout. Nevertheless, the passion in his voice for the work and the art of farming was clear – he’ll get there, I have no doubt.

After talking with the farmer a bit (whose English was superb – thanks to Peace Corps Volunteers who taught him English as a child), and taking in the beauty of the valley it was time for me to get back to Addis. All-in-all, it was an informative and pleasurable trip. I learned a bit about chickens and Genesis Farms as a whole and believe there is certainly an opportunity, and need, for more projects of this sort. Projects that incorporate best practices in a certain field (farming, in this case), are sustainable, and benefit the environment (this projects does so by encouraging intensive, rather than extensive farming, which leads to deforestation) and local community (in this case the farm provides food security and employment for the local community).

 

JTV
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 

 

 

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As cows are actually a significant contributor to worldwide greenhouse gas emissions, via belching, I wonder if there is also an opportunity to capture the CO2 emissions they generate. They are essential to the fertility of the land on the farm, and if there is a way to capture the methane gases they release, the net impact on the environment, farm and people would be all the better. Please write if you have ideas or information on this note.

 

From Lake Awassa to Lalibela – a Beautiful Country

                I’ve done a bit of weekend travelling this February, which may explain why I have not been as punctual with posting as of late. I will, however, attempt to describe the beautiful scenes and countryside I was blessed to travel by both motorcycle and airplane.

 

Awassa

The weekend of February 6^th and 7^th, my cohorts here at Cherokee House – Briana Harper and John Watkin – and I decided to head down to Awassa for an escape from the congestion of Addis. They caught a ride from a friend who was travelling down, and I decided to test out the range of my motorcycle.

                I had planned to leave early, around 6AM, but when I awoke it was drizzling and still pitch dark. I thought it quite odd to be raining at this time of the year, but decided to eat some breakfast and see what it was going to do. By the time I finished my coffee, the dawn was beginning to break and the clouds didn’t appear to be a serious threat. I decided to go for it and hope for the best, which tends to be my general response in times of uncertainty – for better or worse.

                While I had never driven to Awassa (though I had rode a bus on numerous occasions), I knew I would not have much trouble if only I could make it out of Addis and get on the main road heading south (which will take you all the way to Nairobi – a trip for another time?). Somehow, I managed to find the road with little trouble. My little 125cc bike will only do about 85 – 90 km per hour on level ground, but all the same, it felt like I finally had a little wind in my sails as I drifted out of the highlands and into the Rift Valley.

                The drive was spectacular. I witnessed a beautiful sunrise over the mountains, even as it struggled to fight its way through the remaining clouds. Once you get beyond the sprawl of Addis, the countryside opens to fields full of crops, cattle, sheep and people going to and fro. Moreover, you skirt the sides of numerous lakes – Lake Koka, Lake Zway and Lake Langano. By the time I reached Awassa however, roughly 300 km south of Addis and about a 4.5 – 5 hour drive on my bike, I was ready for a break.

                Awassa is a beautiful little town in its own right and home to Lake Awassa. Before sunset we made our way down to the lake and rented one of the tour boats for a sunset cruise. It cost 30 ETB per person (less than $3 USD). There are evidently hippos on Lake Awassa, but unfortunately, I did not see any. People also say you should not swim in the lake because the water is not clean, but after doing some sample tests by scooping a bit in my hand and examining it, I determined it was fit to swim in. Swimming alongside our row boat, with the mountains at our back and the sun setting in the west was about as close to Tillery (Lake Tillery, NC that is) as I’ve been in a while.

                The next morning Briana and John went to the fish market where the fishermen bring in a fresh harvest each morning and fry it for you on the spot. While I did not go with them (I had some work to do at Selam Awassa Business Group), I’ve been before, and I can vouch for the quality of the fish and the experience in general.

 

Lalibela

                The next weekend, February 14^th and 15^th, I travelled to Lalibela and saw some of some of the most amazing churches I have ever, and probably will ever, see. Unfortunately, I was not able to travel to Lalibela on my motorcycle. I had only limited time and my mother was travelling with me. They say it is a two day bus ride from Addis, and I do not doubt that for a second. While I am not sure of the exact distance, it appears on a map to be about twice as far as Awassa, though to the north rather than the south. Heading north from Addis means rough, rocky, mountainous terrain. Thus, the roads are not as good and the drive much tougher.

                Lucky for us, we were travelling on Ethiopian Air. They call the flight to Lalibela the ‘milk run,’ because before reaching your destination you stop at small airports in Bahir Dar and Gonder. It was a special treat to stop over in Bahir Dar as I got to see Lake Tana, the biggest lake in Ethiopia and the headwaters of the Nile, from the air. Even with the stops, the flight was only about two hours.

                Lalibela is considered sacred land and is known for the magnificent churches built during the reign of King Lalibela in the 11^th century. My words will certainly not do them justice, so I hope you visit the ‘Lamp Post Photos’ link at the right to get a feel for what I am talking about. The churches are carved down into the ground, probably 35-40 feet deep. It is hard to comprehend how someone could do this work, much less in the 11^th century. The architecture is stunning – crosses in the windows and the ceilings, and murals carved on the outside of the churches. The ceilings inside are arched and enormous pillars provide the main support. Keep in mind that the entirety of the church was carved out of the stone – the masons did not simply dig an enormous hole and build churches from the ground up, they carved them out of the ground as they went. The doors are made of Olive wood and most are original – meaning 900 years old.

                Legend has it that the churches were completed with the help of angels in a mere twenty four years (if my memory serves me correctly on that last stat). At first I was skeptical, but after seeing the churches, I believe that is the only explanation – that they were completed with the help of angels. The churches are absolutely incredible and unfathomable works of art.

                The town of Lalibela offers little beyond the churches, but I certainly enjoyed it. The mountains in the north are steep and impressive and the air is clean and crisp. At times the mountains reminded me a bit of the Rocky Mountains (though not quite as majestic) in the American West and then all of a sudden a huge ridgeline/ canyon would pop out of nowhere which appeared to more closely resemble the Grand Canyon. We stayed at Tukul Village, a nice hotel styled in the manner of traditional housing in that area – two story circular huts out of stone. Our room was 550 ETB (roughly $50 USD) per night. Generally, I would have stayed at a much cheaper location – something between 50 – 100 ETB, but I was with my mother and I did not want to subject her to my sometimes uncomfortable style of travel.

 

                All in all, I cannot see why the tourism industry in Ethiopia does not get more attention. The exchange rate is heavily in favor of the dollar (currently at about 11 ETB to 1 USD), the country is safe and stable, the people are unbelievably hospitable and the countryside is varied and beautiful. Addis may be a bit congested, but the towns and attractions in the hinterlands offer quite a memorable and enjoyable vacation for the slightly adventurous type. 

 

JTV
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

PS, I am having some trouble uploading pictures, but I hope to get more up soon from Lalibela.  

Life Lessons from Kechene School

This week at Kechene School – officially registered as Initiative Ethiopia International Children’s Association (I prefer to make this distinction so as not to confuse Kechene School with similar projects in the area) – teachers were administering mid-year exams to all three grades: KG-1, KG-2, and 1^st grade. I could not have been more proud of the kids as they shoved their graded exams in front of my face, ‘JT! JT!’ It was not only me they rushed to in excitement, but other teachers and staff members as well – essentially any adult who was not already surrounded by a gaggle of students. Of course, what they were after was a ‘Betam turuno lidgch!’ or ‘Gobez!’ – essentially a pat on the back.

Now, I can’t say that all the students who rushed me their graded exams thrilled me with the scores on their tests. Some were very high – 60/60, 58/60, 55/60 but some were lower – 27/60, 39/60. Needless to say, it was hard for me to dampen their enthusiasm even if their performance was sub-par. I therefore complimented all of the students and simply tried to show I was exceedingly proud of those with exceptionally high scores. For those of you who know the children, some of the impressive scores were turned in by Kirobel, Yederder, Aman, Zacharias, Betty and Tamirat. I’m waiting on a complete list from the teachers on the overall performance, so if you have further questions feel free to email.

For comparison Geti, a fourth grade student at the local government school (and son of Kechene founders Nichodemas and Wondenesh), sat in on the 1^st grade math exam. He scored 57/60; quite a few Kechene students bested this mark. Exams were administered in various subjects including math, English, Amharic, ethics and science.

Seeing the kids taking and then doing well on their exams this week I couldn’t help but think back to how different things were this summer. I remember taking Kelly Meisner, who works for Cherokee in Raleigh, to visit the school and being so embarrassed by the chaos that morning. Now, the students were exceptional that morning (as I’m sure happens at most any pre-school from time to time), but all the same, I was disappointed and embarrassed.

Since September however, the new teachers that were hired, in conjunction with remaining staff members, have been doing quite a remarkable job. I’m continually amazed at the impact the teachers and support staff have had on the structure, instruction and order of the project these past few months. Everyone, from the guards to the cook to the head teacher, is incredibly passionate about the children and their development. Truly, this team at Kechene works together selflessly and harmoniously for the betterment of the children. Every Saturday, after the children have received lunch and departed, the staff meets to discuss the week in review and comment on challenges and successes. This is not just a teachers meeting, or an administrators meeting, but everyone who is employed at Kechene attends. After reading of the scripture and a prayer, a round-table discussion ensues and everyone is allowed their turn to speak.

As many of you are aware, out of the roughly 80 kids at Kechene School all are destitute and some are orphaned (though, most thankfully, living with extended family in the local community). Showing the children love, care and compassion and providing them each two meals per school day (Monday – Saturday) are the top priorities at Kechene. Beyond that, Kechene staff hopes to provide the children a high quality education, instill a since of pride, values and proper hygiene. All of this is a work in progress – there is always more to be done – but I can promise you the school is ardently working towards these goals. The progress is visible in the test scores, the children’s behavior and appearance (they are now bathing at least twice per week), and most of all in the happy, healthy smiles and clear eyes that greet me with a sense of joy and love one would not think possible in such a poor community.

In this dark, global economic downturn Kechene School is a beacon of light and a reality check. The love and joy found in such a destitute area puts quite a perspective on life, and we would all do well to take note. Some would say that kids are kids, they are naïve and generally always happy, no matter where they grow-up. I disagree. One of my favorite students, Serkadis, showed me her test scores and they were, to me, surprisingly low. I quickly asked Akebebre, the head teacher, what the deal with Serkadis was. He informed me that she had missed quite a few days, because her mother is very sick and there was no one to take care of her except Serkadis (who is in the 1^st grade). Not only is Serkadis from a destitute home, but her mother is exceptionally sick and her father has already passed away. Nevertheless, she is at school most days and always smiling, learning (she’s very bright).

Serkadis is not naïve, she knows all to well the realities of life – but she faces them with a grace and joy uncommon among grown men and women, much less in a seven year old child. Neither are any of the other kids at Kechene naïve – they live all too close to the margin to be disillusioned. Kechene School, however, provides a needed outlet and foundation for learning, camaraderie, fellowship, love, joy and personal growth. 

 

JTV, 
 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Many thanks to all who have supported, and continue to support this project. As you know, whithout your help this project would not be possible. 

If you are interested in donating to this project, visit the ‘Kechene School’ tab at the top of the blog for directions on how to do so. 

Life as We Know It, and a Glimmer of Hope from Rural Ethiopia

The State of Life

Lately, I hate to admit, I’ve become a bit pessimistic about the future of mankind and Mother Earth. Any time I start reading too much environmental literature I eventually get fed-up and have to give it a break – sometimes a few days, sometimes weeks, sometimes a month or more. The more one reads the more one realizes the extent to which humans have degraded and abused all our natural resources. All I can think of as I read and observe is the quote (and I can’t recall who said it first) that goes something to the effect, ‘Every system is precisely designed to obtain the results it produces.’

This is a system of degradation that has been in the making for centuries upon centuries (even though most of the damage has occurred in the last century and a half) built upon the cornerstone that humans have little regard for the preservation of their natural environment – the very environment that enables all life. It has always been ‘cheaper,’ more ‘cost-effective’(we are greedy and simultaneously we failed, though warned, to incorporate the environmental costs of any decision) or most likely of all just plain easier (lazy we are) to turn the other way, figuring Mother Nature will never actually turn her back on us entirely. Even after we beat her, smothered her, ignored her and trampled upon her.

We are now racing towards the point of no return concerning global warming and climate change, the only debate seems to be exactly where that point is (is it 450 ppm – parts per million – of CO₂ in the atmosphere, or can she handle 550 or 800 ppm?). Mother Nature has finally said enough and if a lot is not done quickly (quite an understatement, by the way), we’ll not withstand the deserved payback. Don’t take my word for it – just browse some of the sources listed below or google it yourself. It won’t take long for you to get mad and maybe even pessimistic as well – but let’s hope, there is always hope, it spurs everyone to effective action. Action, that is, that eventually retards the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere and leaves a richer, more vibrant and biologically diverse earth for future generations.

Those who know me, know how much it takes for me to admit feeling the slightest bit pessimistic about much of anything. At times, I do feel overwhelmed with the enormity and complexity of the issues we face today – global poverty, global warming, and global unrest mainly – but try my best not to show it. Further, I prefer to take an opportunistic view of the world. But, frankly, the facts are alarming.

In my lifetime I’ll likely witness one of two remarkable outcomes. 1) The world recognizes the challenges facing society in lieu of global warming and the subset of issues it affects but is unable to act en masse to curb CO₂ emissions effectively enough. The climate then changes in violent ways that violently and adversely affect the stability of life on earth. Or, 2) The world recognizes the challenges facing society in lieu of global warming and the subset of issues it affects and, with much creativity, innovation and many blessings, is able to curb and begin to retard CO₂ emissions – effectively preserving and then enhancing life as we know it on Earth. Let’s hope wisdom, innovation, creativity, hard work and a bit of luck result in the later scenario.

 

Developing World Context

Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi ,was quoted in the Friday January 16^th issue of the Sub-Saharan Informer as stating,

“The injustice of the whole issue of global warming and climate change lies in the fact that those who have contributed nothing to its genesis will suffer the most from its consequences because they have the least capacity to adapt to these changes. They have the least capacity to adopt because they are poor and do not have the resources to adapt to the changes. However unjust it might be we have to adapt or die.”

Meles is correct, the poor people of the world certainly did not contribute as much to global warming as residents in the developed world – they didn’t have the opportunity to. There is an opportunity, however, for the developing world to be a leader in embracing clean, affordable energy and transportation for all; land and water management practices that increase agricultural productivity, food security and GDP while simultaneously decreasing deforestation, green-house gas emissions and soil degradation; and conservation funded by eco-tourism. The government will not be able to address even half of this agenda alone. It will need to collaborate with the NGO/ donor community, national and international environmental and sustainability experts, universities and research institutes, the private sector and most of all with the local people.

Rather than specifically addressing and providing examples of all of these areas of opportunity in this post, I’ll highlight a wonderful example of renewable, clean and affordable electricity in rural Ethiopia.

 

Rural Ethiopia and Solar Energy – Economically Feasible

Sunday, January 18^th, Stephen Frapart and I tumbled along some of the worst roads I have ever travelled (David Phillips – whom you might call an artist on a bulldozer – armed with an old Caterpillar D6, could work miracles on the rural access roads, and thus development of this country, but that’s another issue all together). The last road we travelled was more or less a riverbed, which somehow accommodated our Toyota Land Cruiser – it’s no wonder all the village elder could talk about was the need for real access roads to his community. No, we were not out for a Sunday afternoon joy-ride, we were joining Dr. Harald Schϋtzeichel and Samson Tsegaye of the Stiftung Solarenergie Foundation on a visit to Chabeauxsinsaliti (I’m sure that spelling is incorrect, and I apologize), a rural village where the foundation has installed a solar system at a local residence.

Stiftung Solarengerie Foundation charges the residents to use the renewable electricity provided by the solar panels they install. Typically, Harald says, customers place 20% down on their purchase and then, over a three year period, slowly pay for the rest of the system through down payments that purchase electricity incrementally. Currently, there are two options available: one runs about $250 USD and generates enough electricity to operate up to four lights and a radio; the other will cost you about $50 USD and generates enough electricity to light one LED bulb and charge a mobile phone. Stiftung finances the entire operation and also provides repair and maintenance technicians to monitor the system.

Plans are in place for customers to begin using RFID cards, which are essentially pre-paid solar energy cards, to make down payments on their solar panels. The residents purchase a certain amount of electricity, which is stored on their RFID card (like a pre-paid mobile phone card), from Stiftung representatives that travel to their community. Their solar system doesn’t work without the card, which acts as a key. When they insert their RFID card into the battery their balance is steadily consumed as they use the electricity generated by the solar system. Each purchase of electricity they make is a down-payment on the overall price of the system. Eventually, the resident pays for the system and takes complete ownership.

The option remains available to retain Stiftung technicians for repair and maintenance after the residents have taken complete ownership – but there is a fee for these services. Furthermore, the LED lights (produced in Germany, they use only 1 watt of electricity) and the outer covering of the electrical cord (from Switzerland) that runs from the solar panel to the battery are specially designed to last at least twenty years. Harald believes that only with a long term perspective can you make an argument that today, in rural Ethiopia, the direct costs of solar energy is cheaper than the direct cost of kerosene, diesel, or other types of available energy used to generate electricity.

 

Compare, Contrast and Implement

Now, I must say, this was quite an uplifting experience. My home back in North Carolina is barely fitted out with fluorescent light bulbs, much less extremely efficient LED lights. Moreover, all electricity supplied to the house is still purchased from the local Duke Energy grid – not a bit of renewable electricity generated on-site. All of a sudden I found myself standing in a mud, stick, and tin hut, miles from the main road, in one of the poorest countries in the world – and they were using more high-tech energy generating devices and lights than my recently constructed home in North Carolina.

That, my friends, is an example of what development can and should look like in the developing world as well as the developed world. In a since, the developed world has further to go than the developing world because the developed world has to work to retrofit a system perfectly designed to kill Mother Nature and everything she provides. The developing world on the other hand, is poised to gain maximize benefit by implementing technology and systems that are designed, often in the developed world, in harmony with Mother Nature.

Furthermore, this technology is not being given away. By providing financing and a long-term commitment to the project, the Stiftung Solarengerie Foundation is creating a market and demand for their product – solar generated electricity. Local people take ownership of the project, and should something go awry, they are serviced by Stiftung technicians, who are graduates of regional vocational training schools. Moreover, customers benefit from the efficiency and durability of state-of-the-art technology from Germany and Switzerland. That’s implementing first rate technology from the developed world in the developing world, and subsequently increasing the standard of living in an economically and environmentally sustainable manner. All of this is happening in rural Ethiopia.

 

Hope

For thousands of years we toiled without light or electricity. Suddenly, literally and figuratively, a light was turned on. Look at how much of the world has gained electricity in the last hundred years, even though most is not generated in a sustainable manner. We can only pray that once again, a period of enlightenment will pervade throughout the earth and we’ll be able to overcome development and design challenges, in the developed and developing worlds, in a manner harmonious with Mother Nature.

I believe, even in the face of a mountain of alarming facts, that with the right leadership, enlightenment and blessings we will overcome the challenges facing our world today. People everywhere want to begin climbing the mountain to overcome global poverty, warming and unrest. Here’s to believing we can and will, but realizing the task will not be easy and will require the very best from all of us – both in the developed and developing worlds.

 

JTV
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

 

For more information on Stiftung Solarenergie Foundation, please visit: www.solar-energy-foundation.org 

 

 

 

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In-case you’re wondering, this literature ranges from online pulications – Yale Environment 360, New York Times, Wall St. Journal, etc.; to books by the likes of the entrepreneur Paul Hawken,’Ecology of Commerce’; the economist EF Schumacher, ‘Small is Beautiful;’ designers  McDonough and Braungart ‘Cradle to Cradle;’ the farmer and poet Wendell Berry ‘The Way of Ignorance’; and the journalist Thomas Friedman ‘Hot, Flat and Crowded;’ to the available magazine resources here in Addis: The Economist, TIME, and National Geographic predominantly; to local newspapers – mainly Fortune and the Sub-Saharan Informer; and finally to reports like the World Bank Report 2008: Agricultural for Development, and a publication on ‘Best practices and technologies for small scale agricultural water management in Ethiopia’ published by USAID, the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. I am not trying to be obnoxious in listing these sources, but merely attempting to show how many different publications are now reporting on the enormity of the environmental challenges facing us today. 

Appropriate Technology, Vocational Training and a few thoughts on Sustainability

As promised, this is the follow-up report on the time I spent with SABG in Awassa, Ethiopia.

The idea of using appropriate technology to serve the poor and to increase their standard of living is by no means a novel one. I was quickly reminded of that point last week by a friend who has been doing development work in Africa for over twenty years.

For some reason, I have been digesting and contemplating his comments for the better part of a week. Ultimately, his point was that appropriate technology ‘just doesn’t work.’ Reasons for this failure include a lack of interest among the rural poor to adopt and invest in these technologies, lack of a full-spectrum market to service these technologies should they break-down, ownership and responsibility issues, and a lack of education on the importance and potential of a said technology to increase a persons standard of living.

I had to agree that merely providing the technology does little, if nothing, to increase the standard of living among the rural poor. It’s comparable, if you will, to giving a Roman-era road builder a new bulldozer equipped with GPS and a laser grading system. Out of curiosity he may try it, but as soon as it breaks down (which wouldn’t be long in the hands of an inexperienced operator) it would sit idly by – a huge waste of investment capital. Not to mention the fact that, without training, he likely did more destruction than production.

Now, that’s an exaggerated example, but not by as much as one might think. At this point, one might launch into the discussion of what exactly defines appropriate technology. You might argue that ‘appropriate’ implies the end user knows fully how to operate and repair the technology – thus the above example is entirely out-of-line.

For reference, others have defined appropriate technology as such:

                ‘An appropriate technology is usually characterized as small scale, energy efficient, environmentally sound, labor-intensive and controlled by the local community. It must be simple enough to be maintained by the people who use it. In short, it must match the user in complexity and scale and must be designed to foster self-reliance, cooperation, and responsibility.’ – Amadei (2004) from the essay, ‘Poverty Reduction through Irrigation and Smallholder Markets (PRISM)” by Kebele Ayele and Shibru Tedla. Published in ‘Best practices and technologies for small scale agricultural water management in Ethiopia,’ 2006.

                ‘Intermediate technology (as Schumacher liked to call it) is vastly superior to the primitive technology of bygone ages but at the same time much simpler, cheaper, and freer from the technology of the rich. One can also call it self-help technology, or democratic or people’s technology – a technology to which everybody can gain admittance and which is not reserved to those already rich and powerful.’ –late economist EF Schumacher, ‘Small is Beautiful,’ 1973.

My friend conceded, however, that appropriate technology has a place in the development spectrum if, and only if, there are checks and balances in place to ensure that repair and maintenance is covered in some capacity for at least ten years. Simultaneously there must be an investment in educating and persuading the local community of the importance of the technology and also in how to operate and maintain it.

Finally – and I’m sure you’re wondering by now – how does this tangent relate to Selam Awassa Business Group (SABG). Well, primarily SABG is a production center of appropriate technology and a vocational training center. Therefore, I feel it is important to highlight what SABG is doing to contribute, in sustainable ways, to the appropriate technology movement and to capacity building among the rural community.

First of all, SABG production center is a for-profit enterprise. SABG operates because there is a demand for their products. On the face of it, this implies that people understand how to use these appropriate technology products and that they find value in them. This would automatically discredit the argument that appropriate technology is not applicable because it implies that it is so fully applicable that farmers are themselves demanding it and using their own capital to acquire it.

If only it were so simple. While some of SABG’s customers are, in fact, rural smallholder farmers, many are nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Many of these NGOs could be simply giving away the technology with little follow-through on education, repair and maintenance, or any attempt to measure social impact. SABG production center should not be faulted, however, for other organizations’ lack of follow-through (assuming there is a lack of follow-through). The production center promotes and produces appropriate technology and leaves the tasks of education, repair and maintenance, and measuring social impact up to partner NGOs.

Subsequently, through the production of appropriate technology, SABG also funds (with help from donors) and operates an on-site vocational training college. Selam Awassa Vocational Training College trains students in mechanical engineering. The program is designed to be a three year program in which students have an opportunity to get much needed hands-on experience through the workshop (even working on the production side of the business in their 2^nd and 3^rd years) during the day, and then theoretical instruction at Awassa Technical and Vocational Training College in the evening.

Students in Selam Awassa Vocational Training College are gaining employable skills and a sense of self thanks to the efforts of SABG. All tuition and living expenses are covered and every day begins with a Christian based devotional at 7:45 am, attended by the entire organization. The confidence these students build in themselves, their direction, and the love God has for them combined with the skills acquired in the workshop and classroom have an immeasurable impact on their livelihood and future. Many of the students I met with expressed how very grateful they were for this unique opportunity – provided entirely by efforts of Selam Awassa Business Group and associated donors.

Back to the sustainability issue. SABG is taking a unique approach to sustainably among its three sectors: the production center, providing clean water and vocational training. The production center is a for-profit venture designed to meet the demand for appropriate technology among citizens, the NGO community, private corporations, and the government. The Selam Awassa Drilling Works and Sanitation project is taking direct action in working through rural kebelle’s (communities) to install fresh, clean water wells with pumps. I believe I failed to mention this previously, but Selam Awassa Drilling Works and Sanitation is also taking action to train a local serviceman/woman in specific kebelles by providing him or her with a bicycle for transportation and training in repair and maintenance. Finally, Selam Awassa Vocational Training College is providing the rural poor with employable skills that will, at the very least, ensure they are able to provide for themselves and their families and likewise contribute to the development of their native land.

Now, I’m no expert on sustainability. It is apparent, however, that many of our man-made systems throughout the world have been designed with little regard to sustainability – financial, natural, spiritual or otherwise. In this same development/ sustainability thread is the fact that aid alone cannot and will not develop economies in the third world – development workers, economists and others have been saying this for decades, its nothing new and I’m not claiming to be doing more than stating the obvious. SABG depends on a combination of income generating activities and aid to spur development, economy, education and spiritual well-being in rural Ethiopia.

Currently, the environmental impact of SABG’s work is indirect. Much of the appropriate technology allows farmers to cultivate land intensively (increasing production and fertility of land under cultivation), rather than extensively (farming in such a manner that degrades the land to the extent that it is left fallow in search of more fertile land). Intensive cultivation, in turn, slows erosion, land degradation, and deforestation. Moving forward, maximizing the productivity of land under cultivation and practicing techniques that ensure the land remains productive and fertile for years to come will be absolutely critical. This will not be capable without the introduction and adaptation of appropriate technology throughout the developing world. This should be affordable, locally produced technology which maximizes scarce land and water resources.

Moreover, design and production of this appropriate technology should be in such a fashion that absolutely no waste is produced – or, in a cradle to cradle method (as opposed to cradle to grave). The net environmental impact of production should be positive – rather than simply minimized. This is an idea expressed by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, in their novel on sustainable design, ‘Cradle to Cradle.’ The opportunity to address the cradle to cradle philosophy, as it relates to the developing world, is enormous.

Some businesses have embraced McDonough and Braungart’s philosophy and are attempting to address this philosophy in the developed world, but what work has or is being done to address entirely sustainable, cradle to cradle design in the developing world? From my limited view, very little. Two obvious examples: recycling is a foreign concept here in Ethiopia and the cars and buses would fail an emissions standards test miserably – spend any amount of time on the streets of Addis and you’ll quickly be bathed in ‘Ethiopian perfume’ (thick, dark exhaust). 

I could go on, but I imagine by this point I’ve rambled long enough for many of you. I’ve jumped from defending the appropriate technology movement (and thus, SABG), to capacity building via vocational training and spiritual development, and finally to a brief synopsis of sustainability as it pertains to SABG and the developing world as a whole. Obviously, there are stages in the development spectrum and the sustainability spectrum that are, by all means, intertwined. Different levels and areas of development allow for different levels of sustainability but it is my hope that ultimately, all our activities under the sun are in harmony with spiritual, natural and financial sustainability. Though, for now, that’s a lofty ideal.

 

JTV
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Clean Water

This is part one of a two-part entry recapping a long weekend I spent in Awassa, Ethiopia with Selam Awassa Business Group. Part two will be due in a few days. Happy New Year everyone, and many blessings and good health in 2009!

Monday morning I joined Yared Sisay, who heads the Selam Awassa Water Drilling Works and Sanitation project, to visit well drilling sites outside of Awassa, past the small town of Tula. As we bumped along the rocky road in the Toyota work truck it was evident that many of the people we passed – most herding goats or cattle, or fetching water – recognized Yared. Predictably, Yared and his crew are much loved by the community members, as they provide clean water – a life giver.

After traversing a few open fields, and winding down roads in desperate need of the fresh blade of a bulldozer or motor-grader, we reached the first of two drilling sites the crew was working that day. On the way, we stopped by a small well that had just been completed but that was waiting on a pump to be installed. It was remarkable to compare the new water source – clean, deep, and filtered – with the old – a contaminated hand dug well.

As the day progressed, I would see even worse sources of water including stagnant ponds and old rain-water catchments. All of them were full of murky, detestable water. It’s hard to believe anyone could survive on this water, especially young children. Unfortunately, many do not survive but succumb to diarrhea and other water borne diseases. Some believe diarrhea to be the top killer among children in Africa.

Back to the drilling site. Including four members of the drilling crew, there were roughly 15-20 people gathered around the drilling site – most of them men taking turns at the manual drilling. Interestingly enough it was men helping drill the wells but women and children are usually the ones burdened with the laborsome task of fetching the daily water. Often, they carry jerry cans, on their heads or over the shoulders, for miles to retrieve water in town. Other times, they resort to retrieving water from local, but contaminated sources such as the ponds and rain water catchments mentioned previously.

Most wells in this area range from 20-30 meters deep and take 3-5 days to drill, depending on the soil. The design of the drill is interesting. It is specially designed to be operated manually – in a ‘heave/ ho’ type fashion (check the pictures on the link at the right, ‘Lamp Post Photos,’ for clarification). Therefore, besides the first six meters of the drill bit, which is steel, the rest is PVC pipe. This makes the drill stem light enough to enable manual drilling up to 30 meters, even as the stem fills up with water.

Yared and company work through kebelle (similar to small community mayors) leaders to gain support for placing wells in a certain kebelle. Also, without the support of the kebelle leaders, the necessary manual labor would likely not be provided by the community. Obviously, the kebelle leaders are critical players in this process. As Yared explained,

                “Without the support of kebelle leaders, we would have a very hard time. Some of the people would just say, ‘You want to dig a well? Go ahead but I’m not providing any labor and could care less what you do’.”

On the face of I, this may sound both absurd and astonishing, but it is due mainly to a lack of education about water-borne diseases.

After observing the drilling for a bit and asking some questions, I finally got in on the action and joined the men who were operating the drill or, ‘heave/ hoeing.’ The physical activity was invigorating, it does a mind and body good to work-up a sweat and I don’t get to as often as I’d like, but I imagine it’s also exhausting work days on end, out in the field.

The thing I appreciated most on this site visit was the character of Yared, Berhanu and the rest of the drilling team. They work a hard six days per week, often without breaking for lunch because if they did the well would collapse. When they’re in the field, which is nearly constantly, they stay at the local hotel and I can assure you it’s not exactly the Taj. These men are lean and fit from hard work and are more than capable in their trade. Their focus is on finishing one well and then moving on to the next, that’s all. Along the way they are saving innumerable lives and greatly enhancing the standard of living in the rural community by providing local sources of clean water. 

 

JTV
Awassa, Ethiopia

CEP trip to Dire Dawa and Harar

I was in Dire Dawa and Harar last week with Cherokee Education Program (CEP). Briana Harper, Biniyam Assefa and I introduced CEP to school administrators in both towns. Students will be recruited from high schools in Addis Ababa, DireDawa and Harar for CEP class of 2009/10. The recruitment process will begin in early February, but students will not depart for the United States until the beginning of August. 

Cherokee Education Program provides an opportunity for the top Ethiopian students in the 11th grade to experience the United States for one year. The students are placed with a host family who, often times with the help of their local community, covers all costs associated with hosting a student for a year. The focus of the program is to provide the future leaders of Ethiopia an experience which broadens their world view and more fully develops their leadership skills. Moreover, the students are required to return back to Ethiopia to finish their senior year of high school. Throughout their senior year, CEP provides students with a local mentor who guides them as they decide where to apply to college – likely in Ethiopia and the US, and also advises them on careers they may want to pursue. 

CEP - as it is currently structured – is in its third year of operation. In the last two years of the program we have witnessed a great increase in confidence, English skills, and leadership among CEP alum. As well, the students have done a remarkable job academically with many of them scoring A’s in a schedule full of AP classes. The first year’s class - CEP class of 2007/08, totaled nine students; this years class - CEP class of 2008/09, totaled 20 students; for the coming year’s class - CEP class of 2009/10, we hope to find enough host families to place 30-45 students. 

 

JTV
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 

For more information on CEP or hosting a student visit: www.cherokeexchangeprogram.org

Some pictures from the trip have been posted to Lamp Post Photos – please see the link at the right if you are interested. 

A Moral Obligation

In the late 1970s Asfaha Hadera, from the Tigray region of Ethiopia, found himself walking to Sudan to escape the oppressive Marxist regime of Emperor Mengistu. In eastern Sudan, Asfaha found a refugee camp of Ethiopians who were also seeking asylum. Immediately he engaged in organizing the refugee community – transporting water, setting-up make-shift schools, self help programs and also providing spiritual guidance.

Through the International Rescue Committee Asfaha was eventually resettled to New York City in 1979 – after a brief six months in France. Though Asfaha enjoyed a relative life of ease and steady employment in France, he remembers it as, “a dark six months.” In France he was unable to work at what he felt was, and remains, his moral obligation – giving back to fellow refugees and disadvantaged persons.

Shortly after adopting to life in the Bronx, Asfaha began work as a photographer – providing passport photos, license photos and other such essential photos to resettled refugees. Recognizing a need for a more full-spectrum support system for refugees, Asfaha formed an advisory board, composed of dedicated friends, and founded The Committee to Aid Ethiopian Refugees. The year was 1981, and the headquarters of this humble organization was apartment 28, 2327 Andrews Avenue, the Bronx – also his home.

The goal then, as now, was to aid and assist fellow refugees as they transitioned into life in America. Specifically, that entailed providing refugees with referrals to health care, English classes, and Social Security registration among other services. The operations were funded from Asfaha’s meager salary: $86 USD/ week, and with help from many volunteers. As the organization grew, it required more and more of Asfaha’s attention and eventually his employer gave him an ultimatum: either focus more energy on your job, or quit. Refusing to turn his back on his responsibilities to the refugee community, Asfaha quit his job as a photographer.

Simultaneously, it became apparent that a real office was going to be necessary if operations were to continue to expand; the challenges were mounting. Even in apparently dire situations however, things have a way of working out for those striving, in earnest, for the betterment of their fellow man.

Asfaha described the search for rent free office space,

“One Sunday afternoon in June, 1982 I knocked on every door from the Bronx to the Upper West Side to Harlem, looking for office space. On 35^th street, between Park and Madison, I happened upon the Community Church of New York. It was raining, so I walked in.”

Much to his pleasure, Asfaha enjoyed a wonderful sermon on social justice by minister Bruce Southworth. Following the sermon, he told minister Southworth he was working to assist refugees, but in desperate need of free office space. Astonishingly, the pastor told him of an available, rent free office just next to the church in building 28.

Around the same time, Asfaha also passed an aptitude test and was employed by the UN in the Department of Conference Services. This job provided more funds for The Committee to Aid Ethiopian Refugees’ operating budget. For the first time in a long time Asfaha was living a relatively comfortable life and feeling secure about the future of his budding organization. Eventually, however, Asfaha would also leave his job at the UN to focus full-time on the development of The Committeee to Aid Ethiopian Refugees. 

Today, some twenty six years later the organization operates under the name African Services Committee (ASC). While the name has changed, programs have been added and others expanded, the spirit and mission remain very much the same – focused on giving back and providing for refugees and disadvantaged persons. Along the way, in 1985, Kim Nichols joined ASC as a volunteer – today her and Asfaha are married and she is co-executive director of ASC in New York.

In New York, ASC continues to provide health, housing, legal and social services for resettled refugees. In 2003, ASC expanded operations into Ethiopia, with the goal of supporting the local community in the fight against AIDS. Services provided by ASC-Ethiopia include: HIV prevention outreach, condom distribution, HIV counseling and testing, diagnosis and referral to care, CD4 testing and monitoring patients for treatment, pediatric HIV/ AIDS case management, reproductive health and family planning, nutritional supplements, and training in HIV counseling and testing.

ASC brought the same time tested, grass roots approach – developed in the New York offices – to Ethiopia. The staff is entirely Ethiopian, and many of them are themselves HIV positive.  The operating budget varies from year-to-year, depending on funding, but the entire operation was begun with a $25,000 grant from American Jewish World Services.

At the time, it was not clear from where future funding would come. But, Asfaha trusted it would come and, slowly but surely, it has trickled in. Mainly, this is due to the effectiveness of outreach, support and awareness African Services Committee provides HIV/ AIDS patients in Ethiopia. From January, 2003 to July, 2008 ASC-Ethiopia, with a total staff of 47, has achieved the following: counseling and testing to 69,857 patients, awareness and public sensitization for testing – 110,763 patients, 1,307,395 condoms provided, reproductive health services to 2,760 patients, CD4 testing for 3,435 patients, provided 446 orphans with educational material for years 2004-07, tested 1,409 children for HIV – of which 22% were positive, and provided 4,775 patients with vitamins.

As with so many grass roots organizations, funding is one of the main obstacles preventing ASC from reaching more patients and setting up more clinics in the rural community. Some of ASC-Ethiopia’s generous supporters include: American Jewish World Service, HAT Foundation, Izumi Foundation, International Foundation, and New Field Foundation among others.

Disappointingly enough, ASC hasn’t received a penny from USAID, which claims to have ‘contributed more than $7 Billion to fight the [HIV/ AIDS] pandemic’ since 1986. Nor does ASC operate on a fraction of the budget of the Clinton Foundation – though not made public, it is reported the foundation raised over $124 million in 2007, which went to a complex gaggle of ‘Clinton Initiatives.’ To put things in perspective, the Clinton Foundation completed a $165 million presidential library in Little Rock in 2004; African Services Committee – Ethiopia’s headquarters is a small office at the top of a five story building, without an elevator.

Large, robust organizations, both public and private, have no doubt contributed greatly to the fight against HIV/AIDS – the Clinton Foundation claims 1.4 million people are ‘benefiting from medicines purchased under CHAI agreements,’ and USAID continues to support the fight against HIV/AIDS in over 120 countries. I wonder, however, if a great deal of that funding – rather than the comparatively small $200 million USAID set aside for faith-based and community organizations – would not be more effective in the hands of appropriately sized, grass roots organizations, operated by locals.

Effective grass roots organizations are not hard to find when you are on the ground – I’ve written about a few here on Lamp Post Reports – but one must be looking for them, as these organizations have no line item in their budgets for ‘advertising,’ ‘lobbyist,’ ‘investor relations/ communications,’ ‘brand development and awareness,’etc. People like Asfaha Hadera are giving back all over Ethiopia and beyond, and they deserve our attention, respect, and funding as they are frugal, effective stewards of the capital with which they have been entrusted.

As US citizens and tax payers, it is our moral obligation to request our tax dollars be channeled to effective organizations. As donors and philanthropist, we must shrewdly analyze the operations of the foundations we choose to support – if they are not effective stewards of the capital with which they have been entrusted, find an organization that is and redirect your donations. When refugees are dedicating their lives to serving fellow refugees and disadvantaged persons, the least the rest of us can do, as tax payers and donors, is to support their efforts as best we can.

 

JTV
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

 

Extaordinary Rain and Mitigating Risks

November 11, 2008 was the third straight day of sunshine in Addis Ababa. Generally, that is not outstanding news for this time of year. Most years, the rainy season passes with the Meskel holiday – an Orthodox celebration of the finding of the true cross of Jesus Christ – in mid-September.  Unfortunately, that has not been the case this year. Older people are telling me they have never seen rain like this, at this time of the year, in their entire lives.

Initially, it appeared the rainy season was passing just as it normally does. About two weeks ago however, around Monday, October 27^th, the rains began. Rather than raining for only a day or two, as sometimes happens in late October and November, it continued to rain, and rain. For a country that has been plagued by droughts, even as recently as last spring when the Belg rains failed to deliver, one would think this unexpected rain to be a blessing.

Quite to the contrary. The rain started just days before the scheduled teff and wheat harvest. Teff, a staple for many Ethoipians, especially the poor, is a fragile crop. These abnormal rains have greatly damaged what appeared to be an above average harvest in many regions. One of the local papers, Fortune, reports that farmers in Adea, Welenchiti, Sheran Biban Daba and Yerer Akaki – roughly 100 Km from Addis – will all suffer from these unseasonal rains. Farmers have been forced to sit idly by as they watch their livelihoods wash away with the run-off.

Some farmers were lucky enough to have purchased insurance for their crops, through a new coverage being offered by Nyala Insurance S.C. While that is a wonderful development, I worry about the millions of farmers who live so close to the margin they can ill afford insurance. The farmers who labor long days in open fields not even their own – of the 10 hectares they farm they are lucky to own 1 hectare – praying for ‘average’ rain so they may reap the diminished yield their degraded soil produces. In an average year, they meet their family’s basic needs. In a good year, they send their kids to school. One does not like to consider the effects of a poor harvest.

To an extent, farming, and its effect on livelihoods everywhere, will always be in the hands of Mother Nature. We can never hope to, nor should we aspire to, control the wind, rain and sun. We can, however, take measures to mitigate risks by farming in an ecologically friendly manner that properly manages scarce soil and water resources. Farming in such a way as to increase yield, positively impact local ecosystems, and increase farmer’s earning potential.

As reported in the 2008 World Development Report: Agriculture for Development, issued by the World Bank, the Ethiopian Highlands suffer from heavily degraded topsoil. This is due, in large part, to deforestation and continued cultivation of hillsides, which leads to heavy topsoil erosion. As well, many farmers practice ancient cultivation techniques. Farmers must be educated in best practices in soil and water management, and then provided with the appropriate technology to implement this knowledge.

This should not be technology of the Western farming type – $300,000 combines with GPS systems – but appropriate, affordable technology that requires manual labor (readily available and willing in Ethiopia and much of the developing world), increases earning potential in a short period of time, and increases soil fertility while preserving local ecosystems for generations to come. Irrigation pumps, water catchment systems, improved plows and education in the most effective eco-agriculture techniques would have an enormous impact on the lives of rural Ethiopians.

Mother Nature is not predictable, never has been. In this time of increasingly varied weather patterns and global warming, the world would do well to invest heavily in equipping the rural, small holder farmer with the necessary tools and education to farm in an eco-effective manner that simultaneously increases his or her family’s standard of living. Rural farmers in Ethiopia should, by no measure, be as exposed to the whims of Mother Nature as they currently find themselves. Steps can, should and are being taken, even if slowly, to ensure that farmers are more educated in best practices and that they have the means by which to procure the necessary appropriate technology.

Hopefully one day, farmers and thus society throughout the developing world, will escape the risky predicament in which they now find themselves – entirely dependent upon Mother Nature, degraded soil and ever more scarce water resources. In our lifetime, worldwide food security and thus living standards, as well as the health of ecosystems and the environment will depend upon the empowerment of rural farmers and their ability to intensively cultivate and nourish their land in an ecologically friendly manner. 

 

JTV
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Obama Victory – Reaction from Addis Ababa

The 44^th president of the United States is Barack Obama – and he has a lot of promises to live up to. At least, that’s the take here in Addis. While Ethiopia’s neighbors to the south are justifiably celebrating, cajoling and basking in the sweet victory of an American president with a Kenyan father, the mood in Ethiopia is much more business like.

My circle of Ethiopian friends, who cannot be expected to accurately reflect the sentiment of an entire city, much less a country, certainly approve of America’s young leader, but also realize politics is as much talk as it is action. That’s not to say you don’t hear murmurs, excited undertones, on the mini-buses and in the streets of the news of America’s election of Obama for president – you do. Additionally, more Obama t-shirt clad fans can be seen throughout the city. The most enjoyable part, as an American abroad, is that random people shout ‘Obama!’ in your direction, while smiling and giving you what I call an Ethiopian salute – a raise of the eyebrows and simultaneous grin. Assuming, as they do, they know for whom I cast my vote.

For all of this excitement, there’s been nothing outstanding. People mention the election, but the conversation quickly moves to the next topic – how’s your day going? What’s up with this rain during the dry season? When pressed, folks I have talked with mention the fact that Obama has a lot of work ahead of him.

Concern number one, they say, is the bad economy. A bad economy in the developed world in-directly cuts funding for a lot of programs and investment in the developing world, sooner or later. A close second concern: the two wars the US now finds itself in. People here have seen what war does to a nation – both within and without. Prosperity without peace, Habtamu says, is hard to come by. But, he quickly adds, there’s no easy solution; a big test for Obama.

What has most impressed me is the calm, realistic demeanor by which Ethiopians accept the election. They hope the benefits will be many fold for the US, Ethiopia and the world, but simultaneously realize the enormous task that lies ahead of our 44^th president. We all may do well to gain a bit of this realistic, but quietly optimistic perspective.

This has been a historic week for the United States of America. The American people, much to the joy of the broader world, have voted for a change of direction in Washington and in politics. Let us now work together – calmly, realistically but always optimistically – to help President Obama put a little of that talk into action. 

 

JTV
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia