Liz's Eritrean Adventure

Looking Back

2010-09-20T22:15:00.003+01:00

Hi,

It's been a long while since I wrote or even referred to this blog but strangely my own blog came up as a result in a google search tonight and this prompted me to write! Not sure if anyone reads this anymore but here it goes anyway!

I'm now back living in the UK having spent a year working at an international school in Italy. As the years have begun to pass since I was in Eritrea I look back with increasing fondness on my time there- probably directly related to the decreasing memory of intestinal parasites, long bus queues and a shortage of fuel! Eritrea is a country of great people who are living in increasingly difficult circumstances. They are kind and share everything they have- often going without so that they can offer guests the best they have. Unfortunately Eritrea faces huge challenges- documented on websites such as Reporters without borders and Amnesty international. VSO are no longer able to work in Eritrea. The program was closed as it became increasingly difficult through the denial of working visas for volunteers amongst other restrictions. I hope that the work started by volunteers will have made some difference for Eritrean children and their families. For the sake of the lovely people who looked after me, please find out about this wonderful country and help raise awareness of the difficulties people are living.

Inspirational Work in Eritrea

2009-05-09T07:16:00.002+01:00

Writing to tell you about an amazing place I discovered just over a week ago...

A Supervisor asked if I would take him to a school on my motorbike as it's a good half days walk and there are no buses during the week. I agreed and so at 7 am (isn't that early for me!!) we set off onthe hair-raising track meandering its way down the mountainside.

We arrived at Hebo just before 8 and were met by the Director. All seemed pretty normal. At Hebo, there is a Junior and elementary school run by the Catholic Church serving four local villages. We saw a few lessons and it was the usual mix of copying notes from the board and monotonous pronunciation drilling. At about 11 things changed though- children started to gather at a small building next to the school. I asked what was happening and we went over to find out. The children were mainly elementary age and were pupils in the afternoon shift at the school. They were coming to eat. The Hebo area relies on farming and last year the rains didn't come, so the harvest failed. This year there has only been one day of rain and so there are no crops at the moment- suggesting a second year of harevst failure. The school provides lunch for the children in the vilages so that they don't come to school hungry. The meal was very simple- pasta and a little tomato silsi but it was definitely more than they would have eaten at home. The children were waiting patiently whilst a young lady dished up the pasta into row upon row of little metal dishes.

Next, we went to have lunch. We ate in the dinner hall with the teachers and the boarders. The school provides free boarding for children in the area. This means that the children have access to three good meals a day, live close to the school so don't miss lessons though walking long distances and receive tutoring with homework during the afternoons when they are not in class. When they finish Junior school, the mission pays for them to attend a secondary school in Asmara or similar in order to finish their studies. The school has the capacity for 60 girls and 60 boys and last year was full. Unfortunately, due to the economic and harvest situation they have had to vastly reduce the number of boarders- roughly 15 girls and 15 boys. The food was simple but absolutely delicious and the community atmosphere was great.

After lunch I was told I should "take rest" and so was shown to one of the spare bedrooms. This is pretty normal in Eritrea where people often sleep at lunchtime. I didn't sleep but read for an hour or so- very pleasant!

After resting I returned to the school and observed a few elementary teachers. The classrooms had been painted nicely- very rare in Eritrea and one had the texts from the curriculum painted onto the wall so that it doesn't matter that most students don't have textbooks.

Later, we went to visit the orphanage. based on the same site and run by the mission "Daughters of Charity", the orphanage takes care of babies up to three years old. The youngest child was just 10 days old on my first visit. Most of the children's mothers died during childbirth and there are no family members to take care of them- usually because fathers etc have to work. Many of the children are twins- orphaned due to the difficulty of birthing twins in more remote regions. It was distressing at first, seeing rows of cots with these tiny people, but when i got over the shock I realised what a great thing was happening. This service is provided free of charge to the families, the children have nowhere else to go and no-one to look after them. Families are expected to visit each month to maintain a relationship with the child, though many don't. This is upsetting to the women who work here. There are only a handful of workers but they work very very hard. At three, the children are rehomed, hopefully with their families- who are given support in looking after their child.

I revisted the orphanage a week later with some friends. We helped out with the feeding and playing. There was an amazing production line of feeding and changing, but at every stage the women chatted with the babies and played with them. One worker, Sister Blessed, told me how important it is for that they talk and play with the children so that they know they are loved.

After feeding, the toddlers are placed in babywalkers and set to play in the corridor. It was like baby bumpercars- hysterical! We were in charge of supervision and playing with these children and there was lots of clapping and banging of babywalker-trays! The older children played outside in the courtyard with some older girls who I think were school boarders. After play time the older children had toiletting- a long row of 2-3 year olds sitting on potties- brilliant!

I loved being there and hope to return again before I head back to the UK. I hugely admire the workers- I was there for just a few hours and needed a good sleep on my return home- they do it day-in, day-out. The times I've spent at Hebo have been some of my most inspiring in Eritrea. It's a community set against a backdrop of sadness but characterised by motivation and commitment to caring for those most in need. What a great find when all I was expecting was a scenic and slightly hairy motorbike journey!

Visit from "The Cavalry"

2009-04-22T17:21:00.056+01:00

Hi. Liz's dad here. I have been asked (i.e. instructed) to load up some of the photos we took when we visited Eritrea recently. Our trip lasted about 10 days and we managed to visit Asmara, Keren, Hagas, Massawa, Segeneiti and several other places in between. I am also pleased to report that our digestive systems have now returned to normal.

On day-1 we went up from Asmara to Keren, where we visited the camel market (amongst other "treats"):

The camel market is held in a dried-up river bed, Camels, of course, are traded, but the market also provides for local women to trade in various wares, ranging from materials, cookware, spices etc and even firewood and charcoal. Anything and everything has a price and can be purchased, including empty plastic bottles.

Just "down the road" and through the Dongolaas Gorge (location of WW2 battle of Keren) we came to the small town of Hagas. The majority of housing here is stick huts.

Liz knew of a "hotel" where we were able to get a Coca Cola to cool us off a bit.

We had hired a car to get us around, which in one way was a God-send because it meant we didn't spend hours and hours (literally) queueing for buses which may / may not arrive. However, Liz had not picked the most reliable of vehicles. We broke down on three successive days, and on each occasion we were halfway up some mountain or other, and on hairpin bends! Fortunately the air con proved more reliable than the engine.

From Keren, we drove over the mountains down to Massawa (which is 2,300 metres lower, and at sea level.) The mountain road takes you through one of the few green areas in Eritrea - the Filfil forest. It almost smells like "home".

Massawa is a most interesting place. It is the key port on the Eritrean coastline and has frequently been fought over. Most recently the Ethiopian airforce bombed the port during the Eritrean struggle for independence. The Imperial Palace (above), previously the residence of Haile Selasse, was one casualty.

Just along from the port as Massawa is Gurgusum - a beautiful beach, a very nice hotel and an appetising shrimp lunch.

From Massawa we drove back into the mountains to Liz's "home city" of Segeneiti. We have posted pictures of her house previously, so no repeats. However, I thought this one of her neighbour cooking Injera on a mogogo was interesting. Injera forms the basis for most meals, especially given that bread is in such short supply.

There is a fair amount of arable farming in the area immediately surrounding Segeneiti, and the farmers work hard with teams of oxen ploughing the fields. Rain, however, is in short supply.

Camels are a common sight. When not being worked, they are left to roam, but their front legs are tied to prevent them from "wandering" too far.

There is one tarmac road through Segeneiti. It does not, however, run up to Liz's office. This is the trail from her house to work. You can just about make out her office in the trees.

Liz and Embaba. Embaba is a local girl who spends a lot of time around Liz's house helping out.

Having returned to Asmara, we decided a trip on one of the 10 Best Rail Journeys in the World was not to be missed. Travelling from 2,394 metres above sea level down to the coast at Massawa, the Eritrean Railway runs through (tunnels) and around the mountains, and provides incredible views. Our trip took us to a small town called Nefasit. On the journey (which took 2 hours to get to Nefasit) an Eritrean woman conducted a coffee ceremony on the train! On the return trip the train hit two donkeys in one of the tunnels, killing one donkey outright. The other was in a sorry state and we think it was probably also despatched later with an axe which we saw them preparing! That's Eritrea for you.

Meeting new people is the order of the day for the few ex-pats in Eritrea. We went 10-pin bowling with two paediatric doctors from Washington DC (Lauren and Mecian) who were spending their 3 weeks leave helping out at a children's hospital in Asmara.

We "missed" Easter. We went to mass (in Italian) at St Mary's Cathedral in Asmara on what was Easter at home, but in Eritrea, because of the Geez calendar, it was only Palm Sunday! Confused? You bet we were.

The bell tower of the cathedral provides wonderful views of Asmara. It is a bit of a climb and (considering my vertigo and the brisk winds on the day we went up) too risky to go the final 20 feet where only a slack rope stops you falling!

Asmara, probably the art deco capital of the world, is like stepping back in time. This is the scene inside the post office, showing the writing desk.

Nothing is thrown away in Eritrea. At the Medebar Market, scrap metal is reworked to make fumellas (charcoal stoves for cooking), mogogos (for making Injera), pots, pans and even beds.

On our last full day in Asmara, we went out to the escarpment to admire the views. The mountains fall away many hundreds of metres here and the valleys are full of wildlife, especially baboons. (No, the picture is of Liz and Paul!)

As we sat, hundreds of baboons passed within about 50 yards of us, as they made their way down the escarpment.

Things on the up??

2009-03-07T12:17:00.002Z

Hi all!
This is actually me- not me via Dad! Hoping that seeing as the internet is fairly speedy today, this will upload- fingers crossed!
Life here is much better this week- I now have an electric ring and so can cook food!!! Life of bread and tomatoes may be finally over!
Have had a busy(ish) week, visiting schools. Sami and I are planning a workshop to help teachers teach reading in grades 3-8 and have being doing a bit of research. We've been talking to teachers and have observed a few lessons. Just when you feel the whole thing is pointless, you come across a teacher who's really trying hard and is keen to learn- and life has meaning again!
My phonics work is beginning to reep rewards and Jolly Phonics is making it's way around Eritrea! Children doing strange actiuons all over the place! There's still lots to be done but I'm more hopeful than I was a few months ago.
Hoping to get the go ahead to develop the PRC (Pedagogical resource centre) in Segeneiti. This should be a place where teachers and students can go to access resources, borrow books, make resources for class, attend workshops etc. At the moment the PRC is a disused toilt that fits one desk and two chairs. We need to secure a new room. If/when this happens I'll be back asking for stuff! You have been warned!!!
OK, going to try to upload now...
Liz x

Rachel's Visit

2009-02-02T17:35:00.027Z

As I mentioned before, Rachel came to visit for New Year. Here's some of her photos:

About to sample her first Injera !

Rach sees the tougher side of VSO

The queue for the bus (Asmara)

Authorised for travel (Tickets inspected, we get a red stripe on the thumb as confirmation)

Arranging the "bedroom" - Massawa

Supper - Massawa, New Year's Eve 2008

Jan 1st 2009 - Massawa

Tribesman and Camel

Rachel, with ruins of Haile Selassie's palace in background

Me, outside a (um) Wonderful shop

Coming towards Massawa

Massawa

The hardware store

Shop

Weaver (well you can see that!)

At my desk in work

Picnic in the mountains

Inside my compound on washing day

Mix it, ferment it and, yes - drink it!

The Nakfa tree is so called because it appears on the currency (Nakfa).

Rach and me on my bike close to the Nakfa tree.

"And we have this in your size..."

At the top of the bell tower, Asmara Cathedral

Rachel nearly gets to church

Green Island

2009-02-02T16:10:00.008Z

Just before Christmas, my friends and I took a trip to Green Island, which is a wonderfully unspoilt island just off the coast at Massawa. We hired a small boat and headed off for a day of sunbathing, swimming and snorkeling - beautiful.

On the boat.
The ruins of Haillie Selassi's palace in Massawa, seen from the boat.
Shelter from the sun
Stones and Shells
The Pier
Evening

Christmas Photos (and New Year)

2009-01-13T00:49:00.012Z

In Eritrea, there are two " Christmas' ": Christmas is celebrated on 25th December in the Catholic Church, but the main Eritrean Christmas (Orthodox Chucrh) is celebrated on January 7th - Christmas according to the Geez calendar! It is pretty quiet here before Christmas - unlike the UK - and to be honest, it's not exactly riotous on 7th. No matter - we made a go of it. I got together with most of my VSO colleagues in Asmara to celebrate. We started on Christmas Eve with an office party and then on Christmas Day (the real one on 25th. December) we went for a wonderful 7-course lunch at a posh Italian restaurant. Then for New Year we all headed off to Massawa - a beach resort on the Red Sea coast. Rachel came out to stay after Christmas and was here for New year. We slept out under the stars on the beach at Massawa. We got back to Segeneiti in time for the baptism of my neighbour's baby; baptisms are a big deal in the Orthodox Church and it seemed like half the town was there to greet me when we arrived home to our compound.
We celebrated Eritrean Christmas on 7th. with huge Injera lunches - three of them. My friend and fellow VSO colleague, Sami, slaughtered a chicken - this was a little disturbing but at least we knew the meat was fresh!

Louam and Embaba decorate my Christmas tree. Christmas at the VSO Project Office. We had a challenge to design and make the best hat - and I won it!

The last sundown in 2008; the first sunrise of 2009. And Rachel and me on the beach!

Photos - My House in Segeneiti

2009-01-12T22:42:00.012Z

This is a photo of my house in Segeneiti. My bit is in the far corner. I have a living room / kitchen, and a bedroom. The "facilities" are outside.

This tree is close by - I pass it each day on my way to work.

But this is the famous Nakfa Tree which appears on the Eritrean currency. It is also in Segeneiti.

Christmas Update - December 14th 2008

2008-12-15T01:22:00.004Z

Merry Christmas, everyone! I am writing this, sat in my house watching the lights on my newly decorated tree. Mum and Dad are calling later and I will dictate this over the phone for Dad to upload onto the blog. How great it is to have slaves. As I mentioned earlier, I am indeed, watching the lights on my newly decorated tree. That makes it sound rather grand but the tree is less than a metre tall, and the lights are plastic fruit in a variety of fluorescent colours. Add to that the garish tinsel and the wonderful snowflakes cut out of old newspaper and you really do have a festive tree. A couple of local girls came over this evening and helped to decorate the tree; Luon was rather more interested in dressing herself in tinsel and dancing around the room – some things are the same the world over. Umbaba, very patiently threaded tape through paper snowflakes and now the tree is barely visible behind the tat – wonderful! I think this is possibly the only tree in Segeneiti; it certainly doesn’t feel very Christmas-y. The weather is definitely colder – I wore a jacket and scarf yesterday evening but the afternoon it is still guaranteed to be warm and sunny. It is strange but I’m kind of missing the grey rainy miserable-ness of the Great British December. What I wouldn’t do for a stroll down the high street passing the twinkly lights, advertising and going for a lovely warm hot chocolate in Starbucks.

I’ve been doing a fair bit of travelling lately. Went to Adikeih (south of here) to work shadow another methodology trainer . It was really good to see another sub-zoba working especially as they are so much further along than Segeneiti in terms of organisation. I am now really hoping that we will be able to organise some funding to set up a PRC (Pedagogical Resources Centre ) in Segeneiti. It will be a place where students and teachers can come to read books and papers and watch videos. It will also be a great base for us when our work stops as at the moment were are having to make do with tiny staff rooms in a variety of classrooms. Anyway, whilst there I also had time to walk up the mountains to visit the Axomite ruins at Qohkito. The walk is eleven kilometres scaling the side of the mountain but the view is definitely worth it. The ruins are not much but the views from the mountain top are brilliant. We had two ten-year old boys as our guides and they did a great job pointing out Mt Antasoira (and that’s 3,013 metres tall - the highest peak in Eritrea.) As we scaled the mountainside, having a bit of difficulty but with the boys bouncing from rock ledge to rock ledge, we passed several Saho people, on their way to the market in Adikeih. They were not only scaling the side of the mountain, but doing it with bags, goats and donkeys – truly incredible. Also, when we were looking around the ruins, the ground echoed as some parts of the ground here are hollow – a very weird sensation.

Last weekend I visited somewhere rather different. Lying at sea level, Massawa is absolutely boiling. It is winter at the moment but it was still roasting in the shade. It was great after the chilly evenings here in the highlands. A group of us visited for the weekend. The journey is a hot stuffy bus ride following an impressive road steeply winding its way down the mountain. There is a steam train that runs alongside the road but only on Sundays if there are enough passengers and only as far as necessary usually. Massawa is beautiful; the old town is like stepping into a scene from the Arabian nights and we visited the best fish restaurant in Eritrea called Salen. You choose your fish then go into the kitchen to watch the chef cut it open, gut it and fill the inside with burberry. The fish is then lowered into a traditional oven on a long iron pole. The fish are placed around the outside of the cylindrical oven which is heated by the burning log in the middle. We bought five fish and served them, eating some and then passing the plates around – wonderful. On Saturday we went to the beach and swam in the lovely warm sea, floating easily due to the high levels of salt. On Sunday we hired a boat out to Green Island. The island is tiny – half is covered with a bird sanctuary, and the other half a thin strip of sand complete with beach huts which have certainly seen better days. There is a strange ruin here which looks like some kind of church or mosque and is made out of coral bricks. There are also ruins reduced to foundations, most of which are made up of thousands of beautiful shells. The shells on the island are amazing – apparently a reminder of the time when shellfish were caught and used in perfume (I am not convinced but that is what the fisherman said!)

Work has finally started to pick up. I was beginning to wonder what exactly I was doing here! I am working on a few workshops at the moment. Sami and I are running mini school-based workshops about games and pronunciation techniques this week and then Monday is a big cluster workshop about phonics. Hopefully it will go well as the teachers need a lot of support in this area. I am also currently rewriting the Grade-One Teachers Guide for teachers in our sub-zoba. Often Grade-One teachers have the least English but their book is the worst of all in terms of support and guidance. Lessons here last 40 minutes but one of the lessons I rewrote today had timings that added to just 23 minutes – not very helpful in a room of 80 children!

I can hardly believe that it’s nearly Christmas. At the moment the plan is to go to Asmara on Christmas Eve. Christmas is only a one day holiday here but I’ve asked for a bit longer and it seems to be OK. We are having a Christmas party at the programme office on Christmas Eve complete with Secret Santa. On Christmas day itself, many of us are going to a nice Italian restaurant in the town. Unfortunately it will be pasta and stuff as roast is virtually unheard of here. After Christmas, Rachel is coming out – I can hardly wait. It will be amusing to watch her cope without running water and stuff. We are planning to go back down to Massawa and hopefully sleep out on Green Island. There are no buildings so we will be under the stars (and our mosquito nets) and will bring in the New Year with a swim in the Red Sea at dawn. “VSO - Sharing skills – Changing lives" !

I have finally performed my first coffee ceremonies, roasting and grinding the beans myself and following the traditional procedures. The first was yesterday, when I was supported by Sami’s wife. It went well and the coffee tasted pretty good. Today I had a second go, this time all on my own. It seemed to go fine even if the coffee didn’t taste quite as good as yesterday – still no one has died yet!

I’m going to finish now. I am sending photo CDs home with Rachel so there should be lots of new exciting photos up by mid January. Until then, have a great Christmas and New Year.

Liz XX

An Update from me!

2008-11-04T17:13:00.009Z

Life in Eritrea has been quite a rollercoaster so far! Had a few tough weeks in October - finding the lack of a friendship group in Segeneiti pretty tough - but I spent a week at an elementary school last week, teaching grade two, and I made a few friends there (teachers not kids!) so hopefully things will start to pick up. Have invited Feven (the grade two teacher) to dinner this week with her mum. She is in her first year of teaching. I went to her house last week for coffee which was really good. (More about coffee ceremonies later!) I was thinking of doing her a pasta and sauce type thing but have, this weekend, found out how to make baked beans so am now considering making her fried eggs, eggy bread, beans and fried potatoes with garlic - lovely! We did a great British Fry up this weekend - even had sausages, though we suspect they had been frozen at Senay supermarket for at least a decade! Senay supermarket is a shop in Asmara - supermarket is a little (a lot) misleading but you can get some British chocolate and toiletries if you're prepared to pay extortionate prices!

Coffee in Eritrea is like nowhere else. It's amazing, it’s everywhere and it’s a real social event. It’s so important it even has its own ceremony! You can buy macchiato, cappuccino etc. in Coffee shops and sit and watch the world go by; but the best type of coffee is the stuff you get at coffee ceremonies. During a coffee ceremony (performed by women, usually) the beans are roasted in a small pan over a charcoal stove - everyone wafts the fumes towards themselves and says "t'ohm". The beans are poured onto a woven mat to be checked. Bad beans which are still light in colour are discarded. Then the beans are ground, usually in a small pot using a huge metal bar. The beans are placed in a special jug type of thing called a ‘jebena’. Water is added and it’s placed on the charcoal stove. The coffee boils up and is poured back and forth between a cup and the jebena as necessary to stop it from boiling over. Once the coffee is cooked it is taken off the stove to cool a little. Loads of sugar is placed in small cups called ‘fingels’ and then the coffee is added. The cups are passed out and it is customary to compliment the lady on her coffee after a few sips. There are usually three rounds in a ceremony, although sometimes a forth (blessing) round may be given, and sometimes (I have heard) there can be as many as six rounds. The first round usually consists of two cups of coffee. The coffee is delicious - fresh and sweet (I like sugar in my coffee but even those who didn't when they arrived do now!!) Coffee is accompanied by salted or plain popcorn or bread. Sometimes the bread is ‘injera’,sometimes bread rolls, whatever people have. Ceremonies take about two hours and certainly never less than one and a half! They are lovely. I'm collecting a coffee set. When I come home I will try to re-enact the whole thing for you guys to experience. I think coffee ceremonies will be something I'll definitely miss when I leave - that and the weather!

I enjoyed my first Eritrean birthday a few weeks ago - thanks to everyone for the emails and stuff! A big group of us met up in Asmara. We had pizza and rather too much Asmara rum on the Friday night, ending up dancing in a bar at midnight - not really in keeping with traditional Eritrean female behaviour but lots of fun! Saturday was quiet for those of us suffering and the others had lunch somewhere. In the evening we went to the Roof Garden - probably the most expensive and posh restaurant in Eritrea. It serves Chinese and Indian and is based on the top floor of an office building at one of the highest points in Asmara. The views would be amazing if everywhere else had good lighting! They do a mean chilli lamb so I had that and noodles - yummy! Sunday was my birthday. Had yoghurt and honey for breakfast at Modern fast food which is friendly and cheap and has the best yoghurt in Asmara. (You have to get there early cos it usually runs out by lunchtime.) In the afternoon most people headed back to their placement towns but a few of us went out to the Escarpment. The Escarpment is at the edge of the city where the mountain kind of drops off and the views are great. You can see the steam train as it weaves around the mountains and through tunnels. It runs from Asmara to Massawa on a Sunday if there are enough people. A few weeks ago we met some train-spotters who had come all the way here just to ride it!

Monday was a meeting of volunteers based in my region. It was great to chat about the placements so far and ask for suggestions about how to organise my work. I pretty much make up my job as far as I can tell! Work has been difficult. VSO have changed the way volunteers work here. I'll try not to bore you all with the 'ins and outs' but basically the programme office is trying to make our work more sustainable in order that Eritreans are able to carry on our role when we leave – so rather than working on my own dashing about on my motorbike, running workshops etc, I'm meant to be working very closely with the supervisors (similar to county advisors), supporting them and helping them to observe effectively and identify training needs. The problem is that the supervisors in my area had already planned their semester work before I arrived and are not that keen for me to tag along every day. I've been out with one of them once. I was getting pretty down but things have improved. The PRC (Pedagogical Resource Centre) coordinator is keen to work with me and we have similar ideas about how to support teaching in the area so I think I'm going to work with him a bit more. Enough about that!

Just coming to the end of another great break in Asmara. Went out to the War Cemetery today which was moving, as you would expect. But one thing I noticed was that the graves were segregated. The British, Australian, Canadian, Senior South African graves were in three areas. And then there was a separate area for the East Africans and another for the Sudanese. I guess its not surprising considering the times but ... Anyway, we then bought tickets to go through to Asmara zoo. We kind of knew it wasn't going to be pretty and we weren't wrong there. The cages were tiny and the animals looked like they were going insane with boredom. It was really quite upsetting. British zoos have come a long way if this was the starting point. There were foxes, birds of prey, baboons, monkeys, ostrich, tortoises and hyenas. The tortoises actually had a bigger enclosure than the hyenas - not right if you ask me. It felt weird to be there but I guess it has reinforced my opinions of poorly kept zoos.

On the way back we decided to deviate from the path and have an explore. We came out near a checkpoint and wandered along the fencing, stumbling across a burial site. There were painted white rocks and flags. We went closer and in doing so found bits of fresh carcass where there had clearly been a huge slaughter. A small shack nearby had a moon and star and I guessed it was probably some sort of mosque. As we went to investigate we met an Eritrean man who told us that it was indeed a mosque and that a few days earlier there had been a big ceremony in which cattle were slaughtered and food made available for the poor Muslims that pray at the mosque. It had been funded by an anonymous Muslim and happened every two weeks in order that the poor people could eat. There were huge vats laid out in the sun drying. They were about a metre in diameter. The burial ground, he told us, was for the elders of the mosque and was very important to the people who pray there. They keep it clean and burn incense there in honour of the Hajj. The whole experience of being there was one of the best since I've been in Eritrea. I felt really privileged to have stumbled across such a wonderful community, and once again an open and friendly Eritrean who is only too happy to explain his/her customs.

Queuing for the Bus!

2008-11-04T17:05:00.003Z

I am on the bus waiting to leave for Asmara. The queuing system is brilliant. It begins at an unmarked point in the dusty open space that is the bus terminal. People do not stand in the queue, they place an object to represent their place. It may be a bag, a stone, an empty bottle, anything. Everyone respects this order and knows exactly which object represents which person! Today I was a pointed rock! When the bus arrives the driver comes to give out tokens. I ended up being bumped up the queue and put in the front seat. They really will not take no for an answer. So, lucky me, I get a great view and loads of space! As I sit here I can see families selling belés (prickly pears) all in a row. Another queue waiting for the bus going the other way to Adi Keyh. Also some kids sitting on carts with donkeys taking flour and beans etc. back and forth. A camel just walked past heavily laden with God knows what. Yesterday I saw a camel taking a break in the petrol station – hilarious?

[Extract from letter received early October]

23rd. October - More Photos

2008-10-24T00:46:00.012+01:00

A few more photos of Liz moving to Segeneiti, the house, the camel and the coffee lady!

Loading up for the trip to Segeneiti

House in Segeneiti

More of the house

Golden slumbers!

Even camels use the petrol station here!

Primary school at Tsade Kristian

Preparing coffee

Injera - the local "delicacy" !

23rd. October

2008-10-24T00:12:00.012+01:00

Liz has asked me to upload a selection of photographs she sent us on disc recently. Now I'm not really up on this Blog lark so this could prove, um , interesting; I guess she'll set up some sort of photo library at some stage (or get me to learn how to do it.) but in the meantime, here's a few photos for a starters:

1. With other volunteers in the bell tower, Asmara.
2. The cup final at Asmara Stadium. (The local brewery team won!)
3. Next door's kids - Haynock and Heaven.
4. Segeneiti (rush hour)

23rd October 2008 (Liz's PA i.e. Dad, added these!)

2008-10-24T00:06:00.002+01:00

An arial shot of Asmara.

Me again!!

2008-10-02T16:05:00.003+01:00

Hi again!
I managed to get my new sim card and so I think this will be the last update for a couple of weeks at least as there is no internet in Segeneiti and I will probably ride back tomorrow. My new sim card means I now have a new phone number, please contact my parents or me via email if you'd like to know the number!
It's becoming noticeably cooler here now - the winds are picking up - apparently a prominent feature of Eritrean Highlands Autumns! Today was pretty warm but it's cooled off considerably as the sun has started setting. Days here are quite short with the sun setting at about 6 in the evening. Days start early though with schools opening for flag ceremony at 7:15am!! I am still not made for mornings though people keep telling me I'll get used to it!
Schools are usually split into morning and afternoon shifts as there are not enough teachers (or classrooms) to hold everyone at once. Children go to kindergarten, then elementary school (grades 1-5), junior school (grades 6-8), secondary (grades 9-11). Each year, students need to pass the end of year assessment in order to move int0 the next grade. This means there are often children of very different ages in the same class. Class sizes are big and often a teacher has 80 or 90 children in one class. I am hoping to visit some schools in my subzoba starting on Monday- this will give me more of an idea about the kinds of training teachers need and want. The school year starts very slowly and often children and teachers are late back due to harvesting and/or visiting family for Eid but most people should be back by Monday so it seems like a good time to start.
I'm going to try to add some photos so you guys can finally see what Eritrea looks like!

Finally an update from me!!

2008-10-01T16:17:00.003+01:00

Hi everyone! I'm staying in Asmara this week following bike training and whilst waiting for a new sim card. It seems that the VSO office computer is currently accessing the internet at a reasonable speed so I thought I'd try to update you all!!!
As I mentioned I've been back in Asmara for a week. We had three days of off-road motorbike training which was brilliant fun!! We were riding over rocks like pros by the end of the second day!! Managed to weave in and out of the row of cones at 2.5 metres distance - the test of whether or not you are allowed to ride a motorbike on the road in Eritrea??!!! The distance is actually 3 metres but I think Yonus (the tutor) was trying to push us a bit!
On Saturday we went to see the celebrations for the orthodox festival of 'the finding of the true cross'. There was a short play about finding the cross - we think!!! Then quite a bit of chanting and rumming and then they set fire to a huge pointed bonfire - about 20 foot tall! The way the fire falls is supposed to indicate the luck for the coming year - it fell the best way- though apparently it is possibly fixed so that it falls that way every year!!
Have been visiting lots of coffee houses drinking macciato and working my way through the endless choice of cakes - not sure when this weight loss is going to happen! I need to get back to Segeneiti for the sake of my wallet and my waistline.
Things have been closed this week due to Eid but tomorrow we are hoping the Eritel office will be open and I'll be able to collect my new sim card. There has been a bit of a mix up - the old number is now not mine but another vso's number and I will hopefully get a new number tomorrow. It is not possible to text in or out of Eritrea but I would love to receive calls!!! These can be pretty pricey but mum is working out the cheapest phone card available and I'll keep you posted on that!
Ok, better get back to the pension now - desperately hoping this post will load!
L xx

22nd. September - (via Dad, again!)

2008-09-23T12:51:00.002+01:00

On Monday (22nd) Liz and her luggage went to her house in Segeneiti where her placement is. Segeneiti is about an hour or so south of Asmara (by road and reasonable transport); unfortunately, they were stopped and their travel visa’s were declined for some reason, which meant they had to return to Asmara and get them amended. Three hours later she got there! Nonetheless, the scenery etc was very impressive. She will stay for a few days and then return to Asmara to complete motorcycle training. Then it’s back to Segeneiti to start work properly.

The house appears to be some sort of rendered breeze-block structure in a compound with 2 other houses. It has a reception and bedroom – each about 4 metres square – and a bathroom and toilet “out the back”. She has electricity and water (which needs to be filtered), but the toilet is flushed manually! She will be cooking on a kerosene stove. The house “needs a good scrub” but she seems OK with it. Liz hopes to add some pictures to this blog. She has met one of the families in the compound and they are very friendly; the guy has a photographic shop (there are actually 2 in Senegeiti!) and the wife is a teacher in the local Catholic school. They have a few children as well.

Segeneiti is a small town / village based around a main street with shops and a market. On Saturdays there is an outdoor market. Liz says it’s really a lovely place and the people are “so nice and friendly”! People approach her to ask if she is from VSO – Eritrea is not open to any other NGAs nor does it provide much by way of opportunities for ex-pats, so people tend to know that most foreigners are likely to be VSO volunteers. The people react very positively to Liz’s attempts at Tigrinyan (local language) but she now realises how essential a good grasp of the language is going to be if she wants to get anything done etc.

The weather remains very hot indeed but she is getting used to it now. The only down side seems to be the fact that the harvest has suffered from a drought so they’re waiting to see what the impact is going to be. ….. sooner her than me!

Update 19th September 2008 (via Dad)

2008-09-19T08:41:00.005+01:00

Hi. Well it appears the communications in Eritrea are very poor (by UK standards at least) and Liz is experiencing great difficulty in doing some of the most basic tasks, e.g. creating an email, so updating this blog has been an issue! The following extract from one which did get through demonstrates:
Hi Dad, having spent hours and hours over several days trying to open my hotmail messages I have given up and decided to start a new account. Apparently Googlemail is quicker here as I can select the one with no images etc... Its terrible cos I'm having a great time but by the time I've managed to get anywhere near an email I'm always completely frustrated by the speed!!! I have been on the computer for 1 hour and 15 mins today and this is the first mail I've been able to write - average page loading speed is 10 mins!!! And even then its often a frozen image!!! aaaaggghhhhhhh
The new account is lizleetravels@gmail.com and she would like you all to send her an email so she can set up a directory. Please also send your UK addresses as she may resort to sending updates by post if the comms don't improve. (It seems the British Council in Asmara may let them use some of their bandwidth which will make things a bit better - we'll see.)
She also now has a mobile phone (00) 291 7192645 but we don't yet know how much it costs (at either end) to use this so I suggest you hang fire before using that.
I am happy to copy on emails which manage to get through, if you are interested. Just email me (richard.n.lee@btinternet.com) and I'll add you to a distribution list.

Apart from that, she continues to have a great time. The following comes from the same email:
We went to a village yesterday - Sade Christian. About half an hour out of Asmara. It was a cool experience. Followed by children everywhere and when we took photos we got completely swamped cos they all wanted to see themselves and their friends on screen! Went to visit a school to get an idea about the classrooms and stuff. It was the best school in Eritrea but still really small and overcrowded, but definitely forward thinking - they had a room with no desks so children can do drama work and stuff with enough space. One volunteer had supported the school in getting paints and they had painted the outside walls with learning charts - the solar system, digestive system, world and country maps etc- that was pretty cool! We have a day with our employers tomorrow. I'll meet the supervisor who will be my counterpart, and also the directors of a few schools in the region. We do a whole day's training together and then there is a dinner in the evening. Its a bit scary but hopefully it'll help to get to know people before I move out there. I'm going to try to send this now- fingers crosed that the internet doesn't bomb out! I'm going to put some of my photos into a word document and add them as an attachment next week. It is meant to cut down the upload time. I was then hoping you would be able to put them on my blog. Hope everything is ok at home!

I was able to ring Liz and it appears the day with her new boss etc. went very well. Hopefully she (or I) will be able to give more details later. On Tuesday she goes to her house in Segeneiti (where she will be based) but she has to return to Asmara for 3 days to complete her motorbike driving course (Eritrean version!)

Dad (Richard)

The eagle has landed!

2008-09-07T21:22:00.001+01:00

Well- I'm here! After months and monmths of preparation! And it's great! Far better than I could ever have imagined. The place is beautiful, the people are lovely and it's soooooooo relaxed!
Staying at the Lion Hotel in Asmara for two weeks of in country training with the otrher 12 new volunteers- all lovely and we're having lots of fun! Went for a walk in the mountains outside Asmara today- just stunning! Lots of goats, cows and donkeys... but no camels yet! Have met some very sweet and inquisitive children and have tried a variety of injera and stew dishes. Food here is great!
We start proper training tomorrowe- have to be at the programme office by 8:30 and have to cycle there so that'll be a challenge!!
Hope everyone is well.
L xx

PreDeparture Photos!

2008-09-05T17:00:00.001+01:00

Final entry in UK

2008-09-05T16:42:00.002+01:00

Hi guys,
So here I am writing the final pre-departure entry- OMG!!! I'm sitting at the kitchen table surfing the net whilst mum is putting together a handy sewing kit for me to take- aren't mums brilliant! I've just come back from lunch with Naini and Jude down at the Watermill. Had a lovely tuna nicoise. It has finally stopped raining but the fields were all completely flooded as the river has burst it's banks. I've taken photos but I've packed the computer connector so can't post them yet!! Loads of roads around here have flooded and Newbridge Fields (for those of you who know it) is pretty much just a wide fast flowing river, huge waves as the water crashes over the bins!!
I'm feeling ok about going. Feeling like I've been packing for an absolute age. I'm glad I managed to get packed last night as today has been a really nice 'bits and bobs' kind of day. Mum and Dad went to Tesco to print my photos and spent 24 pounds- that's alot of photos!!!! I'm feeling sad about leaving here and am seeing Bridgend in a completely new light- as some kind of amazing Eden! We're leaving for London tonight at 7 ish- after a nice pizza. Feel like all I've done today is eat and drink!! Staying overnight at the Ibis and then up bright and breezy at 4:30am ish to head to Heathrow. I'm not much of a morning person so this could be a bit unpleasant for all involved!
Right, better shoot as I need to get my finance file sorted for Dad. Next time I'll be reporting from Eritrea- eeikk!!!!
Stay safe and keep in touch!
L xx

The final countdown!!

2008-09-02T09:05:00.002+01:00

Hi guys!
Ok, so it's Tuesday and I'm leaving here on Friday night- looking around the room its hard to believe that that is possible- there are clothes and 'useful things' everywhere!! I keep thinking of other stuff I should take but I'm wondering how its gonna fit!
Thought I'd give you a few bits of exciting information today!!
Did you know, so far I've had to have 10 big needles stuck into my arm- and I've got another coming tomorrow!
1st visit- back in April- two injections- diptheria, tetanus, polio and Hep B(1)
2nd visit- April- Hep B(2), Hep A and Thyphoid.
3rd visit- May- just one otday!- Hep B(3)
4th visit- July- Rabies(1)
5th visit- August- Rabies(2) and Meningitis ACWY
6th visit- August- Rabies(3) and anitmalarials.

7th visit is tomorrow- Yellow Fever- lovely!!!! I don't actually need Yellow Fever for Eritrea but will do if I go travelling around at all. What's another needle in your arm anyway??!!!

Don't panic though- if you come to visit you won't need that many- its just cos I'm going for 2 years!

Right, on with the packing!!
Liz xx

Leaving Party!!!!!!

2008-09-01T10:53:00.002+01:00

Hi Guys!
Sending out a great big 'THANK YOU' to everyone who came to my party on Saturday. I had a great time and was really pleased that so many of you could make it! I hope you all enjoyed yourselves; I think we may have put a record amount of money in the tills and certainly emptied a record number of Sambuca bottles in one night!

Thank you also for your amazing gifts. I have been overwhelmed by people's generosity. I'm planning on putting the money into my savings account for emergencies such as needing to go travelling in other parts of Africa whilst I'm away!!

Finally, my camera had no battery- neither did Rach's and Dad has lost his!!!! So if anyone has photos please send copies to me- digitally or otherwise!! I would love to see some photos of the night, especially so I can take pics of you all with me to Eritrea. And if you found a camera please let Dad know!

Thanks again for being so fab!
Liz x

Job officially mine!!!

2008-08-29T00:23:00.003+01:00

Just received an email letting me know that I have been accepted by my new employer- great news as I'm lesving in less than 9 days!!! Bought solar shower and a booster for my solar charger today- have so many exciting gadgets!!! Must take a photo and put it up for all to marvel at the wonders of technology!
Looking forward to seeing those of you who can make it on Saturday!
Liz x

2008-08-26T22:52:00.001+01:00

A wonderful picture of me in Italy!!! I'm trying to work out how to add photos- not doing so well at the moment!

Teacher Development

2008-08-26T20:34:00.000+01:00

I've just returned from my final course at the wonderful Harborne Hall, Birmingham. I had a really great time- tiring but so useful. And I met loads and loads of wonderful people. Feeling inspired and excited (yes I really did say excited there!!) about going out to 'The Big E'. I'm planning on doing a major update tomorrow but thought I should log in and give some enthuiasm whilst it last- ie: before panic sets in again!!! Oh, and a reminder that this Saturday is my leaving party at the Hyawain in Brackla- everyone welcome!!!! Bring a friend and your dancing shoes!!!!
Photos coming shortly........

Fly away with me . . .

2008-07-17T19:39:00.000+01:00

Got my flight details today.... I fly from Heathrow at 7:15am via Frankfurt to Asmara. Exciting or terrifying??!!!! The former I think!
L xx

Day two- bike training

2008-06-30T18:18:00.001+01:00

Hey guys!!!
Day two complete- got my CBT certificate. (compulsory basic training)
Had my first minor accident- sttempting to turn right at a t junction and got a bit confused and ended up speeding up and hit the curb on the opposite side of the road and fell off- brilliant!!!! Broke the wing mirror and have a few cuts and bruises. A lovely old lady pulling a shopping trolley came to check if I was ok bless her! Anyway, got striaght back on and all was well- apart from an achy arm and leg! Rode the 125 motorbike out on the road which was lots of fun!
Liz x

day one bike training

2008-06-29T22:57:00.001+01:00

Day one of bike training complete and I'm a physical wreck! It's so so hard!!! I came in and was asleep in bed by 6 but I will live to see another day.
Did a bit of training on a 125 bike and eventually got used to using the clutch, revs and breaks together- wahey! Did lots of figure 8s and even got up into 2nd gear- wowsers! (Can anyone sense the sarcasm?)
Went out n the road on a very cool and trendy scooter- didn't kill myself or anyone else- nearly hit a car right at the beginning but all was under control just in time- hee hee!!! I basically got confused between the clutch n the bike and the brake on the scooter- hence when I revved up the scoter and released the brake (thinking it was the clutch) I projected myself at top speed across the road directly towards a very nice black VW Golf! I think the trainer was a little concerned at this point!
Anyway, gotta get some more sleep before another gruelling day tomorrow.
Lxx

The big countdown

2008-06-28T21:34:00.000+01:00

Hey guys!!
Finally got around to starting a blog!!!

It's 69 days til fly day!

I had 'the big finance chat' with Mum and Dad so things are getting moving. (Thanks M and D!) Next is the 'big finance chat' with the ever impossible Student Loans Company!!!

I have motorcycle training tomorrow so I'm sure some comedy tales will follow shortly. I'll post a picture of me in my helmet!!!

Keep coming back!