Richard’s visit

My visit to Ethiopia   -   June 14 to 26 2010

Addis Ababa suburbs

I have been to Ethiopia on many occasions and it never ceases to strike me how wonderful a place it is. My recent trip to Addis Ababa and other places in Ethiopia was no exception  -  I had the most memorable time there and, as usual, I experienced the rather bizarre emotion of “home sickness” when returning to Ireland from there !

Of course, Ethiopia is a great place to visit because of its landscape which is so captivating and so varied, form the plains on the south and west, to the desert in the east, to the highlands (and boy are they high) in the north. Unless you have actually set foot in these places, it is nigh on impossible to grasp the views that feast your eyes (and quite literally take your breath away) in the Simien mountains, the sensation of the sun on your back and the wind on your face on the shores of Lake Tana (near the source of the blue Nile), the joy of watching Colobus monkeys and baboons in Wondo Guenet, or the sheer relaxation experienced in the very laid back Dire Dawa on the edge of the Ogaden Desert.

However, what makes Ethiopia so very special is its truly remarkable people. Since I first went to Ethiopia in 1984, I have been so privileged to have experienced meeting the most polite and gentle that you will ever come across. While one often says that “one cannot generalise” in describing an entire nation, in this particular case I can categorically state that all of the Ethiopians that I have met have exuded the same quality  -  it is not just that they are so very polite and considerate, there is a certain grace about them that is difficult to describe but is nevertheless very tangible.

Of course, Ethiopians are also quite laid back compared to business people in a European context and it is important that we as Europeans properly understand this attitude (rather than mistaking it for laziness or sloppiness) and learn to adapt to the way of life in Ethiopia  -  and it is possible to adapt to this in a way that is compatible with “getting the job done”. In many ways, I admire the Ethiopians’ lack of stress and the challenge is to work with that approach in a way that encourages cooperation in achieving goals.

Even though the bulk of my visit was spent in Sunarma’s Head Office in Addis Ababa, I did have the opportunity to experience Ethiopia beyond the confines of the office, including for example :

• Taking a trip with two long standing Ethiopian friends of mine, and their beautiful daughter, to Nazareth which is about two hours south of Addis Ababa by road, where we had a very nice time, including enjoying some very nice “injera” and spicy “tibs” (roast beef) and “berbere” (beautifully strong chilli-like powder) , which is one of the tastiest local dishes. My friends’ daughter went horse riding on the trip and that was so much fun to watch.
• Going shopping in the “Mercato” in Addis Ababa, which is one of the largest markets on the African continent. On a very wet Saturday (it is at the height of the rainy season in Ethiopia at the moment) afternoon, I spent a number of very enjoyable hours negotiating a very busy, bustling and atmospheric place, where you can find just about anything you might want to buy. One of the extraordinary things about Addis Ababa (and Ethiopia in general) is that even in the most deprived areas, I have always felt completely safe.
• 

  Wof Washa View near Ankober

  Staying overnight with two Ethiopian colleagues in “Ankober Lodge” which is a collection of lodges (a la thatched cottages, in the local style) nestled atop a 300 feet high hill which itself is circa 11,500 feet above sea level. This place is the site of the original palace of the emperor Menelik. When you wake up in the morning and watch the sun rise in this place, from which you can see for many miles (in fact, some say that you can see the Red Sea on a clear day – I have my doubts, but it’s a very nice idea anyway), you can appreciate why Menelik (who went on to build Addis Ababa) chose this place to site his palace. You simply have not lived (and had your breath taken away properly) until you have stayed in this remarkable place. What a privilege !

• Going on long walks in Addis Ababa (walking is definitely a national pastime in Ethiopia) and visiting all of my very good friends there  -  it was so good to see them all again.

As my last visit to Ethiopia had been at the latter end of 2003, I did notice quite a significant number of superficial changes, particularly to the physical infrastructure in Addis Ababa. Many roads have been upgraded and there is a nearly completed ring road built around Addis Ababa that is the equivalent (albeit on a smaller scale and of a lower standard) of the M25 in London. Also, there are many new high rise office and apartment buildings and several large new fancy housing estates on the northern outskirts of the city.

While clearly Ethiopia is developing (and the Chinese in particular appear to be very substantial players in all of this), its major challenges still persist. However, it is encouraging to see some development and it is even more hopeful to watch the continuing and effective efforts of both indigenous and international aid / development organisations, including notably those of Sunarma. The Ethiopian people and their country do, undoubtedly, have enormous potential and the considerable challenges that they face can be overcome if the right policies are pursued.

While many Europeans would consider Ethiopia as a developing country and, in that sense, “catching up” with Europe and other developed regions, I have a very clear perspective that Ethiopia has an older civilisation than that of Europe and that in many important respects (regarding lifestyle and values) it is ahead of Europe rather than behind. Ideally, the objective of external NGOs should be to foster and support economic improvements in a way that maintains what is so special and positive about Ethiopia’s quite unique culture and society. Of course, one must not close one’s eyes to the real problems that the Ethiopian nation faces (such as, inter alia, an exploding population, continuing food shortages and very serious health problems). However, one must also promote the many positives in the Ethiopian nation and there are many.

I consider it an enormous privilege to have stumbled upon Ethiopia some twenty six years ago, in fact I really consider it my first home in many ways, and I look forward, God willing, to going there many times in the next twenty six years and beyond.

My most recent visit has, as always in Ethiopia, met all of my expectations and I look forward to returning in the very near future.

Richard Kearney