Communicating from Ethiopia

Since it's not possible to take every loved one with you on your trip to Ethiopia, you'll probably need to figure out a way to communicate with those left in the States while you are meeting your new child. Here are some suggestions from IAN families who have already traveled:

Regarding calling home:

• "I used the cell phone that the Ethiopia Guest Home gave us. We set up an account back home (direction on the EGH website), and we had prearranged times that my husband would call me. It worked fine. It was incredibly expensive for me to call the US, even using the Ethiopian cell phone."

• "I researched getting a loaner/global phone for my Verizon account, but it was also VERY expensive. I think others did that successfully and the service worked pretty well."

• "I had my phone turned on so that I could call and receive calls on my regular cell phone. It was absurdly expensive but I wanted it in case of an emergency. I recommend doing that just in case. You just call your carrier and let them know where you are going and when."

• "Once I was there I used a cell phone that Mittin (Abebe's assistant) provided me - the guesthouse helped me get calling cards. Although what was cheapest was for my family to call me. They got calling cards (from http://www.afrikacard.com/) and called the guesthouse - this way we were only paying one way."

• " We were able to email and skype our family at home. (when the power was not out. -that really only happened our last few days-Addis is on a rotating outage, meaning that it rotates who will be without power) We also called a couple of times on skype just for a few minutes, I can't remember how much it cost for the skype phone call-the video skype is free. We had never skyped before, but it was very easy! When the power was out, we were able to use a cell phone from the front desk at the Yebsabi to make local calls."

• "We took our daughter with us, so the only people we contacted back home was our parents, and we did this through email and texting. We found out that it was VERY expensive to call on our cell phones, but texting was only .50 for outgoing and incoming is free if you have texting on your plan. It worked very well for us!!"

Regarding using a computer:

• "I brought my laptop. I brought a converter. I used the internet at the guesthouse on the guesthouse computer though."

• "WE WERE UNABLE TO USE OUR LAPTOP FOR EMAIL, BUT DID USE IT TO DOWNLOAD PICTURES. WE DID NEED A CONVERTER. WE USED THE GUEST HOUSE COMPUTER AND IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH."

• "We did take our laptop and converter/adapter. It worked well in our room and we were glad we had it to download our pictures and videos to as a back up. The computer in the lobby at the Yebsabi works well too."

• "We took our laptop but was unable to use it at The Yeka. You will need a converter though, if you plan to use it for anything else.

  The computer at The Yeka was sufficient, however there is only one for the entire guest house, so it may not always be available."

Regarding updating blogs:

• "I was able to load blogger without a problem. I updated my blog from there several times. I did set up the email function beforehand because I had heard I would not be able to get into blogger but I never had a single problem."

• "I did set up the publish from email to be able to post on my blog. I just attached pictures to my email and it worked! You can only post one or 2 pictures on each blogpost when you are doing it from email."

• "WE SET UP PUBLISH FROM EMAIL AND IT WORKED GREAT. WE DID NOT SEND PHOTOS UNTIL WE GOT HOME."

If you have any other suggestions or tips feel free to leave them in the comments section. Thank you!

Kik Pea Alecha (Chick Pea Stew)

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY HUBBY ON OUR LIFE UPSTATE

So, you want to make a traditional Ethiopian meal? Well, you've come to the right place. It doesn't get more traditional than the crepe/pancake-like sour bread, Injera, topped with Doro (Chicken) Wat and Gomen Wat (Ethiopian Greens). The only thing missing would be Kik Pea Alecha, which is what we will tackle right now. Enjoy!

Kik Pea Alecha (Chick Peas/Garbanzo Beans Stew)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Onion, minced
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
2 cups cooked Chick Peas (garbanzo beans)
1/2 tsp. Tumeric
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Ginger
1 1/2 - 2 cups Water

Steps:
1) Cook Onions in Oil until clear.
2) Add Chick Peas, Tumeric, and 1 1/2 - 2 cups Water
3) Cook for 20 minutes
4) Add Garlic and Ginger
5) Cook until soft
6) Mash (or use blender or food processor to process until smooth)

Thanks so much to betumi.com for providing lots of parts of this recipe!

Foto Friday

It wouldn't be Friday without smiling beautiful IAN kids!

Sele Enat

From seleenat.com:

Sele Enat Mahber is a combination of three Amharic words whose rough rendering is thus: ‘Sele’ means ‘in place of’; ‘Enat’ means ‘mother’ and ‘mahber’ means ‘association or society’. Sele Enat Mahber is therefore a society that works as a mother for the orphans and vulnerable children.

Sele Enat Mahber is a legally registered association under the country’s law by the Ministry of Justice, under registration number 896, on 3 August 2002. It is a humanitarian, non-profit making, local NGO initiated by an expatriate and a native humanitarian for the good cause of mitigating the suffering of single mothers and orphans.

VISION
To see a society wherein orphans and vulnerable children get their daily necessities, love and care, and be free from misery and hunger.

MISSION
To alleviate the unbearable suffering and heartbreaking life loss of orphans and vulnerable children by providing them with their basic needs while keeping them in the community (within their extended family kins), and by processing for adoption at home and abroad for those who do not have close family kins. (The latter will be kept in an orphanage for a while).
To build the economic capacity of single mothers by providing financial support for income generating schemes (IGS) through pity loans and counseling on small trades so that they will be able to keep their children on having a decent life.

TRACK RECORD
At its fledgling stage in 2003 SEM started assisting 8 promising students (per year) of Jima University (JU) by providing them with pocket money to sustain their stay in the university and pursue their study up to graduation. Consequently, SEM has been able to witness the graduation of 2 medical doctors. (3rd round)

Out of a limited fund obtained from the Swiss partners, SEM has been able to materialize the provision of seed money (by way of loan) for 40 single mothers to enable them to be economically self reliant by engaging themselves in small income generating activities. 80 mothers already trained (20 per year)

Subsequently in 2004 SEM has also been able to attract other donors such as the Diplomats’ Wives in Ethiopia, who donated a total sum of birr 102,000 Birr (12,000 USD) to support 20 more mothers in a similar scheme. The Swiss donation revolved for additional 20 single mothers and so do we hope the Diplomats’ Wives donation to revolve for similar more beneficiaries.

So far, in general, SEM has enabled 60 single mothers to be self-reliant. Additional 60 single mothers already took loans in the same scheme.

Photos of Sele Enat from IAN families:

Eating with Injera

Injera is the Ethiopian staple bread. Its a thin crepe like flat bread that the dishes such as Wots, Tibs and Fitfit are served on. To eat the dishes pieces of injera are torn off and used to scoop up mouthful.

Injera is unique to Ethiopia, from its distinct taste and main ingredient the Teff cereal. Teff is the tiniest cereal and used as a staple food only in Ethiopia (in other parts of the world its associated with common grass). Teff is believed to have originated in Ethiopia between 4000 and 1000 BC. Teff seeds were discovered in a pyramid thought to date back to 3359 BC.

Injera preparation usually takes two to three days, the teff is milled into powder then mixed in water along yeast and small quantity of flowers. This mix is set aside at room temperature for 2 days so it ferments and raises. During the second day it starts to give tangy aromas as the fermentation releases air bubbles; this is where the Injera's slight tangy taste comes from.

After the fermentation process is finished the mix is cooked on hot flat iron pan called 'Mitad'. A circular motion is used to achieve thin consistency. When the hot pan and the fermented teff mix/batter contact thousands of tiny air bubbles escape, creating thousands of tiny craters/eyes - creating the familiar look of Injera.

The side touching the hot mitad pan gets its flat look, while the one facing away towards the air has the a porous structure with thousands of mini craters. This porous structure allows the injera to be a good bread to scoop up sauces and dishes.

Restaurants will serve your dishes on injera and they bring a side dish of injera for scooping purposes either rolled up or folded. When you are about to finish your side injera attentive wait staff will bring your more free of charge.

Teff - tiniest cereal
Teff is one of the smallest grains in the world, measuring only about 1/32 of an inch in diameter. Approximately 150 grains equal the size of a kernel of wheat. Teff is considered to have an excellent amino acid composition and lysine levels. One cup of cooked teff contains 387 milligrams of calcium (40 percent of the USRDA, which is more than milk), 15 milligrams of iron (100 percent of the USRDA and twice as much iron as wheat and barley). Teff is high in protein as well as fiber. A rich source of boron, copper, phosphorus, zinc.

Eating with Injera - Handling Instructions
Starting Note:
- Side A = With Holes
- Side B = Flat & Without Holes
- Use one hand (left/right - ok)

1. Tear of a small piece (size of your palm)
2. Side A - side with holes is the one that contacts with the sauce/meat
3. Scoop/Grab sauce or meat with the injera (similar to Indian/Middle Eastern eating)
4. Use your fingers to control; so pieces won't fall down as you put the scoop your mouth
5. It's ok to grab/sample more than one sauce or dish on each scoop-trip
6. Finally you can proceed to eat the bottom/table cloth injera where the sauce was first served, by now it soaked with all the tasty juices and is full of flavors

Source: Ethiopian Restaurant.com

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Get the recipe for injera here.
Read about gursha, the act of hand-feeding another, here.

Here is some additional info and resources regarding injera from some IAN families:

"We buy injera at 10 pieces at a time and freeze it (this was suggested to us by

our ethiopian friends). When you want to use it thaw it out and then just steam
it in the microwave. I usually tear into big pieces and steam it in my pampered
chef steamer but I big bowl covered with wet paper towel or saran wrap will work
too."

"We have found rolling the injera before freezing to be a bad idea. It seems to

defrost better when folded into 'pie' shapes."

Teff flour is available on Amazon.

Websites that sell injera and spices:

• http://www.zelaleminjera.com/
• http://www.ethiopianspices.com/
• http://brundo.com/

Victory at Adwa Day

Today is a public holiday in Ethiopia commemorating the victory over the Italian army in 1896.

From Imperial Ethiopia -
In the month of March 1896, the Italian imperial armies that had arrived from the Red Sea coast met the forces of Emperor Menelik II and the Ethiopian people, and suffered a decisive defeat. The moment was a turning point of the highest significance in Ethiopian history. European nations, busy carving up Africa into overseas colonies, were forced to acknowledge Ethiopia as a sovereign power, guaranteeing the preservation of Ethiopia's 3000 year tradition of independence.

Throughout the 20th Century, the Ethiopian Crown joined its people in annual services to commemorate Adwa Day. In this age, March 2nd is a day of reflection, and of thanksgiving for Ethiopians of all faiths. It is a time to celebrate in a spirit of happiness, but not one of boisterousness. It is a time for us to honour the sacrifices of our ancestors who rallied the nation at Adwa. It is even further a time to urge ourselves and our peers to rise to their example as we look to the challenge of preserving Ethiopia's unity and independence in the 21st Century.

Read more about the Battle of Adwa at Wikipedia.

Tsion's Life

Ethiopia Voices: Tsion's Life by Stacy Bellward

From Rebecca Haile (Held at a Distance author): The striking photographs and carefully selected domestic scenes in Tsion's Life beautifully capture the day-to-day of one Addis Ababa family. This charming book is perfect for parents and educators seeking to give children an engaging and accurate glimpse into life in Ethiopia.

From Carey, an IAN waiting mama: The nearly full-page photographs are striking and really bring to life Tsion's world...her family, school, church, market, friends, etc. The book takes you through a typical day for Tsion like what she eats, how she cares for her brother and her family's sleeping arrangements. The book also introduces you to some basic Amharic words (though I wish there were phonetic keys with the words instead of a pronunciation guide in the back). I definitely recommend this book and would love it if the publishers would put out a few more showcasing kids who live in different areas of Ethiopia.