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| 09 /03 /2001 |
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| Meki - Ethiopia |
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| 08°10
N 38°50 E |
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| + 266 |
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This week-end, we began
the exploration of Meki.
Meki is a little rural
town of 16.000 inhabitants located in the
region of Oromo. It is built along the road
that leads to Kenya (But who knows if you
won't send us in the south ?). Meki
is a crosspoint for peasants and merchants,
but above all for the Nomads (Oromo) that come
from the hills to sell their own products at
the big city market.
Except us, there are no
white coloured people here. Sometimes pass 4x4
from the United Nations. It's the third time
that Franck comes here, and Loako seems to
have an excellent reputation. We quietly walk
across the city as everybody stares at us,
surprised. Many people want to talk to us, and
kids would do whatever they can to hold our
hands. We are the main attraction of the day.
In front of us, some stalls sell fruits and
vegetables, three wooden shops, meat: one only shop sells imported
products. People walk very slowly and
peacefully along the main road, as children
play with balls
made of tissue close to the opened sewers. On a street corner, some
green soldiers, holding their
kalachnikov, coldly watch us.
Click
on the photo and look at the VIDEO of the
Market
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Our
House
We are
settled in two luxurious houses,
given by the aerea's bishop :
Brother Yoannes, from the catholic
congregation of the de La Salle
Brothers. Franck and the girls
sleep in a big house with a
kitchen and a living-room, as Greg,
Nicolas and Theo share a house
with a shower (cold, of course). A
dog, that we nicknamed Bobby,
lives in the garden. Every night,
an armed guardian comes to protect
us... One year ago, in the same
house, thieves had stolen
everything after kidnapping a
sister.
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The first day
of school
Franck,
Sophie and Céline have already
begun their maths and english
lessons last week. Now, Grégoire
will teach biology and medecine,
Nicolas, physics and chemistry,
Theo, geography and theater, and
Aurélie, oral expression and
animation for the children. There
are 35 students, boys and girls
aged between 15 and 18 years old.
Tomorrow,
we'll tell you more about the
school and its pupils.
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If
you haven't studied, travel
African
proverb
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We are in
1993 !
Ethiopia
follows the Julian calendar, not
the Gregorian one. The Julian
calendar starts 7 years and 113
days after Christ. Year is divided
in 12 lunar months, plus one of 5
days (6 for the leap-years). Here
is the reason of this advertising
in the Ethipian tourist office :
"Ethiopia, sunshine for 13
months !". Year begins the
11th of september, the 12th for
the leap-years. That's why we're
now back in 1993... in a few days,
it will be new year's eve ! How
incredible !
The Sun rises
at 12 !
The Ethipian
way to read time is quite
different from ours. Here, 0 h
means 6 am or 6 pm. 1 means 7 am
or 7 pm. 3 equals 9, 5...11,
etc... As a result, when an
Ethiopian gives you an appointment
at 2, it means 8 o'clock. So it's
better to know if the person is
speaking in international or
ethiopian time !
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We will
visit the shool with President
Brother Zenebe and talk about the
Mission's activities. Then, we'll
have dinner in the 'grand' hotel
of Meki, the Baccalamola Hotel, to
study possible synergies with
Nomad Community...
team@nomadcommunity.com
- loako@hotmail.com
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| Guide our next steps,insert contacts & info on |
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