Welcome!

First things first...

Ethiopia has been called 'the cradle of humanity' - the oldest fossil remains of humans and our ancestors have been found here, including the famous "Lucy" (also known as "Dinknesh", a name meaning 'you are marvelous').

It is an ethnically diverse country, with over 80 different ethnic groups and a variety of languages spoken.  (Amharic is the 'national language' but depending on the region I am assigned to I could also learn Oromo or Tigrinya.)

Ethiopia was briefly occupied by Italy but never colonized, a point of pride.

It is Africa's second largest country by population (following Nigeria.)

Religion:  Most identify as Ethiopian Orthodox Christian, closely followed by Muslim. A small minority practice Protestantism, Catholicism, Judaism and other traditions.

Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee!  (coffee is bunna [boon-nah] in Amharic)  It is an important part of their economy and culture.  Learn more about the traditional coffee ceremony here.
To my fellow coffee drinkers - look for fairly traded Ethiopian beans for your daily brew! Maybe Peace Coffee or Equal Exchange? (to be clear, I have no connection to these companies!)

There are currently about 220 Peace Corps volunteers in Ethiopia serving their communities on projects in education, health, agriculture, and the environment.

Peace Corps Ethiopia has recently been added to First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let Girls Learn" initiative.  Working side by side with local leaders, PCVs hope to advance the education and empowerment of adolescent girls.  Here is a video about the program: (so many smiling faces - it's guaranteed to warm your heart!)  

And here is a link to a show that gives some insight into the food and culture of my home for the next few years.