Exchanging greetings is an important part of Ethiopian culture. All greetings come with at least a hand shake and usually also a shoulder bump. Sometimes a double shoulder bump. As you shake hands you pull each other in to bump shoulders. All of this while saying some variation of Akkam? Naga? Fayaa? (In Oromifa: how are you, do you have peace, do you have health?) So when you meet a young man headed towards you walking down the street with a machete in his hand, what do you do? You greet each other and bump shoulders of course. That machete? No matter. I had to chuckle to myself - yet another 'did that just happen?' moment.
I have been spending most of my days at the health center, getting to know the staff and just generally making my presence known. I am anxious to meet more people around town, like the teachers and staff at the schools, and people from the nearby villages where the health posts are located - but I have to wait until someone is available to go with me to introduce me and explain why I'm here. With my level of language skills I could sort of do those things by myself but it's valuable to have a respected worker from the health center vouch for me. After a few long, slow days at the HC, I felt invigorated after I was able to pay a visit to one of the neighboring villages. The health post there was hosting a celebration for the community because the village had successfully built enough latrines for the population. I had absolutely no idea what I was in for, I'm learning that I just have to be ready for anything. The head of all the health services in my area showed up and I rode with him to the village. Luckily I had met him at his office located in the main town when I came for site visit last month, so I knew who he was and that he was a VIP. I thought to myself, thank god I am dressed professionally and conservatively enough. It was a beautiful drive out to the village, only 10km away and nestled in the mountains. When we arrived there were about 30-40 men (someday when I have a better understanding of things maybe I'll write about gender roles) seated in front of the health post, waiting on our arrival for the presentation to begin. When I saw this I thought I would just hang back and observe, stay out of the way. Well, no. I was made to sit at the head table with the VIPs. We're on a slightly higher level, facing the audience. All eyes are on me. I can imagine their thought bubbles - who is this lady? where did she come from? what is she doing here? While I'm thinking to myself (again), thank god I am dressed professionally and conservatively enough. I have no choice but to sit there and smile and try to make a good first impression. Thankfully the health admin head introduced me and explained why I was there and that I would be coming back to work with them in the future. While I felt incredibly out of place sitting at the VIP table, it was comforting and validating to be introduced to the community in that way. It made me feel valued and appreciated. Students from the local school marched in singing a song about sanitation and hygiene, some students performed a drama to educate the audience on the importance of institutional delivery (going to the health center to give birth rather than delivering at home), a particularly bright young woman presented a poem about sanitation and hygiene and finally certificates were handed out. There was food and coffee afterwards, everyone was really impressed that I was eating traditional Ethiopian food like marqa (porridge - sometimes served with milk, this time it came with honey - delicious) and braatto (flour and butter pressed together into a bar, there is nothing I can compare it to). Seriously it was a topic of conversation for days at the health center - "when you went to the celebration what did you eat? (even though they already knew the answer) really you ate that? wow!" I am told that another one of the villages will be having a similar celebration soon and I look forward to attending if I can. It's exciting to get to know the communities I'll be working with for the next two years.
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