The morning starts with home visits with the local environmental scientist -- the Ethiopian version of a public health worker. His mission: to get each home to dig a latrine so that their drinking water is not contaminated with waste. We drive off the main road, then get out and walk, the mud sucking at our shoes. The first home is considered a model of environmental responsibility. They've not only dug a latrine, they've dug trenches to capture methane from their livestock's dung to use as cooking fuel. Wow, just writing that makes me realize how different life is here. They are gracious and in the midst of a coffee ceremony; they ask us questions about our homes, where we get water, where we keep our livestock. We walk on, to another home, where the owner looks at us sheepishly. She is in the midst of stocking her still, making corn whiskey. We ask her where she sells it. "In my living room, here," she responds. Ahhh, so we are in a bar! No wonder she can afford to have a three room house.
The students continue their work, doing physicals, treating kids and faculty, working at the hospital. In the evening, we ask about their reaction to the experience. They have the same questions I ask myself. "Am I doing any good here? Can the little bit we do actually help in any way?" I remind them that we don't call these helping trips, or charity - we call them service learning. We're here to serve and to learn in equal parts. I'm reminded of Matt's chemistry lecture. When substances meet up, sometimes hydronium ions go one way, sometimes the other way, sometimes both ways. The arrows here go to and from our students to those they serve, and it won't always balance out. We end the evening with another chemistry experiment -- Gina has attempted to make cookies for Jen's birthday using oatmeal, peanut butter, and peanut M&M's. We considered the experiment a success. Back to pack tonight, to that long, long trip back over the pond. This adventure is coming to a close. Until the next one...stay tuned.
The morning starts with home visits with the local environmental scientist -- the Ethiopian version of a public health worker. His mission: to get each home to dig a latrine so that their drinking water is not contaminated with waste. We drive off the main road, then get out and walk, the mud sucking at our shoes. The first home is considered a model of environmental responsibility. They've not only dug a latrine, they've dug trenches to capture methane from their livestock's dung to use as cooking fuel. Wow, just writing that makes me realize how different life is here. They are gracious and in the midst of a coffee ceremony; they ask us questions about our homes, where we get water, where we keep our livestock. We walk on, to another home, where the owner looks at us sheepishly. She is in the midst of stocking her still, making corn whiskey. We ask her where she sells it. "In my living room, here," she responds. Ahhh, so we are in a bar! No wonder she can afford to have a three room house.
The students continue their work, doing physicals, treating kids and faculty, working at the hospital. In the evening, we ask about their reaction to the experience. They have the same questions I ask myself. "Am I doing any good here? Can the little bit we do actually help in any way?" I remind them that we don't call these helping trips, or charity - we call them service learning. We're here to serve and to learn in equal parts. I'm reminded of Matt's chemistry lecture. When substances meet up, sometimes hydronium ions go one way, sometimes the other way, sometimes both ways. The arrows here go to and from our students to those they serve, and it won't always balance out. We end the evening with another chemistry experiment -- Gina has attempted to make cookies for Jen's birthday using oatmeal, peanut butter, and peanut M&M's. We considered the experiment a success. Back to pack tonight, to that long, long trip back over the pond. This adventure is coming to a close. Until the next one...stay tuned. 
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