Hike to the Hole-in-the-Wall Church

When the team and I first arrived in Mekele, capital city of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, we had a day off. Lacking the inevitable travel fatigue this early into our journey, we decided to use our free time for some sightseeing. We stopped in at the tour office next to our hotel and were advised to take a trip to visit some of the region's rock-hewn churches. As Ethiopia is famous for its ancient Christian churches carved out of rock in myriad ways, we thought this sounded like a good cultural activity.

The highlight, said our guide before departure, would be the Abuna Yemata church, carved out of a cliff on the side of a giant monolith. Skeptically, we asked about the extent of the trek to the church. "Don't worry, anybody can do it," he said.

We drove out of the city in a minibus, down gravel roads winding through the highland plateaus of Tigray. The scenery was beautiful - huge rock ridges and sweeping valleys rich with dark soil and golden stone. This photo, taken from the road, is a typical view in the Tigrayan highlands:



We arrived at the site and met a few more guides ... guides-cum-militia, apparently, as one carried a dull, old axe for protection as he walked along with us, and another stood stationed outside our vehicle to make sure nothing was stolen or bothered. Good, sturdy Ethiopians, these two:



While they looked up for the climb, I'm not entirely sure the rest of us were. Having arrived a week or two prior in Ethiopia, our poor sea-level lungs were still not used to the elevation - 7000' or higher up in these highlands. It's a pretty serious change in altitude when you're not used to it - and that's just when you're standing still. Suffice it to say that looking at the following task in front of us was no joke:



Learning that we were climbing about halfway up the largest rock to reach the church (I know, "What church?!") didn't stop us. Our guides moved among the rocky terrain like mountain goats and we did our best to stumble along behind on the rough paths. As we climbed higher, we were treated to sweeping views of the valley - truly breathtaking (or was the breathtaking from the altitude and the hiking?).



After gaining about 1500 feet, we reached the end of the path - and looked up to a sheer, creviced rock wall. I wish I had thought to take out my camera - and I would've had I known what I was getting into. With the help of our nimble and experienced guides, up we went, hand over foot by the small holds in the rock, up one cliff and then another, until we were perched on the side of a giant rock monolith. Here is a break before the last scramble - you can just about see the church entrance up above the bushes:



After our final ascent, we tiptoed around a 2" wide ledge around the side of the cliff to reach the entrance to Abuna Yemata church - basically a small cave carved out of the side of a mountain 1500 feet in the air. The priest awaited us.




Inside the church we found original 4th century frescoes, telling the story of the original nine Syrian apostles and an Ethiopian prophet who delivered Christianity to Ethiopia. Persecuted by Muslim rulers in the 4th century, the first Ethiopian Christians carved hidden churches out of rock and mountain, creating a small and hidden faith that grew suddenly with the rise of the Axumite kings. The bible pictured below is written in the ancient Ge'ez language.




Despite the grueling and dangerous climb, the trip was fantastic. Between the views and the glimpse into Ethiopian history, it was one of the more unforgettable parts of my Ethiopia experience.

No blogging in Ethiopia ... or is there?

"Hello after a long hiatus" seems to be a common theme of this blog, no? When I arrived in Ethiopia I found that Blogspot was blocked. The Ethiopian Government is, shall we say, quite involved in internet communications in country - so some websites are limited. However, after a month and a half, it now seems that I can access my blog - so here we go with another catch up!

I've been in country for six weeks now and it has been a great experience thus far. We spent our first week at the US Embassy learning about US Government operations here, particularly an overview of USAID but also information about the State Department and some other key agencies. I'm part of a group of 18 interns (17 still standing, with one gone home due to some combination of altitude sickness, heart problems and schistosomiasis), mostly grad students, mostly in international development programs but with other fields represented including public health, business, communications, public administration, etc. It's a great group and we're having a lot of fun.

I'm part of a team of four working on an evaluation of a USAID emergency food assistance program. Emily (masters in Foreign Service from Georgetown), Mary (masters in International Development from Johns Hopkins) and Rocco (masters in Public Administration from University of Vermont) are fantastic teammates - I'm lucky to be paired up with them and really enjoying having such a talented team.

Our first week also included development of an evaluation methodology and data collection tools (surveys, focus group discussion guides, etc.) to prep for our weeks of fieldwork. It also involved a crash course in the program we're evaluating, food aid in Ethiopia, and USAID's strategy for food assistance programming ... and meetings with five NGO partners who implement the program (CARE International, Save the Children UK, Catholic Relief Services, Food For The Hungry and the Relief Society of Tigray) to prepare for our visits to each organization's sites. Suffice it to say that we had very full brains after week one!

In late June we headed out for a month of fieldwork. We started in Ethiopia's Tigray region, in the north of the country. After a week's work around Mekele city, we headed south for a week in the town of Woldiya (a glorified truck stop) and continued on to the city of Lalibela, home of Ethiopia's famous rock-hewn churches. After an extra week in Lalibela to do some initial data management and report writing, we headed back to Addis Ababa for a week at the Embassy for briefings.

Saturday, we head off for another three weeks in the field, doing additional site visits and data collection in the Oromiya region, Dire Dawa municipality, and the Southern Nations, Nationalities & People's Region (SNNPR) in the south of the country.

It has been fantastic to travel throughout the country, meeting emergency food aid beneficiaries and learning about the way the program is helping them. Ethiopia has been well known for its food insecurity in past years, and the recurrence of bad weather and persistent spikes in global food prices continue to take their toll on poor farming communities. The food USAID is providing helps people to survive times of severe food shortage, and we are learning a great deal about how the program works and how beneficiaries are using the food they receive.

That's it as a brief overview - I'll do my best to play catch-up on the details of the past few weeks as long as I maintain blog access!

Leftovers of Insecurity

It was only my second day in Nigeria when I recognized a feeling long forgotten: the feeling of being unsafe. Walking down the aisles of a Lagos supermarket, despite the fact that I was surrounded by a swirl of ethnicities that included Nigerians, Chinese, South Africans, Indians and others, I couldn't shake the familiar feeling that I was under threat, being watched and needed to conclude my business and get to safety as quickly as possible. It was a clear carryover from Iraq, where short outings to the market or a local school truly were dangerous undertakings; I had to remind myself that while, as a large African mega-city Lagos is not without a need for street smarts, it is a free and safe society and I had nothing to worry about in a crowded shopping center.

The landscape here, in many ways, is not too different from Basra. The construction is the same both in style and its varying stages of completion; at first glance, haphazard, quick-fix methods with scarce resources seems to be the norm, and it does impact the outcome. Lagos has more greenery - slightly - but the dirt side roads and crush of vehicles feels familiar, as do the impromptu roadside stands selling whatever produce is in season, and the young men and boys rushing to car windows to sell bootleg DVDs, tissue boxes, fresh fruit or a window wash. In these instances, too, I have to remind myself that it is okay to be seen, that getting stuck in the traffic isn't putting me at risk, and that the only risk posed by roadside police stands is the demand for a bribe before you pass, and nothing more sinister.

The unwinding from a place like Iraq is a slow and subtle process; in some ways I have consciously felt it happen as habits disappear and walls begin to come down. In other instances it is striking when I realize it is taking place, as I see clearly what has evolved within me, and identify what I am letting go of. The conscious understanding of yet another way it has affected my thoughts and actions never fails to startle me, and while I know the process will continue, I also recognize there will be some ways in which it has changed me forever.

This is humbling in light of those who saw and suffered far more than I did. I experienced my share of risk and danger, was awakened many nights to alarms and explosions, and saw morale drop heavily among those around me in the wake of a soldier's or security contractor's death. For those who encountered harm and death head on, I wonder about their habits and walls compared to my own. No amount of training or strength of purpose prepares you for an experience like this, and I fear we are doing too little to care for those who have been deeply affected by this conflict, many of them just kids who seemed, in passing, so much younger and more immature than I. As I see and feel myself unwinding from my relatively easy experience, I wonder if they ever will.

Hello Again!

At long last, the blog has been resurrected. Thanks to all who followed my last journey - having friends and family along for the ride was great support and I appreciate all the calls for a return to blog posts! I hope to be more consistent on the current journey.

So, what's happened in the last year?

After a year and a half in Iraq, I left the program - and Mercy Corps - in November 2010. Oliver (the aforementioned boyfriend, who most of you have heard about at great length) and I spent six weeks traveling, with nearly a month in Thailand and Cambodia followed by spending the holidays in the UK with his family. It was great to check a few places off the must-visit list and dodge US taxes in the process!

I headed back to Portland in January to finish the last two terms of my masters coursework - which I completed last week! It's great to have the MPH [almost] completed - I will sit for my final exam in September.

In the meanwhile, I will be starting a 10-week internship with USAID, the US Agency for International Development, in Ethiopia in two weeks. I will be evaluating an emergency food distribution of a corn-soy blend food product, targeting pregnant/nursing women and children under five. I will be traveling to the cities of Mekele, Sekota, Lalibela and Dire Dawa, with an additional three weeks at the Embassy in Addis Ababa. It should be a great experience and I can't wait to get there.

Until then, I am hanging out in Lagos, Nigeria with Oliver, where he will be working until September on a technical/vocational training program. It's great to spend some time with him after nearly two months apart. (For those who were wondering, its now been a year and a half together - can't believe how quickly it's gone!) Lagos is a sprawling, overwhelming African mega-city - a stark contrast from the quiet of rural Ethiopia.

Many people have asked me if, knowing what I know now, I would take my job in Iraq again. My answer is overwhelmingly, yes. It was a fantastic learning experience - challenging, fascinating and career-changing. I've developed such confidence in my ability to travel, work and live abroad, to handle difficult and dangerous situations overseas, and to excel in development work. With conflict and insecurity under my belt, I have yet to hack it in the giant bugs/tents/pit latrines scenario - but I'm now more confident in my ability to navigate that with [relative] ease as well.

Thanks to all who are embarking on this new adventure with me - let the journey begin!

Fondly,
Alisha

Relocation ... x2

I've heard rumblings of some complaints about infrequent blogging lately, and truth be told, it's time for an update.

Remember how, when I took this job, I thought I was going to be living on the Basrah military base? Well, after seven months, guess where I've moved to? We decided we needed someone based here - really the hub of all things humanitarian aid and oil company in South Iraq - for donor relations and fundraising. Turns out that someone gets to be me, which suits me just fine ...

... why, you might ask? Well, I guess it's time to fess up that I have a boyfriend down here. And have had, for four months. I found him (well, technically he found me) on Thanksgiving at a party back when a few of us were on the base for a week. After a few months of seeing each other when we were able, it's pretty nice to be in the same neighborhood. He's British, an international development consultant running a youth employment program in Basrah for the British equivalent of USAID, and pretty great. So great, in fact, that we're off on leave to Malaysia together for a week, starting Friday. More on that in a minute.

So, life on the military base. It's quite a trip. I think there are about 5,000 troops stationed here and it's pretty interesting to be in the middle of an operation like this. The base is all dust and dirt and concrete and metal buildings. I live in a trailer in a compound that houses mostly private security companies, with a few other NGO workers and some oil company folks. I think there are maybe 75 people who live in the compound and I think about four are women. Good times. My trailer is pretty simple - desk, double bed, wardrobe, small fridge, couple of chairs and - the one great addition - a 32" flat-panel TV. It has its own little bathroom and, all in all, isn't too bad. The compound has a small gym and a communal dining hall. I haven't made too many friends in here yet, so end up spending most of my meals sitting alone with people staring, or trying not to stare. Getting used to that part.

It's nice to be able to run outdoors - for the time being, anyway, while it cools down to 80 degrees or so by 6pm. Yep, it's early April and the weather has already hit 100 a few times in the past couple of weeks. I barely notice anymore. On the odd weather front, we had quite a sandstorm this morning, and the heavy winds rattled my trailer like crazy - thought I was about to have a "Wizard of Oz" moment a few times. When the sand kicks up the insurgents usually start firing off rockets at the base, so the morning was filled with alarms and loudspeaker announcements - fortunately my trailer is under a foot and a half of reinforced concrete. Everyone else gets 30 seconds to run to a sandbag bunker.

Besides working and working out, hanging out at the British Consulate isn't a bad gig. The folks over there are all pretty great - so is the bar, coveted by many and frequented by few. It's nice to be part of a community around here as opposed to being sequestered in the house - I've made friends from the UK, France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Serbia, Jamaica, Lebanon and India - kind of feels like what this line of work is supposed to be about. Seven months in the house really started to take its toll, and the improvements to my lifestyle are feeling slightly recuperative ... emphasis on slightly.

Right, so in addition to relocation #1, temporary relocation #2 takes place on Friday. I extended my leave by four weeks (yep, that's 12 weeks in country, which is mildly insane but I've somehow managed not to hit the wall) so the boyfriend and I could take a little vacation together. We'll go from Kuwait to Kuala Lumpur (via Abu Dhabi), spend two nights there at this fabulous hotel and then hop on a one hour flight to this resort for six nights. Don't worry, there will be lots of photos of white sand, blue water, brightly colored fish, fabulous bars and restaurants, etc.

Not that anybody was wondering about work, but ... work is work. Nothing much to report. And I think that sums up my feelings about work as well.

You Portlanders can start getting excited for the fact that I am planning to be home around 15 July. With Brit in tow. To the Bay Area Californians, I'll be down in Healdsburg and environs around the 24th for a wedding and look forward to a few get-togethers. That's about it for now - lots of love to all.

A Face of the Conflict

One of the more special projects I've been working on lately is one to provide medical assistance for a boy from Basrah who was wounded during a rocket that hit his home during fighting between Coalition forces and insurgents several years ago. Four-year-old Mehdi suffered injuries to his head during the blast - doctors at a Basrah hospital removed one of his eyes after it was badly damaged by shrapnel. He still has two pieces of shrapnel in his body which they were unable to remove - one behind his scapula and one in his brain. The piece in his brain is of particular concern as he continues to grow - it's located in his occipital lobe and poses a serious risk of brain defects or death as his brain grows around it.

Mehdi and his father Saleh came to the gate of the Basrah military base one day in hopes of seeking medical care for him that they couldn't receive at local hospitals. They happened to catch someone who was able to ask around until the case was referred to us. As part of our grant, we have special funds for projects benefiting civilian victims of conflict - normally, these projects focus on providing wheelchairs or prosthetics for local clinics or rebuilding major infrastructure damaged during coalition/insurgent fighting. However, we're always eager to help with these kinds of cases when we can.

We worked with the Medical Unit here on the Basrah base to identify a children's hospital in Germany that can provide Mehdi with the surgeries he needs to remove the shrapnel in his brain and back, and provide him with a prosthetic eye for the one he is missing. I have been working on coordination with the Germany Embassy in Baghdad to prepare all the necessary elements of their visa application and handle many of the logistics for their trip.

I finally got to meet Mehdi today, when he and his father came to meet with us to complete some paperwork and have a briefing on their visa interviews and upcoming travel. He's adorable and shy. He has occasional bursts of random tears where he's barely able to tell his father what has upset him - an occurrence his father says has been common since Mehdi was injured. But it doesn't take too long before a piece of candy or a soccer ball distracts him from his tears.

Mehdi goofing off:


So much of the work we do is focused on governance and community building that it's easy to forget the many victims of Iraq's recent and longer history. With thirty years of conflict behind them, there are many injured and disabled people, many widows and orphans. Having the opportunity to help heal the wounds of one has felt like a blessing.

Back in Basrah

I'm back in Basrah after three weeks in Portland. It was great to get home and back to my favorite city. After the holidays - which were filled with lots of family time and a surprise visit from my aunt and uncle from Australia (love you guys!) - I got to spend a week working out of Mercy Corps HQ. It was my first visit to the new building that I spent two and a half years working on, and I was thoroughly delighted. For all of you in Portland who haven't gone down to visit, I highly recommend a trip through the Mercy Corps Action Center on the ground floor. They're also currently featuring an exhibition of Design For The Other 90%, which showcases fantastic, innovative inventions for the proverbial bottom billion on the planet.

This has made it around the grapevine pretty quickly, but I was ambushed by a request to do a live interview on KGW talking about working in Iraq and, specifically, the Women's Awareness and Inclusion program. A little bit nerve-wracking, but fortunately not too disastrous in spite of having no room for error and little idea what questions I'd be asked. You can check out the clip here: Live on The Square @ 7: Mercy Corps Teaches Women in Iraq

I received a lot of positive feedback on the blog while at home (thanks to all!) and requests for more posts ... I promise that I do so diligently when there's something to write about, but with the very limited mobility and lack of interaction with beneficiaries and community members, I'm often lacking in subject matter. Security around here will be very tight through the elections (scheduled for March) so we're being especially careful to stay in the house and under the radar. Wish I had more to say, but that's how it goes!

Happy new year to all ... until next time ...