VSO Programme Office in Addis Ababa


Mugshots and locations of all current VSO volunteers in Ethiopia


Coffee ceremony at the end of the Leavers Workshop

Yet another trip to Addis Ababa. This time to attend a meeting of the Volunteers Committee (I am the rep for the North West area) and to go to the Leavers Workshop. VSO hold a one day workshop to help volunteers prepare for going home in May and December. Since there is (was?) a possibility that we would go home before the end of December were we advised to go to the May workshop. The workshop itself was quite good, with a lot of time spent enabling us to explore and share our experiences, highs, lows, challenges, etc and to explore what skills we have developed in our time here. Although we have already been thinking a lot about what comes next, to have some structured time with other leavers was useful, if a bit strange as I am almost certainly not leaving until February! What was really nice was spending time with some people who are leaving in the next month or so, including Emma, Michael and Amanda from our Feb 06 intake. A good day together was spoiled by lack of organization by the VSO programme office. The Leavers Pack, containing all the info and procedures to get ready for leaving, was sent out late and some people at the workshop had to extend their stay in Addis to get their Police Clearance done, as they were not told what documentation to bring with them. I have to say that I am proud to do voluntary service with VSO, would consider doing it again and would recommend it to others, but at times VSO can’t organize a piss up in a brewery.

Saying goodbye to Emma, Amanda and Michael was a bit sad. We came here together, bonded during in-country training, have crossed paths two or three times in the last year or so and now they are done, finished, heading home for good. Unfortunately Amanda & Michael had problems with their employers and have decided to leave early, and Emma has been clobbered with illness (malaria twice) so much she feels she has given enough, despite having a good experience.

I met with my new programme manager and clarified that I feel committed to my work and what can be achieved enough to want to stay until the end of the next semester (Feb 08). Gill has made it clear to VSO that they need to help her get the college sorted out with using her properly or she is off in July. However, there may be enough of other bits and pieces which make good use of her skills for her to stay until Feb as well. The next month should hopefully see some progress.

As usual, we came back from Addis on a bit of a high. This also, as usual, turned into a crashing low for a couple of days. Yesterday evening I could have cried with a pent up mixture of frustration, lack of demand at work, tiredness and simply needing a break from dealing with being here. Today has been the complete opposite. After a low energy start while visiting a school my mood and energy picked up during the afternoon. Sometimes the extreme emotional roller coaster leaves me exhausted! Some stability would be appreciated, as would a reduction in the appalling heat of the last few days.

My colleague, Meleshew, was unable to do some lesson observations while I was away as all of the key teachers have been summoned by the government to be data collectors for the census which starts this month. At home, a form is sent to every household, here people have to actually visit every household. With a population of approx 80 million and most people living more than two days walk from a road, that’s a big task.

I’m hoping to get involved with some other bits and pieces of work as well as my main role of in-service training for teachers. I want to organize a regular get-together with the students on the physics degree course to practice problem solving, explore contemporary issues, etc. I’m also trying to organize a trial of a Grade 7 Physics textbook developed by a previous VSO vol but not tested with teachers and students. Hopefully useful to all and stimulating for me.