Introduction
Ethiopia, formally known as Abyssinia, is a very distinct part of the African continent. The word Ethiopia comes from an ancient Greek term called Ethiopic, used to describe a race of people and means ‘burnt faced’. There are seventy different languages; the two most common are Arabic and Tigrigna. The main religions are Christianity and Islam: in Axum the main religion is Christianity with the majority of people belonging to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
The currency is the Birr with an exchange rate of 18 Birr to the English Pound. Young people who work carrying Eucalyptus and Cow Dung for fuel will earn 15 pence per day. A two course meal with drinks for seven people will cost £6.60 in a local hotel.
Ethiopia is best remembered following the BBC’s film footage in 1973 of the tragic famine which resulted in a minimum of 2,000,000 deaths. It has more recently become well known for its athletes, in particular long distance runners, its quality coffee which is a major export, and the recent (2001) discovery of a 5.8 million year old hominid fossil called Lucy which forms the missing link in human ancestry.
Axum is believed to hold in its Tyson Church, The Ark of the Covenant, which was built by the Children of Israel to hold the Tablets of Law given to Moses.
Ethiopia is currently celebrating its Millennium; it is the Year 2000 in a Country which has 13 months of the year and despite being GMT plus 3 hours has local time dependant on dawn and dusk.
Paignton’s Links with Africa
As a Specialist Sports College, Paignton Community & Sports College took the opportunity to become part of the Dreams and Teams Project. This Project is the product of joint work between the Youth Sports Trust and the British Council. The purpose of the Project is to develop a greater understanding between young people in the United Kingdom and in young people in Africa.
Following approval from its Governing Body, the College submitted a bid to the British Council, and along with four Cornish Sports Colleges and one other Sports College in Devon, was linked to Ethiopia.
The first part of the Project which was finalised by the British Council was for the Head Teacher and a Sports Teacher from Ethiopia to visit England in September 2008. They attended a Conference in Bristol along with all other participants from other African states to meet their UK Partner Schools. At this Conference Jane English, Principal and John Julyan, Sports Partnership Development Manager, met Tadiwas Hailu and Amare Hilwi from Axum Secondary School in Northern Ethiopia. However, at the Conference the delegates from Nigeria found themselves let down by their UK Partner Schools and so following a quick telephone conversation with Jane the Principal and Joan Hammond the Chair of Governors, Paignton also welcomed Hakeem Ajibona (Headteacher) and Ayodeji Daramola (Science Teacher) from Sanya School, Lagos, Nigeria and a double link with Africa was formed.
Paignton visits Ethiopia
Following the successful visit by the Ethiopians to Paignton, Jane English and John Julyan visited Axum in Ethiopia in March of this year. They met up with the Head Teachers from the other Devon and Cornwall Schools involved at Heathrow Airport and flew out to Addis Ababa to be met by the British Council. After an overnight stay in Addis Ababa each school went in different directions all over Ethiopia, mostly transported by British Council four wheel drive vehicles.
(Jane takes up the story). We took the early morning Ethiopian Airlines flight up to Axum, close to the Eritrea border. On this particular day a Boeing Jet was the form of transport (much to the relief of the Principal) but at other times of the week the plane is a twin propeller plane taking only a few passengers. The one hour, forty minute flight stopped off at other towns on the way. The flight path over the Simien Mountains gave an opportunity to see the varied terrain this high altitude Country has to offer.
At Axum Airport the traditional signs of welcome awaited us: grasses strewn across
the walk-way. Even though we arrived at 8.00 am on Sunday morning our hosts were there to meet us dressed in their traditional western suits but the local dignitaries, families and friends who accompanied them dressed in traditional Ethiopian clothes.
The welcome was magnificent: Tadiwas and Amare beaming widely as we were introduced formally to everyone and performed the Ethiopian greeting of touching shoulders three times, similar to the Europeans three kisses on the cheek. Their delight was a reflection of the numerous times they asked whilst in Paignton, “Will you really come to Ethiopia?”. It was truly wonderful to be together again with our charming friends and their families and colleagues.
Our hosts had hired a pick-up truck to take us in to the town and to our Hotel. The gates were guarded by armed guards who bought out an unexpected and familiar metal detector to scan all the locals before entry to the Hotel. This high security seemed a little surprising in this quiet and friendly town until we discovered that the president of Ethiopia and the Church Leaders had all been staying in this hotel, The Remhai, for the Adwa Celebrations which occur on the 1st March every year to celebrate the defeat of the Italian Army in 1896, thereby ensuring that Ethiopia was the only African State to enter the 20th Century fully independent.
Our time in Axum was spent mainly in the school of 4,000 students, many students walk or run to school, a journey of some three hours each way, every day. Outside the school gates there were always pupils hoping that a place may have become vacant and they would get a chance of an education. Young people are taught in their traditional language of Tigrigna at Primary School but on moving to Secondary School all lessons are in English.
Many lessons, all forty two minutes long, are delivered from an impressive large plasma screen installed in the classrooms, the lessons are Government controlled and are the same for all schools across Ethiopia. The classrooms are single skin blocks with corrugated iron roofs, wooden desks; students sit three to a desk with class sizes of 80. The plasma lessons provide opportunities for class discussion and teacher intervention, however there are no handbooks or documents available due to costs so teachers have little or no opportunity to plan their lessons in advance. Many students were in their early twenties, staying on at school until they gain their qualifications so should they ever be in a position financially to go to University or if this fast developing Country presents them with career opportunities, they are qualified to take them. The Ethiopian young people’s commitment and appreciation of education is exceptional.
Whilst at the school, we sat in on lessons, provided staff training, met the School Council, observed the school farm in action and opened a Sports Festival. Some of the most enjoyable times were breaks and lunch times when we just walked and talked with the students.
The school insisted on providing us with made to measure traditional clothes in readiness for the opening of the Sports Festival which involved Football, tug of war between staff and students and a Gymnastic display which used a tractor tyre as a springboard and pupils vaulted over a burning log. To be the guests of honour at this event and to take part in local dances and traditions was a great privilege. The standard of Football and Gymnastics was outstanding, this sporting event emphasised Ethiopia as a land of contrasts; top class school boy Football played on a pitch with no grass, covered in stones and no lines with a state of the art loudspeaker system playing Lionel Ritchie throughout the entire match.
The school has worked hard to try and get the money together to provide a flat all purpose games surface for 5-a-side Football, Volleyball, Basketball etc. It has laid the main foundations but needs another £30,000 to finish the surface, fencing etc. With inflation rising at 20%, they are facing a uphill struggle, however, it would not only serve the school and ten primary schools it would provide the only facility in the town of Axum for sport, the only sports facility available for the young people.
When not in school our hosts were anxious to show us the sights of Axum and experience real Ethiopian life, the number of homes we were invited to and the food prepared for us certainly saw off any idea that Ethiopia is currently a place of famine. The hospitality we received and the warm welcome from everyone we met was an experience never to be forgotten.
Walking around Axum, at times, felt as if you had stepped back to biblical times, women bringing maize to be crushed, camels and donkeys carrying a ranged of items, women drawing water from a lake, goats sleeping by the side of the road, the local builders merchants with wooden scaffolding and rows of donkeys for transportation. Ethiopia has its own brand of beer and the growing of grapes to commercially produce wine is an area of development. Mobile phones are widely used within Ethiopia but International calls are a hit and miss affair as is the use of the Internet.
Axum felt a very welcoming and safe place to be, so much so that the Governors of the College are keen that we extend the Project beyond the activities already planned to include a visit for some College pupils to Axum in Ethiopia to taste for themselves the real African experience. For those who do not have the chance, plans are in place to ensure all College pupils further develop their understanding of this African state.
