AnAidWorker

I reached the village of Addu of Gega Ke Burtale Kebele (Sub district) of Mille woreda (district) in the dark of night. Hamferi Laenta (48), the teacher greeted us, hurriedly puting the mats on the floor for us to sleep and offering us freshly backed bread and goat milk. As usual cautious but curious children slowly gathered around us under the brightly moon sky. After the initial shyness and language barrier, so we started to share children stories. I fell into sleep trying to identify each star on the sky.

I was woken up really early in the morning with women voice and footsteps, going to the dry riverbed to collect water. They leave early and comeback within few hours, bringing water on jerry cans on the camel and donkey and sheep skin container on their back. I took a walk around the village in the early light of rising sun, going from house to house, watching women baking bread on the hand dug woven, milking the goats, waking up their children. I saw a women getting ready for the Morning Prayer while her children looked at me rubbing their eyes in an attempt to wake up.

Hamferi appeared by my site to assist me my curious journey. While back in his house, Hamferi signalled me for breakfast. After another fill of milk and baked bread, I was ready for the hot sunny day. Hamferi walked up to a hill blew an whistle, calling his student to class. He came back, sat by me and had his breakfast. Then he blew his whistle few more time and signalled me to follow.

We walked up to a structure made with stacked stone and tree branches, a much more permanent structure than most pastoralist School. The villagers chipped in with their labor to build this school. Slowly the classroom started to fill in with students of all ages. Mariam Gillni (8), ran by her brother, holding his hand.  Abdullah Mohammed (22) came with books and a stick in his hand.

Dahara Butaba(20), mother of one daughter, reached last, running and breathing hard. She explained to the teacher that she was delayed because she wanted to get water for her household. The teacher explained to me “this area has experienced the worst  drought in years. Getting water is getting harder by the day” he added, “although the hours for class is from 8 –12 in the morning, sometimes I have to let the children go so they can collect water for their house hold and the animal”

After the class, I rode with Dahara and hamferi to the water point by the dry river. On the way to Dahara, who wants to be a teacher in the future, related  “ I walk half an hour to collect water in the morning, feed my family and then come to class leaving my child to my mother.”

Once we reached the river, I saw the riverbed is covered with numerous holes; all are hand dug by the women of the village in an attempt to secure water. I saw women are collecting water from the hole, filling up their cans and giving it their animals. Hamferi introduced me to the women and explained, “ We are pastoralist, we move from place to place for water. These women have gone far and worked really hard to stay in one place. They want their children to get education.”

I walked up to the women and talk to them for few minutes. Aysia Hammud, a mother seven related, “ I was not sure of this schools at the beginning. What good this reading and write would do to our children, pastoralist children? Now I see the world is changing. Our children need to know the way of life. I would do anything, so they can learn. If it requires to dig few holes, I am happy to do it.”