| Ethiopia is one of the most ancient countries in | | | | prohibited in Ethiopia. |
| the world, officially known as Federal Democratic | | | | Teachers in Alemaya University where I was |
| Republic of Ethiopia. By area, it is the 10th largest | | | | deployed, only give lectures the whole session. If |
| in Africa with almost 80 million in populations. The | | | | a session is for two hours, you do all the taking |
| Philippines is just 1/10th in land area yet with the | | | | for hours, the students just listen. Quizzes, |
| same population as Ethiopia. Ethiopia is a very | | | | recitations, seat works and other classroom |
| poor country with less water thus sanitation is a | | | | interplay are not allowed. It was a mess when I |
| major problem. | | | | first handled my class in Auditing. After I lectured |
| When I was called for interview as Accounting | | | | on a topic, I gave a short quiz and lo, everybody |
| Lecturer in one of the Universities in Ethiopia, I | | | | was complaining. Some boycotted my class and |
| was very excited. Upon receipt of my flight | | | | never came back; others filed formal complaints |
| schedule, I immediately packed my luggage. Mind | | | | and hated my style. It was really a surprise for |
| you, despite the limited space, I manage to insert | | | | me. I lack the necessary orientation before |
| my pillow. I brought along my own pillow, | | | | handling my classes. I later understood the reason |
| pillowcases, and bedsheets. | | | | for such proscriptions. |
| I thought the temperature there is sizzling hot. I | | | | Students are not provided with the necessary |
| was wrong. It was very cold when we arrived at | | | | materials like notebooks and ball pens, although |
| Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. There were | | | | they enjoy free board and lodging. Even these |
| five of us who arrived from Manila on that day of | | | | simple things, they cannot afford to buy. |
| December 13, 2005. It was a cold, very cold | | | | Dormitories were built to house all students who |
| December morning that I couldn't sleep despite | | | | are all government scholars. Free foods are |
| the deadening travel from one continent to | | | | provided, but school materials are not. Accounting |
| another. | | | | books in the library are obsolete. There are no |
| Have you ever experienced cold air getting | | | | textbooks only reference materials are available. |
| through your nostrils while you breathe? It was | | | | They cannot take down notes, so the teacher |
| compelling to cover my face with a heavy | | | | must provide the handouts. I was teaching |
| comforter to get some sleep, still I couldn't. It | | | | Accounting, so it was very hard for me. |
| was really hard to enshroud oneself in a | | | | Worksheets and textbooks are indispensable in |
| comforter to get some sleep. I'd rather put some | | | | accounting subjects. |
| cotton balls in my nose. I remember when I was | | | | Indeed, Ethiopia is a wretched country despite its |
| a kid it was hard for me to understand why | | | | very large land area and fertile soil. I was |
| cotton balls are inserted in nostrils of dead people. | | | | endowed with curiosity, what could be the reason |
| Now it's easy to understand why people who are | | | | for such a pitiable condition? I guess, the main |
| still alive wear cotton balls. | | | | reason is disunity among the people. There are |
| The educational system in Ethiopia is very much | | | | many conflicting ethnic groups, the Oromos, |
| different from any educational system in the | | | | Ahmaras, the Tigres, etc. Campus riots are a |
| world. A classroom is composed of more than | | | | usual occurrence among ethnic groups. When I |
| 200 students, mostly male. In my classes, there | | | | was still there, a student died during a riot. |
| were only 3 to five female students. I was | | | | Another reason maybe is resistance to change. I |
| amazed, why? Women in Ethiopia are considered | | | | remember telling the University President in one |
| second class citizens. They work while their | | | | of our conversations, I said: "a person, who |
| husbands study. Most construction workers are | | | | cannot change his mind, cannot change anything". |
| women. During Sundays, you seldom see a family | | | | I did not stay long, six months thereafter, I came |
| with a mother eating in a café. Children enjoy | | | | home. I came home with the same pillow I |
| the day with their fathers. Holdings hands are | | | | brought when I left for Ethiopia. My pillow, the |
| common in males, not with females. I was really | | | | only thing that comforted me, featherbedded my |
| surprised to see two men walking down the | | | | depleted mind and body. My pillow, my only |
| streets holding hands. Homosexuality is however, | | | | soothing balm while working in Ethiopia. |