Sunday January 16th, 2011 DAY EIGHT
RAE Daily Update; Posted by Bill Palladino, Executive Director of On the Ground
Apologies for another late night report. I'll confess that I took a bit of time off to monitor the New York Jets play the New England Patriots tonight. I drank a beer, grilled some chicken, and polished all this off with a couple of Newman-O's cookies and a shot of bourbon. My team came out on top. A brief yet satisfying triumph of ego that is so very American. After the game I opened my laptop to review the posts left by my distant team members in Ethiopia. It's something I do every evening to write this dispatch. Tonight, for the first time, the juxtaposition of the two realities settled on me harshly.
Today the team of runners and their support crew seemed to all have a new tenor to their posts. Gone were the short, staccato offerings about sore feet and bland food. Our posts on this eighth day of the run all mirrored the experiences of the individuals making their way down that long road from Addis Ababa to Yirgacheffe. These posts all bore a certain resemblance, a commonality centered plainly on the sudden and undeniable reality of poverty, hunger, and strife. I send you this dispatch from a conflicted place in my heart. Sitting in my relatively luxurious accommodations, nourished, sated, loved, still I feel a bit shattered tonight with the weight of what my friends are experiencing half a world away.
Our first post is from our musical ambassadors Seth Bernard and May Erlewine. They parted with the runners just a few days into the trip to return to Addis Ababa. Recently both elements of our team reunited and from here on out they'll share the experience of Ethiopia together.
Today the team of runners and their support crew seemed to all have a new tenor to their posts. Gone were the short, staccato offerings about sore feet and bland food. Our posts on this eighth day of the run all mirrored the experiences of the individuals making their way down that long road from Addis Ababa to Yirgacheffe. These posts all bore a certain resemblance, a commonality centered plainly on the sudden and undeniable reality of poverty, hunger, and strife. I send you this dispatch from a conflicted place in my heart. Sitting in my relatively luxurious accommodations, nourished, sated, loved, still I feel a bit shattered tonight with the weight of what my friends are experiencing half a world away.
Our first post is from our musical ambassadors Seth Bernard and May Erlewine. They parted with the runners just a few days into the trip to return to Addis Ababa. Recently both elements of our team reunited and from here on out they'll share the experience of Ethiopia together.
"We don’t have enough accurate information about Ethiopia in America. Hopefully our expedition will help with this in some small way with this. There is too much fear and pity and not enough respect and amazement toward Ethiopia in our collective American mind. We have so much to learn. I find myself in awe of an ancient culture that has remained largely intact. This is the birthplace of mankind and the only nation in Africa that has never been colonized by imperial European powers. People have been kind and gracious without exception. I feel safer in Addis Ababa than I do in American cities of comparable size, and although I am a country boy (thank God), I have spent many moons in many a metropolis. For centuries, Christians and Muslims, dark-skinned and light-skinned folks have lived in peace, shared the same morning coffee ceremonies and celebrated their shared communities here in Ethiopia. When I have asked my new friends what their secret is and what Americans can learn from their culture of diversity and tolerance, they say that it has always been this way. They say that kindness is more important than anything. It’s at the heart of being human. They day that it’s obvious, isn’t it? Cruelty and intolerance go against the teachings of all the religions and we’re all neighbors. Ethiopia is another heartland and we have been welcomed as brothers and sisters here. It’s going to be hard to leave, but we have a wealth of songs and stories to bring back to our people in the American heartland."
Founder of On The Ground, and owner of Higher Grounds Trading Company in Traverse City is Chris Treter. He's one of our runners, and sent this short post.
"We have entered the coffee growing region of Sidamo where Higher Grounds purchases our Ethiopian Sidamo Unwashed. The poverty is increasing as is the numbr of children. Tomorrow we will run to the town of Dilla (about 15 miles). Tuesday we will do a short run then go to Hase Gola where the school we are funding is being built for a party and tour of the community, school, and coffee fields. This school is built in a community that grows coffee for our Ethiopian Yrgacheffe (available in grocery stores and on-line). I mention this not to make a plug for HG but so that our base is knowlegeable - most of which can purchase the coffee from their local grocery store. This coffee comes from the very community we will be visiting this week. This creates a lasting impact - not only are we doing charity but are paying a fair trade price to a sustainably grown product. This is a very important lesson to understand the importance of fair trade. People can participate in both."
Our filmmaker Jamaica has sent us some of the most emotional posts to date, baring her soul as she experiences something completely new.
"I just couldn't stop crying, for 3 miles the tears pooled on my shirt, Egga's shirt, Su's shirt. I was too overwhelmed and haven't had time to process the emotional intensity of what I was right in the middle of. The fast progression of poverty we've witnessed in only 15 miles has astounded me to the point of pure emotion. From village to village we meet so many children and people, but without a chance to really get to know them; there are only moments. Yet today I couldn't handle it. We went from shaking hands to seeing a boy who snagged a water bottle, get surrounded by kids twice his age. The poverty is quickly coming apparent as we head further south, because the reaction of the villagers has a air of desperation; their basic needs aren't being met and survival is the number one priority. "
Ohio is home to one of our runners, Claire Everhart. Her fresh eyes seem to see clearly the troubles of others and the difficulty in translating this across continents.
"Today as we ran through the Sidamo region I tried to imagine my life as an Ethiopian. Am I a child? Did my mother wake my 7 brothers and sisters and I from our curled positions on the dirt floor of our hut and tell some of us to go fetch water from 10 miles away? Are we lucky enough to have a donkey to help carry the water jugs? How many jugs are we blessed enough to have? Will the wheel my older brothers fixed yesterday make the trip there and back? Am I a single mother struggling to support 5 children alone? Am I a coffee farmer working to support my family, while being paid very little for the beans I grow?"
Anne Stanton, an independent journalist from northern Michigan, has provided us with some of the clearest prose yet, often touching on humorous observations. Today, even her post changed a bit.
"The runs have shortened to about 15 miles, and the crowds have gotten way bigger. We have no way of communicating since the translaters don't speak the language here. But I have finally learned how to interact. You don't give them anything, even water or empty water bottles, because it causes fights among the kids, but you touch your heart and pointto them and smile and say "you!" (Which is their very favorite word). Or you say shalom, or you lead them into a fun chant, "Ethiopia!! Yeah!!). They love to shake hands."
Nigel, always has a way of bringing things back to running. He's our most experienced runner (not a crack at your age Nigel).
"Our exertions during the previous five days where we ground out a 28-mile and then four consecutive 30-mile runs allowed the Run Across Ethiopia team a relatively easy seventh day on the road. We ran our shortest distance yet with a ‘mere’15-mile, 24 KM effort. It took us just over 3 hours to complete. The RAE team’s cumulative mileage in a week is now 183 miles or 294 KM and that equates to exactly a marathon a day." Click the image or this link to see a video featuring Nigel. http://onthegroundglobal.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=e86f86882c25bcdcfe0bda552&id=02c191e790&e=7b6f7ef5c1
Our other professional journalist on the team, Jacob Wheeler - editor of the Glen Arbor Sun, provides us with most of our video footage in wonderfully short segments.
"The team that ascended 15 miles into the Sidamo coffee-rich region was nearly 20 people strong. We’ve become accustomed to villagers, and children in particular, swarming the runners whenever they pass along the road, but we got lucky today because Sunday meant that many were attending church. Fifteen miles completed today, which puts us at 198 since leaving Addis last Sunday. Only 52 more to go before the victory jog into Yirgachefe on Thursday.
The past two nights we’ve stayed at the stunningly beautiful Aragesh mountain lodge near the remote village of Yirgalem. We’ve slept and dined in a series of round bamboo woven huts that are constructed entirely of local materials and held up by one post in the center of the room. Such architecture reminded me of indigenous earth lodges and was a welcome departure from the urban grit of previous towns."
A late addition to the team, Amalia Fernand, showed up with the family wave on January 12th. She's been teaching art classes to children in schools along the way.
"Today, I joined the run and was moved by the happiness that we brought to many hundreds of children merely by our presence. The runners finished mile 198 today and I joined them in running through small villages and coffee plantations for a few of those miles. I also traveled by the bus that stays close by the group and stops to supply water and food breaks. On these occasions, the people came running to gather, to stare, watchfully, expectantly, curiously. I blew bubbles for the children and to witness the universal reaction of a child to a bubble reminds me that everywhere, people are just people. They jumped, they laughed, they chased, they loved, and I only wish that I could do so much more, bring them so much more, give them so much more. And then I look around and I realize that I am. This entire event is for them, for their education, to increase their standard of living, to give them a chance at a healthy life. Most of them do not understand this right now, and they may never. I only wish that we could spend more time with them instead of quickly moving through each village. I wish that we could explain that the reason we are here is for them and that there are so many people out there who have donated time, money, and a piece of their hearts for this cause. "
Please remember these are only excerpts of posts that our team has provided us. All of these people represent the heart of the Run Across Ethiopia, those of us still back in the States are proud of how they serve our mission. To read full-length stories posted by our RAE Team members please visit our blog pages at http://onthegroundglobal.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e86f86882c25bcdcfe0bda552&id=740648e3c4&e=7b6f7ef5c1
Founder of On The Ground, and owner of Higher Grounds Trading Company in Traverse City is Chris Treter. He's one of our runners, and sent this short post.
"We have entered the coffee growing region of Sidamo where Higher Grounds purchases our Ethiopian Sidamo Unwashed. The poverty is increasing as is the numbr of children. Tomorrow we will run to the town of Dilla (about 15 miles). Tuesday we will do a short run then go to Hase Gola where the school we are funding is being built for a party and tour of the community, school, and coffee fields. This school is built in a community that grows coffee for our Ethiopian Yrgacheffe (available in grocery stores and on-line). I mention this not to make a plug for HG but so that our base is knowlegeable - most of which can purchase the coffee from their local grocery store. This coffee comes from the very community we will be visiting this week. This creates a lasting impact - not only are we doing charity but are paying a fair trade price to a sustainably grown product. This is a very important lesson to understand the importance of fair trade. People can participate in both."
Our filmmaker Jamaica has sent us some of the most emotional posts to date, baring her soul as she experiences something completely new."I just couldn't stop crying, for 3 miles the tears pooled on my shirt, Egga's shirt, Su's shirt. I was too overwhelmed and haven't had time to process the emotional intensity of what I was right in the middle of. The fast progression of poverty we've witnessed in only 15 miles has astounded me to the point of pure emotion. From village to village we meet so many children and people, but without a chance to really get to know them; there are only moments. Yet today I couldn't handle it. We went from shaking hands to seeing a boy who snagged a water bottle, get surrounded by kids twice his age. The poverty is quickly coming apparent as we head further south, because the reaction of the villagers has a air of desperation; their basic needs aren't being met and survival is the number one priority. "
Ohio is home to one of our runners, Claire Everhart. Her fresh eyes seem to see clearly the troubles of others and the difficulty in translating this across continents."Today as we ran through the Sidamo region I tried to imagine my life as an Ethiopian. Am I a child? Did my mother wake my 7 brothers and sisters and I from our curled positions on the dirt floor of our hut and tell some of us to go fetch water from 10 miles away? Are we lucky enough to have a donkey to help carry the water jugs? How many jugs are we blessed enough to have? Will the wheel my older brothers fixed yesterday make the trip there and back? Am I a single mother struggling to support 5 children alone? Am I a coffee farmer working to support my family, while being paid very little for the beans I grow?"
Anne Stanton, an independent journalist from northern Michigan, has provided us with some of the clearest prose yet, often touching on humorous observations. Today, even her post changed a bit.
"The runs have shortened to about 15 miles, and the crowds have gotten way bigger. We have no way of communicating since the translaters don't speak the language here. But I have finally learned how to interact. You don't give them anything, even water or empty water bottles, because it causes fights among the kids, but you touch your heart and pointto them and smile and say "you!" (Which is their very favorite word). Or you say shalom, or you lead them into a fun chant, "Ethiopia!! Yeah!!). They love to shake hands."
Nigel, always has a way of bringing things back to running. He's our most experienced runner (not a crack at your age Nigel).
"Our exertions during the previous five days where we ground out a 28-mile and then four consecutive 30-mile runs allowed the Run Across Ethiopia team a relatively easy seventh day on the road. We ran our shortest distance yet with a ‘mere’15-mile, 24 KM effort. It took us just over 3 hours to complete. The RAE team’s cumulative mileage in a week is now 183 miles or 294 KM and that equates to exactly a marathon a day." Click the image or this link to see a video featuring Nigel. http://onthegroundglobal.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=e86f86882c25bcdcfe0bda552&id=02c191e790&e=7b6f7ef5c1
Our other professional journalist on the team, Jacob Wheeler - editor of the Glen Arbor Sun, provides us with most of our video footage in wonderfully short segments.
"The team that ascended 15 miles into the Sidamo coffee-rich region was nearly 20 people strong. We’ve become accustomed to villagers, and children in particular, swarming the runners whenever they pass along the road, but we got lucky today because Sunday meant that many were attending church. Fifteen miles completed today, which puts us at 198 since leaving Addis last Sunday. Only 52 more to go before the victory jog into Yirgachefe on Thursday.
The past two nights we’ve stayed at the stunningly beautiful Aragesh mountain lodge near the remote village of Yirgalem. We’ve slept and dined in a series of round bamboo woven huts that are constructed entirely of local materials and held up by one post in the center of the room. Such architecture reminded me of indigenous earth lodges and was a welcome departure from the urban grit of previous towns."
A late addition to the team, Amalia Fernand, showed up with the family wave on January 12th. She's been teaching art classes to children in schools along the way.
"Today, I joined the run and was moved by the happiness that we brought to many hundreds of children merely by our presence. The runners finished mile 198 today and I joined them in running through small villages and coffee plantations for a few of those miles. I also traveled by the bus that stays close by the group and stops to supply water and food breaks. On these occasions, the people came running to gather, to stare, watchfully, expectantly, curiously. I blew bubbles for the children and to witness the universal reaction of a child to a bubble reminds me that everywhere, people are just people. They jumped, they laughed, they chased, they loved, and I only wish that I could do so much more, bring them so much more, give them so much more. And then I look around and I realize that I am. This entire event is for them, for their education, to increase their standard of living, to give them a chance at a healthy life. Most of them do not understand this right now, and they may never. I only wish that we could spend more time with them instead of quickly moving through each village. I wish that we could explain that the reason we are here is for them and that there are so many people out there who have donated time, money, and a piece of their hearts for this cause. "
Please remember these are only excerpts of posts that our team has provided us. All of these people represent the heart of the Run Across Ethiopia, those of us still back in the States are proud of how they serve our mission. To read full-length stories posted by our RAE Team members please visit our blog pages at http://onthegroundglobal.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e86f86882c25bcdcfe0bda552&id=740648e3c4&e=7b6f7ef5c1
Remember too that you an follow us on Facebook and on Twitter where we post frequent, if short, snippets about the adventure.
If you want to see our stream of photos as they arrive you can go to the website (see below) or go right to our Flickr Photostream using the link below. http://onthegroundglobal.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e86f86882c25bcdcfe0bda552&id=ae36acca7d&e=7b6f7ef5c1
If you want to see our stream of photos as they arrive you can go to the website (see below) or go right to our Flickr Photostream using the link below. http://onthegroundglobal.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e86f86882c25bcdcfe0bda552&id=ae36acca7d&e=7b6f7ef5c1
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