Team Botanica Ethiopia ran like the wind on Sunday; We all crossed the finish line at the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival in under an hour!
It was a sunny spring morning as we joined some 35,000 other runners over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, through the city and down to the Opera House Quays. The choppers were out early; we were cheered by spectators, drummers and placards along the route; “Got stamina? Call me!” It was a fun day.
And we even got a photo with a champion – The Ethiopian winner of the Women’s Marathon, Letay Hadish!
May, Michael, Lizzie, Alemayehu
Thank you to all those who so generously sponsored us. We raised a total of $800 which will help pay for permaculture training and advice for the medicinal herb garden in Fiche, Ethiopia. Stay tuned to the blog to see how the garden project is growing.
Join the Botanica Ethiopia team at the Blackmores Sydney Running Festival next month!
Haile Gebrselassie. Photo: Eremelamela
In (almost) true Ethiopian style, we’ll be going the distance – a grueling 9kms and the Sydney Harbour Bridge – on Sunday 18th September, to raise funds for the Botanica Ethiopia Living Pharmacy project.
Botanica Ethiopia is an approved Australian aid and development project to establish a medicinal herb garden in Fiche, a rural community north of Addis Ababa. We’re aiming to raise enough money to pay for permaculture technique training at Fiche, to employ a night and day guard for the garden and support community members to manage the site.
You can either sponsor the team online or get sweaty with us on the day! Choose from four events; The Blackmores Sydney Marathon and Half Marathon, The Sun Herald Bridge Run or Family Fun Run.
To sponsor us:
Please go to our Charity Event page at GoFundraise to donate online. All donations over $2.00 are tax deductible.
Go to our Charity Event Page to set up your personal fundraising page with Botanica Ethiopia
Simply email your fundraising page link to your friends, family, and colleagues and ask them to support your cause by donating online.
East Africa Crisis
We will donate 10% of all money raised through the running festival to the UNHCR East Africa Crisis Appeal. The Horn of Africa countries – Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea – are experiencing the worst drought in 60 years and ‘the world’s most severe food crisis’. Last month the United Nations officially declared famine in two regions of Southern Somalia and a humanitarian catastrophe for East Africa. 12.4 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. Read more about the East Africa crisis here.
Photo: Robin Hammond/Panos. G4SSport.
Let’s get training! Registrations close 16th September.
This month, Oxfam launched its GROW campaign with a new report on food security. The campaign is for a world without hunger and the report shows how our global food system is failing the very poorest.
“Hunger is not a natural phenomenon. It is a man-made tragedy,” wrote Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a GROW ambassador, last week. “People do not go hungry because there is not enough food to eat. They go hungry because the system that delivers food from the fields to our plates is broken. And now in this new age of crisis — with increasingly severe and extreme weather and dwindling natural resources – feeding the world will get harder still.”
For me, three facts stood out. The first was that 80% of the world’s hungry people are directly involved in food production. Oxfam says that the 500 million small-scale farmers in the world together feed one-third of humanity – but they themselves go to bed with empty stomachs. I remembered the figure that 80% of Ethiopians are small-scale farmers.
The next was that crops in sub-Saharan Africa will yield 20–30% less (and maybe even less) by 2080 because of climate change.
The third was that foreign investors had bought 110 million acres of arable land & water in developing countries in 2009 (the size of California and West Virginia combined).
I remembered our driver, exasperated with locals in the remote south who were using a steamingly-fresh bitumen road to walk their animals to market one morning; “The people love these Chinese roads because now their clothes are not covered in dust – but they don’t know they might die walking along here!” – Beeeep! I remembered Chinese cement factories and acres of European flower farms along the lakes region south of Addis Ababa. I also noticed much less obvious poverty on the streets of the capital than I had on a trip five years earlier.
In 2010, Ethiopia offered 7.4 million acres of virgin land to foreign corporations to grow food for export.
Cement factory and teff fields - South Ethiopia. Image: May Slater
With a history of extreme drought and famine, a future especially vulnerable to climate change and a present at the centre of a farmland grab by fast developing countries like China, India and Pakistan – How can Ethiopia protect its natural riches and provide for the health of its people into the future?
We spoke to Dr Tesfaye from the Ethiopian Institute of Biodiversity Conservation about protecting Ethiopia’s unique natural heritage and why this is important.
The land behind Lakew’s house in Fiche drops 2000 metres into the Great Rift Valley; it becomes teff and grain crops, and salty white river banks, as far as the eye can see in any direction.
Actually, this tectonic rift, or trench, runs more than 6000kms from Syria in Southwest Asia, through Ethiopia and down to central Mozambique – and from here, all of Africa’s Great Lakes were formed.
It was on the slopes and crags of one cliff face (which we were also told is one of the top hang-glide launch pads in Africa!) where we would spend an afternoon in the high plateau sun; collecting and tagging native herbs for identification at the Institute of Biodiversity Conservation.
We set off with Lakew, Dr. Tesfaye and the Fiche men who knew this ground so well. We came back with a mini living pharmacy of plants and a troop of ten local boys, out of school for the afternoon, who called themselves ‘The Soccer Team’.
Around the corner from our guesthouse in Addis – between the mechanics yard and the bakery that sells fresh yoghurt and barley rolls on busy Abware road – is Milka’s shop ‘Wild For You.’
The bright sign out the front caught our eyes on a walk home one day – ‘Natural products of Ethiopia.’
The shop was only two months old when we stepped in, but its freshly painted yellow walls were heavy with Ethiopian artefacts, draped with bright dyed scarves and gabis (highland shawls for the cold) and hand made bead necklaces. There were paintings, rugs, pots and wooden stools for traditional coffee ceremonies, embroidered pillow cases, wild-forest coffee and honey, soap made from camels’ milk and frankincense, teas, jars of guava jam and green herbs for the skin and hair.
We were wild for it – and for the next month or so, we would pop in after a day running around Addis to have coffee with the owner, Milka, and her friend Kidist – and to see what new things they had in that day.
Because early mornings in Fiche are crisp, we’d chosen a spot in the sun by the back fence of the garden to interview Zerefenesh about her herbal remedies.
We stood on the hill, introducing ourselves, with the land and the road out of town behind us. But as we began, we quickly lost our voices to the painfully loud, metal-grating-stone sounds of a semi-trailer that had lost its brakes; hurling down the hill, smashing through the front fence of the garden and flipping over onto the terraces just metres away. Its load of rough granite was thrown far, the upturned cabin – crushed, and the front tyres, still spinning, were in flames.
We were helpless to know what to do other than to stop the children near us from going any closer. People came running from town and across the farmland around us to help; throwing earth and water and branches on the truck and trying to help the passengers out. No one was killed; all three crawled from the window and, amazingly, the worst injury was the driver’s broken arm.
The Institute, a government body responsible for the preservation of Ethiopia’s ecosystems and genetic resources, is working with Lizzie on the research side of the project, along with Addis Ababa University.
Dr Tesfay is head of the Institute’s seed bank – one of only 12 in the world – but he’s taken this week as leave to join us here in Fiche. Though born in Bale in Southern Ethiopia, he grew up and studied here. He obtained his PHD in ethnobotany in Holland and his research work has since taken him around the world – to India and Sri Lanka, Mexico, Europe and through Africa. As part of his PHD, he discovered a number of unrecorded plant species, endemic to Ethiopia. Then, he said, it was an ‘under-researched place.’
In the very South of Ethiopia is Karat-Konso and we were to stay at a small permaculture farm in the highland town to gather ideas for our garden in Fiche.
Konso is named after the ethnic group of the area and is unique in that its people have maintained a tribal culture, dating back 1000 years and unlike any in Ethiopia. Governed by clan chiefs and councils of village elders, the Konso live in nine different walled villages on the arid hilltops surrounding the town. At this time of year it looked dry and scrubby, but the area receives two rainfalls a year and the locals are re-known for their productive terraced farming systems and hard work.
Like lava from the volcanoes that formed this land, Konso town looks to have sprung from the middle of nowhere. In fact, it is the gateway to the Omo Valley and receives a healthy flow of tourists travelling the southern route to Kenya. The kids of the region have learnt to milk a birr or two from tourists by breaking into the Konso dance when they spot a car along the plateau road. The road itself felt remote and the landscape unforgiving – until these children jumped out or we were engulfed by a rally of soccer celebrations, trophy held high amidst a crowd of men, women and children, singing and running to the next village “Ethiopia Number 1 Champion!”
Karat-Konso village
We found Strawberry Fields on the hill into town and were shown along a path of papaya and cotton trees to our mud and straw Gojo Bets (traditional round huts). Dusty from the unsealed road, we each had a cold shower outside (one of the showers is heated through pipes from compost pits in the garden – but we didn’t know this then, and were happy just to be clean!)
From our spot on the hill, we watched the sun set over the valley and the farm below before enjoying a delicious meal under the stars of vegetables and rice, ginger tea and mangoes we’d brought along the road that morning. Vegetables have been difficult to find and our spoilt and sensitive ferenji stomachs were struggling from all the meat and bread!
Washed and fed, we took our solar lanterns to bed early. But up in town, the lights went out and a food strike began – the government had set prices on food and drink in an attempt to control inflation and store owners throughout the country were protesting. We didn’t know this until the next day, when we realised the reason busloads of tourists were descending on the eco-farm at breakfast, was because it was the only place around that could provide food – it came out of the garden.
We set off on the road North from Addis Ababa to see the garden site in Fiche for the first time, and to meet with local herbalists to introduce ourselves and the Living Pharmacy project.
As we drove further into Oromo territory the landscape changed to broad, sweeping valleys of farmland, hugged by distant hills and forests of young eucalyptus trees.
The high central plateaus, which cover half of the country, are some of the most fertile land in East Africa – and Oromia is said to be the breadbasket of Ethiopia, producing more than half of the nation’s crops.
We passed fields of grain and pasture for cattle, and started to see garies or horse-drawn carts and little tuk tuks along the road. Women, some quite old, walking bent-double with bundles of sticks for firewood on their backs, children herding cows and goats, and then random groups of young men by the road, jumping together in circles with tall sticks in the air. It’s still Orthdox epiphany time here, and this is the traditional Oromo dance to celebrate. The Oromo people are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, with their own culture and language, Oromingna.
I’d been told that an old and well-known herbalist was willing to meet me to talk about his work. He lives at a monastery 18 km out of Addis, so Lakew picked us up early one morning and we traveled north to Menagasha.
Print: Adelaide Slater
On the outskirts of the city we passed acres of huge flower greenhouses, which are taking up so much land and apparently rendering it useless for growing anything much at all in the future. Past these, Lakew pointed to one densely treed area with cottages in the distance and said it belonged to the Fistula Hospital – I think it may have been the Desta Mender Centre for permanent residents, who have been treated for the injury but who cannot return to a normal life in their village or community.
We arrived at the home of Merigeta, a herbalist/priest who has built a church near his home and sees many patients a day.
Before he appeared, we met his assistant, who asked us to sit on a long bench under a plum tree and brought us a plate of the small fruit, inviting us to eat. Lakew looked at me and said “Ah well, let us pray they are ok,” and we wiped off the dust and hoed in.
Where better to begin a study of Ethiopia’s healing plants, than a city whose name means ‘New Flower’ – Addis Ababa.
Elizabeth d’Avigdor 16/1/2011
After a long flight, with a host of delays to do with visas and extra aid baggage, we stepped out of the sparkling airport in Addis at six in the morning and were very nearly knocked off our feet by a mad donkey, tearing at fast trot between the taxis along Bole road and headed goodness knows where… We’re in Africa!
And I’d forgotten how much there is to love about this place; even dusty, chaotic Addis Ababa.
Many things look as they did five years ago, though the recent investment and development in the city is obvious. Those construction sites with wonky tree-branch scaffolding now share parts of the road with rows of expensive looking houses and office buildings. There are new sealed roads, but still of course, the dusty grey bundles of rags and tarps by the side of them. Sadly, this is still how many live here.
After just a few days, I feel like I’ve been here for a long time. It’s familiar, I feel quite at home out and about, producing a lot of laughs with my feeble attempts at Amharic. I’ll always stand out as a Ferenji (foreigner) but I’m getting the hang of the language again and the Ethiopian ‘way of doing things’ – nothing much is organised ahead of time here; almost everything is done face-to-face.
But a bit like the manic traffic and the road rules (or seeming lack thereof), most things somehow just work and our first week has been a full and productive one.
Lizzie, Alemayehu and sister Bizunesh touched down safely in Addis Ababa on Tuesday; they’re busy immersing themselves in all things Ethiopian, adjusting to the altitude, making connections and preparing for travel to Fiche next week.
Botanica Ethiopia also received more generous (and public) support from home and afar. South Australian author (and part of the family), Phillipa Fioretti, wrote this lovely, personal post about the project…
Sometimes I get impatient with the continual inward focus and isolated lifestyle writing demands. It’s a relief to get away from myself and be around others who are doing interesting and worthwhile things – it always helps to put that editing trauma or plot hole in perspective.
Over the Christmas break I spent time with one side of my extended family and, as usual, everybody is getting on with interesting activities, work or personal interests, and not writing related. My sister’s sister-in-law, Elizabeth d’Avigdor, a herbalist and naturopath with Blackmores, is flying to Ethiopia today to establish a herbal healing garden in Addis Abbaba. Now that’s interesting. Read more here
And for those who prefer their news in portuguese, the very beautiful journalist, Deni Ferreira, writes from Brazil…
Para quem não sabe, meu irmão mora na Austrália há 7 anos. Já deu tempo de ter até uma família adotiva (uma step-family mais precisamente) por lá: Lizzie, Michael, May, Adelaide e Alemayehu Slater.
A família Slater tem uma história muito legal: o Alemayehu é etíope e foi adotado aos 11 anos pela Lizzie e o Michel, depois que outro casal da família tinha adotado os seus irmãos, aos 3 e 5 anos. Hoje, os três irmãos crescem juntos, criados como primos-irmãos. Ler mais aqui
Botanica Ethiopia is proud to be a partner for project J655N with Global Development Group, an Australian DFAT approved NGO carrying out quality humanitarian aid and development projects with approved partners to relieve and provide long term solutions to poverty.
Botanica Ethiopia 