I have found out more about Gilgel Beles. First, I think it is the most remote VSO placement in Ethiopia at this time. I am down in the "isolated volunteer" category. There is a small medical centre there, a post office (very unreliable apparently especially for incoming mail so if you send me a letter or something when I have an address, you'd better photocopy it and send it a couple of times), a couple of hotels, a church, a mosque and there is even a prison marked on the rough map made by the last (and only) previous volunteer a year ago.
I have also found out more about the school system.
Children start school at age 7 in Grade 1. Grades 1-4 are called the "First Cycle" and Grades 5-8, the "Second Cycle" Children leave Primary School after Grade 8 when they are 15. Then they go to General Secondary School for two years (Grade 9 and 10) and at age 17 they take a national exam. If they pass they go to Prep school for two years (Grades 11&12) which prepares them for university. If they get low marks they go to Teacher Training College for three years to get a teaching diploma. Teachers are paid about 400 birr per month (£25) and many only do the job for the little money it offers, although once in post many do what they can to help educate the children in their class.
The location of the VSO office is: 09 01.042'N 38 47.220'E.
This afternoon I bought a Mars bar from a shop near the VSO Office at 6 birr (it is a luxury item and the price cannot be haggled down.) I also got a bottle of Coke at a nearby stand for 2 birr 50. I was doing ok until the shopkeeper kicked up a fuss about me leaving with the Coke and wanted 5 birr more and I though it was some kind of scam. I soon found out it was a
deposit for the bottle that he wanted. The glass bottle is worth more than the contents and he didn't want the bottle going anywhere. I walked around eating my Mars (I haven't missed them and it wasn't really worth it.) I got my money back when I handed back the bottle, so all was well!
In the UK a bottle of Coke is about two times the price of a Mars, here it's the other way round. I guess it would be a bit like a mars bar costing around £1.50
[PT I dare you to read this bit out in assembly!!]
Something a bit dodgy we found out today. The sewer system here (as in some areas of Europe apparently) is not designed for anything but body waste. I mean anything. We were told that we have to put all used toilet paper in a bin next to the toilet. Our bin was an open wicker one… Luckily, and miraculously, when I got back to my room after lunch, I found a plastic peddle bin with a lid in place. Still, I hate to think what it'll be like in the bathroom in the morning!
On the drive home today, the children were walking home from school and looked really smart in their uniforms. They have different coloured ones for different schools like we have at home. Some areas have well cared for flower beds and in the centre of a roundabout near the airport, there are letters made of grass. There is also lots of building work going on with quite a few areas with new, big blocks of flats.
Anyway, dinner calls, as do the gym showers (or trickles) which have hot water.
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