Visit to Fistula Hospital and Hamlin College of Midwives

On Tuesday november 26 the ‘broads-abroad’ women’s group assembled in front of the Phistula Hospital for a visit. We appeared to have parked  in front of the neigbours’ quite beautiful house where a Dutch family lives. So I had a pleasant introduction to Mirjam, about 10 years younger than I am and we got on very well. Her husband is the defense attaché at the Embassy.

The Fistula hospital has been started by Australian gynaecologists Catherine and Reg Hamilton in the 50ees to help the usually very young women (14-18 years old) out of their dreadful situation.  The problem is this:  when a young girl gives birth to her first child, sometimes  her pelvis is not mature enough or too narrow.  The baby is in the wrong position or too big, the labour is obstructed. The family members who assist in the birthing process press her to continue pushing, in order to get the baby out, because that is what they know from experience. After up to 4 or 6 days of pushing, the baby dies and the young woman is exhausted. This is already bad enough. The village doctor sometimes takes out the baby in pieces. After that it appears that urine and sometimes faeces is just running down the womans’ legs. This is due to a fistula'  that developed due to the endless pushing: an open connection between the uterus and the bladder or between the uterus and the colon. Of course the young woman doesn’t know what has happened to her; least of all what to do. Because she is smelling so badly and she can' thave sex, her husband marries another woman and sends her back to her family. Her own family will put her in a seprate hut and she is ostracized by the community. She doesn’t dare go out and depends on food and water that is brought or thrown to her.  In general such women emaciate and die after a  number of years. If they happen to know about the hospital they take sometimes years to get there, since they need to collect money for the bus, walk for days, travel for days or weeks because some busses will not take them as they smell so badly.  We got the chance to meet with Catherine Hamlin who will be 90 in two months time. She is still working there.

The Fistula hospital has a programme focussing on three solutions:

-       1. Treatment: ‘repairing’ the women with an operation

-    2.  Social, physical and psychological rehabilitation

-    3.  Prevention. By educating rehabilitated women as a midwife, after which they go back to their community and by awarenessraising about the existing possibility of healing and about the existence of the hospital  and - in the mean time - 5 health centres spread over the country. All the nurses are former patients.

Some women can’t be fully healed. They may have to live with a handicap. For those women a village has been built, where they live together and learn a profession, Hamlin village, see picture. There is a restaurant, they cook, they raise chicken and grow vegetables and fruit, there is a dairy farm, they make bedsheets, tablecloths and embroidery and they sell all their products. 

We visited this place as well and we were impressed with the cleanliness, the layout, everything. As the projectmanager,  a beautiful woman with the name Belasatcho, said: this is paradise for the women. And for them it is difficult to go back to their village in a remote area after they have experienced this, but hey must,  to make place for new women. 

So much happened in my first week in Ethiopia

To start with, here is a general impression of the cityscape of Addis. The first picture is in our neighbourhood, a little higher up in the hills surrounding the city.

The second picture is of Megananja Square, in the North Eastern part of Addis, where they are digging up the ringroad in order to make a metro. in the morning everbody is walking here to work and trying to find a bus.

Then this is the road that Robert takes in the morning towards the ministry; you can see the smog and the cars getting into the daily traffic jam. The 4th picture (below) is of the traditional city houses lining the street, usually with shops on the ground floor. 

Life has been so inspiring and ‘giving’ to me, this first week,  it is just unbelievable! There were so many coincidences, so many things I couldn’t even have planned or foreseen and yet they came my way and made my life fuller, giving sense.

It all started with Anne, the wife of Robert’collaegue and partner Martin, taking me out on Tuesday November 19^th to a gathering of international women,  talking about the DO’s and DONT’s in this country, very worthwhile. While there, someone announced that there was still one place available in the Amharic classes, so I said I would join. This appears to be a very interesting class. We are only three people and it is an hour’s drive, like going from Renkum to Utrecht though traffic jams  3 times a week, lessons from 5- 6.30 pm and them I am home at 20:00. Robert arranged a car with driver for me to take me there, otherwise I would not have known how to get there.  




Anne also took me to Selam village; a Swiss project, a village actually, set up for orphans to live there and get an education in growing vegetables, serving and cooking food in a well run restaurant. After a good lunch we bought some nice plants. 

Ann also introduced me to a German lady who invited me and Robert as ‘unknown guests’ to their birthday party last Saturday. This turned out to be a real nice party, where I met some interesting people, involved in wildlife, in (strengthening) beekeeping  in Ethiopia, an Iranian lady married to a German guy, a very nice Ugandan woman married to an American; I mostly talked with her 13 year old daughter, a real ‘third culture kid’. 

Also together with Anne and Martin we went to the artisan fair, a big twice yearly event where all Ethiopian artisans bring their special products. Robert and I bought some plates, covers for the (ugly) sofa, two nice paintings, cushions, Christmas decorations and a laundry basket. 

One painting (photo) I like particularly since it depicts an Ethiopian priestess or goddess and it feels good to have her in the house. Before buying it form the guy who painted it, I had a long discussion woth him:  why he painted a woman and not a man. When I said women are better in connecting people he agreed and said that he couldn’t live without his mum, who, as a woman, made the difference to his family as she was the glue, keeping everyone together.

On  Sunday November 24^th  we went to the Ayurvedic massage for our weekly treatment, but couldn’t get there because of the annual Ethiopian RUN. So we returned home (which takes half an hour with the traffic here), pottered around, had a coffee ( with nice Italian home baked cookies)  and then went to see Belatech (Hanna’s mum) to have traditional coffee and lunch: Injera with a lovely sauce, cabbage (Gomen) and green salad. Meanwhile she and her daughter Zedewnesh washed our  laundry, since we haven’t got a washing machine yet. 

On the way back Robert got some money from a cashpoint (very modern indeed) and we went home. There, Veronika, our Tsjech student/ family member had just returned from 2 weeks in the village (research for her Wageningen University masters degree). There was lots  to share over many cups of tea, while Robert picked up the new Sebanja (watchman/ gardenboy). A nice young guy, 26 years old, who is on his first job, living in the boy’s quarters behind our house  and –luckily-  speaking English quite well.  

It’s amazing that I have been here for only a week now and so much has happened. 

Settling in in Addis Abeba

 Here I am, on monday 18th of november at 10 a.m., sitting at the back of our big house, in the shade, at a plastic table which I have covered with a very old Indonesian tablecloth that I brought - it makes me feel at home.  There is a lot of wind, I had forgotten about that. And since there is a mountain climate here at 2600 meters (8500 feet), the nights , mornings and evenings are rather chilly. So I draped the Ethiopian Airlines blanket (which I didn’t steel but asked to take home as a souvenir) around my neck and body not to catch a cold. Throat aches  and colds are common here since the air is very  dry and there is a lot of dirty dust in the air.

Our house is in a new suburb reserved for ‘Diaspora’ Ethiopians at the very East of the city, past Bole International airport.  Diaspora Ethiopians are people who have fled the country when Mengistu took over from Haile Selassi in the 1980ies; 
they are mostly higher educated, English speaking  and wealthier Ethiopians. The present government likes them to come back to help build a stronger economy, so they were provided with this area to build their houses.  As everywhere in this city, they build houses first  and infrastructure (roads) later or never. So to reach our house you sort from the newly constructed and only halfway finished ring road onto a recently built tar road, with views onto the heaps of trash and the countryside further away; then you turn right at the sign ‘Tiny Tots’, towards  what must be a childrens’s nursery school in the neighbourhood,  into a very bumpy stony dirt track in between walled villa’s. And that’s where we are.

Garden and birds. Robert choose this house – I am sure! - because of the small but lovely garden, with roses, oleander, Pelargonium (Geranium in Dutch). He has already organised pots on the veranda with different Fuchsia’s, his hobby. We are frequently visited by a variety of special birds: a Lark (leeuwerik), a  White collared Pigeon (Duif, met twee jongen op ons dak) black kite (valk) mountain Trush ( soort lijster) Superb Starling( een oranje met blauw en groene  spreeuw), black bellied Starling ( glanzend blauw-paarse spreeuw) , Kamerkop and Black winged Lovebird (knalgroene papagaaitjes) 
Posted on wednesday 20st, the day I got internet!Thanks to Robert, who also organised a car for me to go to my first Amharic lessonthis evening. I 'll write more soon!

Goodbye party?

Since november 27 the Worldbank evaluation of ‘our’ project is ongoing, till today December 6. Robert is still in the ‘wrapping-up’ meeting. I say ‘our’ since I got quite involved in its ups and downs.

 Together with the Swiss, who carry out a complementary part of this project (but have their own financing and are therefore not dependent on the Uzb government) Robert and the WB representative went on fieldtrip, from 28 november till late afternoon Saturday 1 december, to see the progress. And there was progress! Robert got a compliment from the WB that despite the difficult situation, (like f.e. the employees not having been paid by Uzb govt. for 6 months), there were actually some rehabilitation works being carried out very well. Rob said in a speech toasting with wodka, which is the custom here:  "my name (as a project manager) is on all the billboards at the projects, and I can be proud of it, since there is excellent work being done by the local contractor !" 

Meanwhile, it is beautiful weather here, yesterday up to 16degrees celsius and sunshine all the time, lovely! 

The weekend was a very social one for me. Amongst others I went, with Lili,  to the International women's Christmas bazaar in a hotel which I couldn't find at first. They sold the most beautiful things, but very expensive, so we only bought some small presents.

From Monday 3 till Wednesday 5 the French director and projectmanager of the French company joined the evaluation, also to discuss with the WB and the Uzb directors how the project should continue, in view of the problems that need to be solved, with differing views on who is to pay from what budgets. The same problems as in June actually, and since they had not been solved then, nor in september, they were the reason then for Robert to announce his retirement from the job, with a three months notice. And that is why we go home now before Christmas.

The negotiations  went on for 3 days, with ups and downs, late lunches and even later homecomings, resulting in what seems a collapse of the project on Wednesday afternoon. What a disillusion, since there actually seemed to be an opportunity to continue. 

 the party setting! 

Meanwhile, Axelle (Roberts assistant team leader) had put a lot of time and effort in organising an appreciative party, on behalf of the French company, for all the project members to connect and to ‘celebrate’ the international cooperation, on that particular Wednesday evening! So while in the Netherlands Sinterklaas was visiting homes and giving away presents, poems and suprises, we had a surprise party too.

 The idea was that all present for the WB evaluation could join, so about 50 people came. It was a beautiful setting, which Axelle and I had found after a lot of research among Tashkent city’s restaurant. The food was great! The mood was not festive, but we didn’t let it spoil our evening, so we danced and laughed a lot. I even had purchased a special dress for the occasion, with Axelle of course, in the Aloyski bazaar, and overcame for once my embarrassment to wear a short dress. It actually was quite a success!

Today (6/12), I spent almost the whole day in the post office to have my extra luggage sent home. What a shame, since it was 16 degrees outside, lovely weather, sunshine!. I even had to go to customs to get their  authorization to send the felt embroidered seat covers that I brought form Kyrgyzstan! The problem here is that every government employee is so scared to make a mistake that he wants guarantees form higher up.  Anyway, it is worth it!  I now don’t have to pay excess luggage at the airport!

This will most probably be my last blog from Uzbekistan, since I will be traveling home to Renkum on Sunday December 16. Robert will follow on the 22d. Next newses will be from Home-in Holland. Untill then!

A three day visit to Kyrgystan

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 Since Robert needed to renew his visa for Uzbekistan after 3 months here, the simplest thing was to leave the country and get the new visa on return. Th easiest country to go to in the neighbourhood appeared to be Kyrgystan, East of Uzbekistan, no entry visa required. So that’s what we did. A one hour’s flight to Bishkek, the capital, of which I had never heard before in my entire life. The country itself is quite unknowm actually, but it appeared to be just as interesting and unspoilt as what I have heard of Nepal.

 We spent three days, but it seemed a week, due to all the fantastic experiences and impressions. Friday evening on our arrival at the airport, we were awaited by a cheerful driver who spoke German, since he had been in Mannheim for a 9 months training. His name is Bakyt, meaning ‘luck’, which he actually radiates. 

Saturday started – with our English speaking guide for 3 days- with a tour of the capital. A grand statue reminding every citizen of the revolutions (!) against the presidents, as recent as 2005 and 2010. Since this is a country of nomads the people are quite autonomous and stand up to their rights. Very different from Uzbek people who have always suffered under cruel dictators and usurpers ever since Alexander the Great  and are  quite subdued since those experiences.

 We left the city in a bad fog, but it cleared soon enough - Luck being with us!- and we found ourselves driving east along a grand mountain ridge, the border with Kazachstan, to the North. Soon we arrived at the Burana tower, similar in style to the one in Buchara, a watch tower obviously and the only leftover from the city of Balasagyn XI-XIII AD. 

It stands guard over a field of burial stones, which are special as they depict guards threatening evil forces. There are also some petrogyphs.

The journey continues through the ‘Boom’ pass to a suddenly widening valley, in which lies the Issik Kul lake. The lake is 180 km long, 60 kms wide and saline as it evaporates more water than it collects. In the summer it is an attractive recreation area, with nomadic people living in Yurts along the lake grazing their cattle, but now everything is quiet, very quiet. The moslim graveyards looks beautiful in the low sunlight against the backdrop of mountains. 

 We visit the Cholpon Ata site late in the afternoon. Big  stones seem threwn around randomly, but it is probably an old gletscher bed. There are petroglyphs depicting wolves, lonbg horned ibex, goats, horese etc. We meet a sheperd on horseback taking his sheep and cattle home for the night and two guys with real eagles, for hunting. 

We stay in in the Royal Beach hotel where we are the only guests. Next morning we get porridge for breakfast; not so bad since it is freezing cold! Today we leave the wide valley for a magnificant tour through the Dolon pass at 3038 meters.

First stop is in Kochkor where we buy a fermented wheat drink at the market from two very nice women and then visit the felt workshop. We go through the process of felt making and make our own 20x20cm felt ‘carpet’. The wool is laid out on a reed mat, rolled into it, hot water poured over it and then you have to dance on it for about 20 minutes for the wool to shrink and become strong. 

So that’s what we did, guided by the  two women in charge of the community project. After that we visited their well provided arts and crafts shop. We couldn’t escape being dressed up in a traditional wolf skin (Robert) and  fox-fur lined coat (Jelleke). Even though we wouldn’t have been able to import them into Europe due to ‘protected animals’ regulations, we wouldn’t have wanted such a thing: too heavy to wear really!   But effective in the severe cold in these mountainous regions on 2000 m height. After that we are invited to an exquisite warm 3 course lunch in the family’s house.

 

The mountain landscapes are fabulous. Robert and I were astounded that not only the sheep but also the horses and cattle were grazing on the stubs in the snow with zero degrees. We stayed the night in a nice guesthouse in the mountaintown Naryn, where it smelled like in the Swiss mountain villages, of wood and coalfires. And again we were treated to a very good homemade dinner. 

 

To end with: the top of a YURT construction, as well as the National emblem in the Nation's flag. 

11-11-12 A sunday hike in the mountains

After I had tried at the beginning of this year to get in touch with “Boris” who organises hikes around Tashkent, all of  sudden I got the link last week from Maricla, our Italian friend.  There was the invitation to  join a 6,5 hours hike in the Chimgan mountains (1,5 hours drive East of Tashkent, towards Tajikistan). So off we went this Sundaymorning at 07:00 to the Chimgan mountains, by now well known territory, we thought!

 

Last weekend it rained in Tashkent, so there was snow in the mountains. A nice group of 9 expats (USA, Letuvia, Germany, Italy, Ukraine) with different backgrounds and some more experienced hikers than others. We started at Chimgan, climbed the hills to 1,800 m, where we had a beautiful view of the lake ( artificial/ dam)  as well as a pretty clear idea of how far we had to go down. 

Some serious landslides, horses roaming free, some hawthorn bushes full of fruit. 

The weather was beautiful, after lunch all jackets and sweaters were off and suntan was applied liberally. 

We made good speed and were back at the bus in time, only 5 minutes later than scheduled.  But we did feel our knees and realised that our Sunday city walk along the canal cannot stand up to Boris’s hikes.            

20/21 October, a weekend in the desert

20-21 October 2012. Robert and I, joined by Axelle (Roberts' assistant team leader) We went by car from Tashkent to Jizzakh, then parallel to the mountain range near to the Kazach border, to Yanqishlak, on friday afternoon. 

We drove from 1 - 8 pm (with a driver who knew the road) all the way through the cotton fields, then through steppe and finally arrived at the yurt camp. 
Where it was cold!!! But a good meal and friendly people awaited us. 

The next morning we first went for a camel ride through the endlesssteppe landscape... amazing, it really never ends. After that we walked. A beautiful experience, so quiet that you hear only wind in your ears and your own blood. 

 After lunch the driver took us to the desert lake, just as extended and quiet.

 The evening we spent in a small village( 12 families) in the Nuratau mountains. Cold again, but impressive the way they managed to be selfsubstainable. Sunday morning a long walk over the mountains to find the ( not so impressive) Petroglyphs. But the views were fantastic! 

And ' only' 6 hours drive back ;)