Ethiopia - Travel with Cleo

In this episode, we are meeting with Cleo, who was born in Ethiopia, and now lives in the United States.   She shares her passion for the Ethiopian people, culture, traditions, and delicious Ethiopian cuisine. Cleo also reveals some of her favorite tourist attractions like the 11 churches of Lalibela and Gondar. 

She also talks about her amazing foundation that helps out underprivileged Ethiopian students. You can find out more about it on their website at https://zaffoundation.org/.

Chapters

• 0:15 Exploring Ethiopia With Cleo
• 16:45 Ethiopia
• 27:14 Supporting Education in Rural Ethiopia
• 37:14 Exploring Ethiopian Culture and Customs

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:15

Hi, welcome to our podcast when Next Travel with Kristen and Carol. I am Kristen and I am Carol, and we're two long-term friends with a passion for travel and adventure. Each episode we interview people around the globe to help us decide where to go next. Today we are meeting with Cleo, who was born in Ethiopia and now lives in the United States. She shares the highlights in history of Ethiopia, how to get around, what she loves about going back and how you can support the locals of this developing nation. And a quick shout out if you enjoy our podcast, can you please follow us and give us a review? It's a super easy, quick task that really helps the show. Enjoy the episode. Hello, hi, good to see you. Thank you for joining us to talk about Ethiopia.

Speaker 2 1:07

We're so excited to hear everything about it. I was looking at the title and I'm like I hope they're not thinking that I'm there.

Speaker 1 1:16

Well, I know we do a combo. Sometimes it's people who are visiting, sometimes they're native, they, you know, traveling living there for a little while. It's kind of a little bit all encompassing, and so you were born there or were you born here.

Speaker 2 1:34

So I was born in Ethiopia. I was there until the last year of my high school year and I came to the States, to Kentucky, to a boarding school, and I went to a boarding school for a year and moved to the Bay Area and did my undergrad at San Francisco State.

Speaker 1 1:54

And.

Speaker 2 1:54

I've been here ever since.

Speaker 1 1:56

I was curious how was your childhood in Ethiopia and you had kids here right. So curious what were the differences of your childhood in Ethiopia versus here in the US?

Speaker 2 2:08

The biggest difference is that I was raised in a community where both my parents worked. My dad was an optometrist. My mom worked for this Italian developer in Ethiopia. I had working parents, so we were raised by, of course, nannies and house helpers. The difference is that I stayed home and raised my kids. Almost 14 years I stayed with my sons. Biggest difference that I could say is that I knew everything about my children. I was so involved in their lives, as opposed to my parents, where we're all cleaned and ready to be kissed and say night-night to the parents, and that's how it was over there. Even when I traveled with my kids when they were younger, my mom used to be very disappointed at me that I'm so like. Oh, you know. All over my kids she would say oh my God, we've hired nannies for you, let them take care of them, but for me I I didn't. I really didn't like it.

Speaker 1 3:12

Yeah, Very different. And was it? Is the school system similar where it's, you know, elementary, middle school, high school, college?

Speaker 2 3:20

I went to all girls Catholic school. So my first school was from kindergarten to eighth grade and then high school was a different school, but both Catholic schools. But when I say also that you know my upbringing was like that but it was not the majority upbringing, a lot of people raise their own children. Majority of Ethiopians live in rural areas. Only 20% of the population lives in the cities. So it's very agricultural and farming kind of lifestyle. When I travel now I notice how they're still farming with their bulls and you know the old old way. We have a friend who we took a while back. He thought he was in a biblical time from the old days because everything is so ancient.

Speaker 1 4:14

Wow, and where did you grow up? Which city did you grow up in?

Speaker 2 4:18

In Addis Ababa, which is the capital.

Speaker 1 4:21

Okay, I have that on the map and that's the biggest one. Yes, that's the largest city. How do you spell that?

Speaker 2 4:30

adis ababa, a-d-d-i-s, a-d-d-i-s oh, a-d-i-s-a-b-a-b-a.

Speaker 1 4:37

Okay, I see it now a-b-a-b-a. It's interesting because, looking at et Ethiopia and just from afar, it's like half green and half brown.

Speaker 2 4:48

Yes, there is the Rift Valley and there is the savannas, the desert, and there's also very fertile the blue, where the Blue Nile, the water sources are. It's one of the countries that doesn't have any rivers or water sources flowing from another country. All of it flows outside of Ethiopia, actually.

Speaker 1 5:08

And I see there's like well on the map where it says Ethiopia. There's all these little water areas. Yes, okay, the whole middle part looks that, and there's Lake Tana T-A-N-A.

Speaker 2 5:19

Yes, that's where the Blue Nile starts. Actually, If there's any place that I would suggest for people to go visit is the Lake Tana area, because there are so many monasteries around there and you can see the source of the Nile. Really Huh.

Speaker 1 5:36

Where is the Nile River?

Speaker 2 5:37

I know it's just yeah, I found the.

Speaker 1 5:39

Nile River is way north on what I searched.

Speaker 2 5:42

Can you believe it flows north? Yes, okay, that's right. Okay, got it all right. Yes, it flows north to egypt. So if you really trace blue nile, you can really trace it back to lake dunn. All right, so there's got to be mountains.

Speaker 1 5:56

Are there a lot of yes?

Speaker 2 5:58

it's, it's very, uh, mountainous, especially the northern part of ethiopia, okay, and it's very green in some places and very dry in other places. And there are three seasons the rainy season, there is the hot, hot, dry season, and there is a short rainy season and there is a long rainy season.

Speaker 1 6:20

So, when the long rainy season is missing in some places, that's when we all hear that there is a drought in Ethiopia.

Speaker 2 6:32

And what time of year is the rainy season? So from September to February is the dry season, it's called Bega followed by a very short another rainy season. Almost from March to April there's a very short rainy season and there is a. May is a little bit hot and dry, and then from June, july and August it's the coldest and the rainy. It's called current.

Speaker 1 6:59

So like the hot dry, maybe nice because you're not getting rained on, but is it like so hot it's unbearable. Or when would you go? Like when is your?

Speaker 2 7:09

favorite time of year to go. I usually go in the rainy season because it's summer here, okay, so my kids are off school, so it's easier for me to go during that time. But even when it's hot, it's not as hot as it would get here. There's no humidity, I should say oh, there isn't, there isn't yes, desert okay, but it depends on which part of Ethiopia you go to. In Addis, though, there is no humidity, it's just it's a very dry, hot air. That's all it is, and in the evenings it's very cold.

Speaker 1 7:45

What's the temperature? Like 70s and 80s max. And what's really hot when you say like May.

Speaker 2 7:53

Well, there are places in Ethiopia where it's really the hottest spots. You have to travel at night. There is the active volcano region. That area also is not something that is easy to just go during the day, unless you have this amazing, I guess, vehicle to take you there. But it's called the Omo region O-M-O, o-m-o.

Speaker 1 8:18

Oh, I like how easy that is. Omo region. So, and in the, the town that you grew up in, the city, what like? What's the elevation?

Speaker 2 8:28

it's a very high uh altitude. Okay, so maybe that's why it's not so hot, because you're really close to the equator. Yes, it's at a higher altitude. Yes, wow so it takes longer to cook, it takes uh longer for a while water to heat and all that stuff. Yes, interesting, yes.

Speaker 1 8:44

What do you like most about Ethiopia and your culture? The?

Speaker 2 8:47

people. Yeah, the people are amazing. The food is, I don't know. I can't tell you how good it is. If you're a vegetarian, it's, I mean, the variety is amazing. If you're a meat eater, the variety is amazing. There, especially now in Add addis, there is a lot of food diversity. You can have anything that you can imagine. But uh, the ethiopian food is something to really get excited about when you go to ethiopia what are some traditional dishes, so there is um a grain called f, t-e-f-f.

Speaker 2 9:24

I think. It was consumed only in Ethiopia until very, very recently, when a lot of Westerners, I guess, understood the value of it. It's loaded with iron and it has protein and that's the staple food.

Speaker 1 9:39

And how do you spell that? T-e-f-f?

Speaker 2 9:41

Yes, Okay, now you can find it at Whole Foods too. Okay, everywhere, because a lot of athletes are using it for their, I guess, training and stuff.

Speaker 1 9:52

Oh, really yes. So, it's protein rich, so it's a protein rich one.

Speaker 2 9:57

Yes, and it has iron as well.

Speaker 1 9:58

Yes, does it taste like rice, or Does it taste like rice or so?

Speaker 2 10:04

you have to have a starter and let it ferment for a little bit, for, I guess, a couple of days before you bake it. It looks more like a crepe.

Speaker 1 10:14

Yes, I've had that at Ethiopian restaurants and you dip your food, the sausage, into crepe.

Speaker 2 10:17

Yeah, I remember it's kind of like a pancake. It's kind of like lighter lighter than a tortilla.

Speaker 1 10:21

Yes, and it's kind of like a pancake, it's kind of like lighter than a tortilla.

Speaker 2 10:25

Yes, and it has a little bubbly.

Speaker 1 10:28

Yes, every country, I feel like, has something. There's a tortilla, there's a papusa.

Speaker 2 10:33

There's the tamale, but most of them are corn-based and wheat-based. This one is a special grain. Actually, there is a farmer here that is growing it right now, and I think they distribute it to a lot of Ethiopian restaurants around here.

Speaker 1 10:50

Bayer is pretty multicultural. Is it authentic at all, or is it just not compared to back home?

Speaker 2 11:01

It is good, but at the same time it is different because the water is different, you know, the taif itself different, the butter that they use is different, everything is different. The meat is different because it's all almost 99% in Ethiopia is organic. It's grown without fertilizer and most of them are locally sourced, so it's very fresh. You can really enjoy the flavors of the spices Most of the spices come from there when they cook it here. So that makes it different. But at the same time I would go to Ethiopian restaurants and enjoy Ethiopian food as well, because it takes a long time to cook, so I prefer going to places and eat out.

Speaker 1 11:40

Okay, so I think probably like one of the big hurdles, like going to Ethiopia, it's pretty far. How many legs are there on your plane rides to get there? How long does it take? Is it 36?

Speaker 2 11:54

hours 25 hours yes it's almost 29 to 30 hours. Okay, it has been very simplified because right now the Ethiopian Airlines comes to Chicago, washington DC, and there is one more state that it comes to. So I have to fly to one of those cities, like take a red eye, and arrive there, and the flight usually leaves in the morning. But you can also take Emirates, like from here, from San Francisco, it's easier to take Emirates or Lufthansa. Okay, so you fly to Europe and then reconnect, or you fly to Dubai.

Speaker 1 12:35

Okay, and even that Ethiopian one. Do you have to go through Europe or Dubai, as?

Speaker 2 12:39

well, Actually, you can fly to. For us from people that are in the West Coast, we have to fly through the East Coast or Midwest to Chicago, and then it goes straight from there. But it stops in Dublin, I think, to refuel for about an hour or two hours. But you don't have to get off of the plane, it's just.

Speaker 1 12:58

Okay, so our Chicago listeners, we have a direct flight to ethiopia.

Speaker 2 13:02

it's basically we're saying wow yes, that's when business class becomes very handy and what's the ballpark price?

Speaker 1 13:11

I would assume that's pretty steep, of course you guys get deals but at least 1200 bucks or 1500 or.

Speaker 2 13:17

Oh my, it depends on the season, right? Summertime is very expensive, okay, it could go up to 2400 sometimes.

Speaker 1 13:24

Okay. I'm seeing right now. I just Googled SF to Ethiopia and it looks like it's anywhere between 13 to 1500.

Speaker 2 13:32

Yes, because right now it's off season, right, but Christmas time and summer is kind of expensive.

Speaker 1 13:41

Yeah, I know sometimes traveling off-season think of like with remote workers, digital nomads, people that just want to go spend a month there Any concerns about going off-season or would you highly recommend it?

Speaker 2 13:54

Oh, off-season is great. Actually, anytime is great, unless it's. I mean, you know, if you're not bothered by the rain, the rain is the worst that could happen, and you know when you go there. It's not like here where it snows and you're stuck in your house and stuff. The worst that could happen is like a monsoon kind of rain. Sometimes it just comes and then it dries up very quickly and everything is back to normal. Yeah, off season is actually much better because it's not crowded Nice.

Speaker 1 14:23

And what is it to do? Like what would you recommend someone to go and experience and see?

Speaker 2 14:29

My favorite was to do the Christianity kind of path. So it starts from the northern part of Ethiopia where the ancient Aksum kingdom started. You can see a lot of obelisks and historical monuments over there, remnants of Benshiva's palace this is very controversial, but I'm just going to say it but part of the Ark of the Covenant is also. They think it's stored in Aksum, in one of the covenant is. Also they think it's stored in axum in one of the churches there. You get to go there but you don't get to go inside and see it, because it's it's where we're supposed to believe that it's there, okay so this?

Speaker 1 15:13

is it like a set pilgrimage, because we had talked about someone in portugal where there's this Camino de Santiago path that you trek. Is it like a long trek, this path, or is it just like a day thing?

Speaker 2 15:26

Well, it depends. So what you do is you fly to Addis, because that's the capital city, and then you have to fly to the northern Ethiopia, which is the Tigray region. You can fly to Meghali and then you can do all those sightseeing in the northern part, and then you start going down the path and then you can go to Lalibela, which is one of the seven wonders of the world. What's it called Lalibela? How would you spell that? It's L-A-L-I-B-E-L-A.

Speaker 1 16:02

It was beautiful.

Speaker 2 16:04

Yes, oh my gosh, there are seven churches and they're all carved out of one rock. So Emperor Lalibela created those churches and each one is connected by a little tunnel or underground, and it's just, it is beautiful, beautiful.

Speaker 1 16:26

It looks like it's what I see a hillside that someone carved down. I've never heard this. This is so cool. It's really pretty. It is beautiful. Is there stairs down? Is that how you get down?

Ethiopia

Speaker 2 16:40

Yes, that's another place where you go for Christmas. Christmas usually Ethiopian Christmas is January 7th because they follow the old calendar. So when you go to Christmas there is a mass overnight and people really celebrate and attend the mass outside of the church. I mean it's packed, it's thousands and thousands of people go there for Christmas.

Speaker 1 17:08

It says rock cut. It looks like a rock. It says rock cut church.

Speaker 2 17:11

There are seven different churches. It's gorgeous. So when you go there they will take you to each one, to each of the churches, and you get to see, and each one is different from the other. So Axum is where the obliques are, where the origin of the Christianity is, and you can see a lot of carvings with different types of scripts on them. It's beautiful.

Speaker 1 17:39

And it looks like one is Off Limits to Women.

Speaker 2 17:43

Yes.

Speaker 1 17:46

I can't pronounce it In.

Speaker 2 17:46

Lalibela right. Are you looking at Lalibela?

Speaker 1 17:50

I think it's several. It says Top Things to See. Biat Madhani Alem Alem is one of them, and there's several. And then there's one that says off-limits to women.

Speaker 2 18:01

Yes, my boys went in with their. They were like, mom, don't worry, we're going to go inside, take a photo and pictures for you so you can see what you've missed. So they went inside and I had to stay back.

Speaker 1 18:14

Wow, oh, and it says it's home to the Salasi Chapel, which is said to contain the tomb of King Lalibala. Yes, that's where his tomb may be, and it's sacred and, as such, is closed to the public. Yes, so it was one of the first countries to adopt Christianity. Okay, that is before Europe did.

Speaker 2 18:40

That is a very, very old religion in Ethiopia.

Speaker 1 18:46

Wow. So how long does it take to go and visit those seven churches?

Speaker 2 18:51

You can see it, maybe in a day or two. They've gone to each, I guess. I don't know how they carved it, but you can walk it through in one day and do you walk up again or do you walk through tunnels? There is a lot of dark spots in the in your tour where you're not allowed to turn your light on. You just have to trust and walk that is really neat.

Speaker 1 19:16

I had no. How is Christmas celebrated in Ethiopia?

Speaker 2 19:41

Christmas Eve you go to church and spend the whole evening at church and you go home and, I guess, break your fast around maybe 3am, yes, and then two weeks later there is the baptism, so it's called Tunkat, and for that you go to a place called Gonder, g-o-n-d-r. A place called Gonder.

Speaker 1 19:57

G-O-N-D-R. Wow, and so what do people do when they? So they go there and what do they? And how many people go? Thousands.

Speaker 2 20:07

Yes, thousands I mean people from here go for that. Wow. So there is a big pole that, where it gets blessed by the priest, there is a ceremonial mass and then it gets, uh, blessed, and people jump into the water to, I guess, cleanse their sins and be, I guess, baptism again and do you think some people go to like replenish or just new Catholics? It's just replenish, usually Okay, and a lot of tourists go there during that time as well.

Speaker 2 20:44

Nice, and that's right after Christmas you're saying just what's the year they do this January, january, okay.

Speaker 1 20:53

So I see a picture and it's the pool, there's a building in the end of it, or so, and then there's lots of people. And I see a picture and it's the pool, there's a building in the end of it, or so, and then there's lots of people and I see a lot of like white robes.

Speaker 2 21:04

Yes, that's the traditional costumes like that. Okay, yes.

Speaker 1 21:10

And do they call it something specific? Okay, and that looks like do I see something that they're wearing on their heads too?

Speaker 2 21:22

It has a scarf that. So women put it on the scarf over their heads and the men has like almost a turban kind of looking. Most of those people that put the turban kind are religious people like priests and deacons and people of the church.

Speaker 1 21:41

Got it Okay.

Speaker 2 21:43

Excellent.

Speaker 1 21:44

And yeah, and then the women I see white, but then I just Googled Ethiopian clothing, women and women's just popped up.

Speaker 2 21:51

I guess it's a handmade woven dresses.

Speaker 1 21:56

And it looks like there's it's white, but then they they've got a like a long kind of front sash yes, it actually.

Speaker 2 22:03

It's not a sash, actually it's hand embroideries.

Speaker 1 22:06

Oh wow, they are beautiful, beautiful yeah, that looks really pretty, and then I see it. H do they do a lot of, is it Hanna?

Speaker 2 22:17

Yes, but it's not as common as other. Like Middle Eastern countries, it's mostly the northern part of people that do Hanna's. Got it Okay the north and the I guess, the southern end of Ethiopia as well.

Speaker 1 22:33

Oh, wow. And then how do you get around? So say, you fly into the capital city, then you want to go to this northern. Do you rent a car or they're just tour buses or trains?

Speaker 2 22:45

How do people get around the country? So how we did it was we flew to the northern part, from Addis to a city called Meghali, and then we flew back, we flew to Lalibela and we flew to Axum as well. Oh, okay. So, there are small planes that go throughout those places and there's like hourly or every two hours kind of flights that takes you to different places. But from Lalibela to Gondar we drove, and do they have rental cars easy to get around?

Speaker 2 23:21

Yes, they have mini buses, tour buses that take you around, and I think that one of the most beautiful drives that I've ever taken. It's gorgeous, it's beautiful.

Speaker 1 23:33

Yeah, what do you see while you're driving?

Speaker 2 23:36

You see mountains that are carved so uniquely. It's just, it's amazing. I don't know how it ended up having like rock formation like that. It's just like one pointy, like big rock in the middle of nowhere, and there is farmers that you see farming and you see the women you know herding their animals, or men herding their animals, little kids, shepherds herding their animals as well.

Speaker 1 24:03

Oh wow, I just, I just Googled it. This is Simeon Mountain.

Speaker 2 24:08

Simeon Mountain is the northern part, ok, and that's where the baboon and there are exotic animals out there that are very unique to Ethiopia. What kind of animals? There are baboons, but they're only found in Ethiopia. It's called chalada and there are monkeys that are really literally black and white and they're so pretty. There is the niala.

Speaker 1 24:41

They're mountain goats, but they're also unique to ethiopia I'm seeing the baboons and they're like ornate, really pretty. Actually they look kind of lioness too right with their furs, yeah, their main the big head yeah they definitely look like like that. For sure, there's a lot of them in these photos.

Speaker 2 25:01

Yes, Wow, that's really neat. And another big thing that I didn't mention is Lucy. I'm sure you know about the Lucy. The oldest human bone was found in Ethiopia. It is believed that that's where the origin of our human ancestries started, Is she?

Speaker 1 25:24

in a museum there.

Speaker 2 25:25

She's in a museum in Addis Ababa actually.

Speaker 1 25:29

That's like a once-in-a-lifetime site to see. I would expect it's interesting because Ethiopia, it doesn't touch any oceans.

Speaker 2 25:41

Yes, every tree. I used to be part of Ethiopia as well. They got their independence 30 years or 35 years ago, so during that time they had had that access to the Red Sea. Got it. Now it's landlocked.

Speaker 1 26:03

Yes, okay, got it. Now it's landlocked. Yes, okay, got it. What do people typically do for activities in Ethiopia?

Speaker 2 26:08

Well, one of the main things that I want to mention is it's a very, very poor country and it has always been struggling with famine, as well as wars that happen, breaks, breakout once, I don't know, once every five years, six years, so it kind of always. They take, I guess, 10 steps forward and always a kind of stagnant growth in Ethiopia and majority of the people, as I said, growth in Ethiopia and majority of the people, as I said, they're farmers. They're poor. So, unless you're in the city, there's no such thing as you know activities. They go on vacation, this and that, no, so does tourism help the country?

Speaker 1 26:52

yes. Feeling some dollars? Okay, yes. Or do they say stay away? Okay, good, okay. Well, I think they like soccer.

Speaker 2 27:00

Yes, everybody loves soccer, yeah.

Supporting Education in Rural Ethiopia

Speaker 2 27:02

Especially over there or football but, like soccer balls are not accessible. Right Like the kids in the rural area, they can't even have access to soccer. So one of the trips that I took for my foundation at the last minute I was, I think, an REI or somewhere and I saw soccer balls on sale. So I kind of picked about four or five and I took it to the school that I was supporting. I couldn't believe young men were crying because they thought it was such a special thing that I thought about and brought them and I was like, oh my God, I can't, you know, it's just yeah, wow, let's talk about your foundation. So the foundation was, I guess it came to mind in 2017.

Speaker 2 27:48

I took my voice again to the northern part to see. I took my boys again to the northern part to see him. Actually, we took a trip with my dad to see his birth place and his where he grew up, and I honestly could not believe it is almost the same as it was when he was born. There is nothing. There are, like you could see thin roofed or cottages from a distance and he was like that's where I was born and we were like where we're expecting a little town or something, but there was nothing.

Speaker 2 28:23

So my dad and some fellow friends of his that were born in that area opened a school in his village area and we went to see that and we got there. There is a building. There's nothing, it's just, yes, they build a building and they have some equipments that were donated from different parts of the world that they're terrified to plug in because if the electricity goes off it's just gonna go, you know, die, or they haven't even touched it, and anyways, there's a school, a vocational school, for students that were not passing their national exams so which is in grade?

Speaker 2 29:11

right, you were saying it was in 10th grade, but now the new government has changed it so people can go up to 12th grade to finish, but during that time it was up to 10th grade. So it was for those kids, um, and there's electricity one day, there's not no electricity the other day, and it's a vocational school. So you know, some days they will have something and the teachers are not consistently teaching because they get a better deal somewhere and they go, and so, anyways, I came back and even my kids were like Mom, we need to do something. Let's just at least ask for something and then do something for these kids. And that's how my foundation was started and we started late 2018. And by the time everything was finalized, it was 2019. And right when we were, covid happened and the school shut down. And during COVID, war started. And war started right where the school is. Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 2 30:17

So I don't even know at the moment if the school is in existence or not, because, as far as I knew, when I was there in October, I was not even able to travel to that area of Ethiopia. So in 2022, I met this guy who has a foundation. He's also helping his village in Ethiopia, so I've been collaborating with him and started funding projects within his village. So he had open schools in his village elementary school and high school. So when we went to see the high school, he had built a couple of dorms for the girls. So the girls don't have to go back and forth from home because it's a long distance for them to travel to get to school and many things happen on their route to school.

Speaker 2 31:23

So some of them travel like two to three hours and some of them that happens every day, or the parents would say, okay, you've been taking a lot of, you know, taking trips and because it's taking their day. So one of the amazing things that this gentleman did was he opened up like mills in different areas of the village, in different areas of the village. That way they don't force their girls to stay off school so they can go have or grind their harvest and stuff.

Speaker 2 32:01

So they have like mills in different ways where they can have those accessible so the girls can go to school. So one of the girls that graduated from his school asked him if he can start opening dorms for the girls. That way they don't have to travel, because it's very hard to convince especially the parents to let their kids go to school. So he opened up two dorms and he can.

Speaker 2 32:31

At that time he had, I think, 60 girls going to the dorms, so we fundraised here and built a dorm there for 60 girls and on my trip in October we got to visit the dorms and one of the things that it was lacking was water access. The whole school does not have water source, so there's a little stream in the back of the school so the kids go there and bring their water. So that was one of the things that I was like oh my gosh, you see somebody washing their clothes up there taking a bath and there is a animals are drinking it. Somebody is just doing something on the others, it's just a mess, but that's the water that is available.

Speaker 1 33:21

Wow. So what's the name of your organization? You guys have a website.

Speaker 2 33:26

Yes, it's called Wajarat Foundation. Actually, going back to the name of my foundation is going to be, uh, changed. I'm in the process of changing the name, and the reason why I'm changing it is it's a name of a region and it's becoming so political as well like.

Speaker 2 33:45

So I'd rather have a generic name. So we're changing it to zaf. Z-a-f means zaf means tree, so the name is zaf foundation. So we're changing it to Zaf. Z-a-f means Zaf means tree, so the name is Zaf Foundation. So we're in the process of doing that. But if you want to see what I'm, what my foundation does, it's on my old name.

Speaker 1 34:07

It's Wajirat W-A-J-I-R-A-T.

Speaker 2 34:08

Wajirat yes.

Speaker 1 34:09

It says empowering students and teachers for a better future in rural Ethiopia.

Speaker 2 34:14

The school that I'm collaborating with, partnering with, that is also in Gondar region. So what we are doing right now is we did a fundraising, and it was in August to find a water source for the school, to find a water source for the school so they can have access to water and they don't have to go to the river at night or anytime during the day and so they can focus on their schooling. So we had two spots Dag, like we had a geologist come to the area and dig some spots and we found water sources. So we just actually funded for them to do some kind of storing the water and then also have access to the school, bring pipes to the school and so they can have water tubs in by the school. Wow, that's awesome.

Speaker 1 35:06

So you're finding these natural springs under under underground?

Speaker 2 35:10

Yes, they dug 80 meters to find water. So they found two spots. So one of the spots they think they must have been some kind of water or a river or a creek previously. So it gets mixed with sand very quickly. So that was not not feasible, so they are going to use one of the other holes to get the water out yeah, and I'm gonna say is it isn't enough water.

Speaker 1 35:39

I'm just curious if they know, like how?

Speaker 2 35:40

it's made.

Speaker 1 35:41

It's really amazing how they can do that.

Speaker 2 35:44

Yes, they had a water well that they, uh were using previously in that area. It was hand dug, so it really dried out. Wow, so there is nothing. They have to go to the river and get the water from there.

Speaker 1 36:00

Okay, wow, we want to put the info put it in the notes as well for folks, because I think it'd be great. When are you switching the name to Zaf? It's almost there, yeah, and if folks would like to help or participate, is there a button on there or Venmo, or something that people could donate or help volunteer or any way they could.

Speaker 2 36:23

Yes, once everything is settled, where everything is going to go, completely changed to Zaf. So, yes, there's a PayPal, I can. That is it's connected to yes.

Speaker 1 36:34

I'd love to help out too, so for sure, well, and I know I want to respect your time and I know I'm so appreciative of the sour. I know Carol has a rapid fire question. Yeah, I should have said so well, when you're over there, what would you say your favorite dishes that you would you have to have every time you go there?

Speaker 2 36:54

There is like a beef tartar, it's called kutfo. I'm scared to eat it raw because there are so many, I guess, bad things that could happen to you if you eat it raw. So I have it well done, but that's my favorite, okay.

Speaker 1 37:14

And then what would be the most common religion? It sounds like.

Speaker 2 37:18

Catholic. Is that accurate? No, it's Orthodox Christian, oh Orthodox.

Speaker 1 37:26

What would you say? What kind of Orthodox it's.

Speaker 2 37:28

Coptic, orthodox Coptic With a K, okay, with a C, with a C, okay, kind of orthodox. It's a coptic, orthodox coptic with the k, okay with the c, with the c, okay, so it's the orthodox. They have it in russia, ukraine, okay, uh. Syria, greek, okay, yeah, I definitely know, you see it in different places, okay. And also, the other majority major religion is Islam, and there's Protestant, there's Catholic, yes, okay, but the majority is Orthodox Christian.

Speaker 1 38:02

And then how about custom music? Is there a lot of like traditional music there?

Speaker 2 38:09

There is traditional instruments as well that I've never seen anywhere else, but the kind of similar to other places as well. It's called karar. Karar is like they are. Most of them are string bass and masinko. Masinko looks like a violin, but it's made out of uh, I think giraffe or zebra's tail, so it's stretched out, or horse tail. So if I find videos also, I can send you the musical instruments, how what they look like, and so you can hear what they sound like that would be amazing.

Speaker 1 38:46

Yes, yeah, you can put on your Instagram there's a traditional can put on our Instagram.

Speaker 2 38:54

There's a traditional dance as well. So Ethiopia has a lot of different ethnic groups. So each ethnic group has its own language, its own traditions and also its own dances, and they use the musical instrument in their different traditional way as well. Even traditional clothing each region has its own kind of different variety or version of the Ethiopian traditional dresses.

Speaker 1 39:18

So how many different languages that there are there are over 100 different languages. Is there a primary?

Speaker 2 39:25

language At some places. If I go to other, like few places, I don't even understand what they're talking. I will have a translator with me. Okay, do they all speak English too? Or most likely not. No, because the rural people they try they. Usually there is always somebody that knows something.

Speaker 1 39:45

And I wondered is there a primary language, like most people in Ethiopia speak?

Speaker 2 39:50

Yes.

Speaker 1 39:51

Yes, and what is that? It's?

Speaker 2 39:52

not a national language, but it's called Amharic and it has its own alphabets. We are the. Ethiopia is the only country that has its own alphabet in Africa. By the way, we don't use Euro characters. It's Ethiopian, they have their own characters.

Speaker 1 40:10

So say a sentence, say something in your language.

Speaker 2 40:15

You can tell me what to say.

Speaker 1 40:18

Your sons maybe talking about your sons and what they mean to you Lijoche.

Speaker 2 40:24

Lijoche means my kids, taru Lijochnacho, meaning my kids are really good kids.

Speaker 1 40:32

Nice.

Speaker 2 40:32

Interesting.

Speaker 1 40:33

Okay, meaning my kids are really good kids, nice, interesting, okay, now, um, and then where's the closest place to surf? Probably not. It's landlocked, not a surf destination, but they surf.

Speaker 2 40:45

Probably not um, there are gazillions of lakes, oh okay okay, the wake surfing.

Speaker 1 40:55

But I'm thinking for windsurfing on windsurfing Like behind a boat, oh my gosh.

Speaker 2 41:02

I'm sure there are so many places. By the way, there are a lot of Europeans that go to Ethiopia to vacation and there's a lot of Italian influence as well, because Ethiopia was almost colonized by the Italians. Ethiopia was one of the only countries that were not colonized in Africa, so there's still the Italian remnants in Ethiopia, so there may be like Italian lodges and places where you can go. They can have a wakeboard and all that stuff.

Speaker 1 41:39

Wow, okay. And then lastly, is the money. With all these different regions, is there different money?

Speaker 2 41:46

or is there one unified? There is one unified money and it's called BIRR B-I-R-R. Yes.

Speaker 1 41:54

Yes, okay. And is it like dollars coins combo? It's a mix.

Speaker 2 42:02

One dollar is in a coin, but the rest is in paper money. But there's 5 cents, 10 cents and 50 cents and 25 cents, but there's $0.05, $0.10, and $0.50 and $0.25.

Speaker 1 42:12

And so, with all these different languages, should someone go with a guide? Or, as long as you stay in the more urban areas, could you get away with English and Google Translate, or what would you recommend?

Speaker 2 42:26

So most places, like, when you start your trip, I'm sure you'll arrange it with a travel agent or some tourism agent in Addis. So every place that you go to, they will arrange someone from the local community to be your guide. So everywhere you go, you'll have a person who speaks English or other European languages to translate for whatever trips you're taking. Okay. But if you go to Lalibela, most people do speak English, okay, not the local, I mean when I say most people. There is a university so you may run into college kids and things like that, okay, and places that are used to tourists yes, okay, yes, very good, thank you so much.

Speaker 1 43:13

Okay, and places that are used to tourists yes, okay, yes, very good, thank you so much. Yeah, wow, it's been amazing. Thank you so much for sharing about your country and thank you, wonderful weekend.

Speaker 2 43:24

Yes, thank you, you too. Stay dry, we'll try. Yes, okay, talk to you later. Bye.

Speaker 1 43:40

Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed the podcast, can you please take a second and do a quick follow of the show and rate us in your podcast app, and if you have a minute, we would really appreciate a review. Following and rating is the best way to support us. If you're on Instagram, let's connect. We're at where next podcast. Thanks again.