Updated Book List

You can still buy books and get them to my students with free shipping.
I've updated the list of books below.
Let me know if you get any so I can lookout for the package and take the books off the list.
For those of you that don't know how it works, just go to the website, betterworldbook.com, pick the books you want to purchase and put in my address for shipping.

Here is the website again:
betterworldbooks.com

And my address:

Helena Chevallier
PO Box 153
Butajira, SNNPR
Ethiopia

Thanks for your help!

There was an Old Lady – Pam Adams

Green – Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book – Dr. Seuss

Bear Has a Story to Tell – Philip Christian Stead

Giraffes Can’t Dance – Gile Andreae

The Ear Book – Al Perkins

If Everybody Did – Jo Ann Stover

The Shape of My Heart – Mark Sperring

The Little Red Hen – J.P. Miller

The Jolly Postman or Other People’s Letters - Janet and Allan Ahlberg

Would You Rather? - John Burningham

I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato - Lauren Child

Where’s Spot? - Eric Hill

The Tiger Who Came to Tea - Judith Kerr

The Arrival - Shaun Tan

Caps for Sale - Esphyr Slobodkina

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! - Mo Willems

George and Martha - James Marshall

The Lion and the Mouse - Jerry Pickney

Madeline - Ludwig Bemelmans

Olivia - Ian Falconer

Pippi Longstocking - Astrid Lindgren

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs - Jon Scieszka

Walk Two Moons - Sharon Creech

My Living Conditions

I’ve been back in Butajira for about three weeks now and I am in a much better place mentally than I was when I first got back from the States. These last two weeks I was kept busy with G11’s (new group of education volunteers) practicum. I acted as a sort of advisor. I helped a group of trainees assigned to the school that I work at on making lesson plans and creating assessments and I observed their teaching and gave them feedback. Other G9 (my group) volunteers were in town doing the same thing I was so I was able to work with them and catch up. Most of them I hadn’t seen since March, so it was nice getting to see some familiar faces. I soon gathered that I wasn’t the only one in a slump. When you reach your one year mark it’s normal to feel a bit depressed. So hearing how my fellow G9ers were also feeling down, talking through it with them I realized that I’m not alone, we’re all in very similar places and in that way I got out of my slump.

 

After looking at this upcoming school year, all the things I have planned, and marking when important conferences and meetings are, I realized that this year is going to fly by. I feel as though almost overnight my mood dramatically changed. I’m happy to be in Ethiopia. I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be for now. I’m so excited for this next year. I’ve realized that there is so much of this country I have yet to see. So I’ve started listing all the places I want to go and have tried to figure out when I’ll be able to do it. I’m ready to start this next year and make it amazing!

In the meantime, as I have no work going on right now I thought I’d put together some pictures of my house and my school. When I was in America I got a lot of questions about my living conditions, my house, and how I go about getting my basic needs. Hope these answer most of your questions. 

I came home to freshly painted walls which I was beyond excited about. I had wanted my red room painted ever since I moved in a year ago. My landlord started doing renovations on my compound before I left and had asked me if I wanted my house painted. I jumped on the opportunity not to have to do the painting myself or have to find someone to do it for me and did not hesitate to say yes, please!!

I’ve also posted some photos below of the ride to Lake Langano that I got to go to a couple of weeks ago. Some G9s and I were able to tag along on G11’s day trip to the lake.

The mattress on the floor acts as a couch.

Don't let those hard wood floors fool you. It's plastic!! I'm trying to stay fancy,

The purple room is my bedroom

My school compound

My school compound

My school compound

One of the classrooms at my school

One of the classrooms at my school.

Afterthoughts on a month in America

I thought I’d be able to write a blog post as soon as I got back to Ethiopia, but it turns out those first three days were too depressing for me to sit down, gather my thoughts, and write about my trip home. I just got back to Ethiopia from having spent a month in America and I feel like leaving my friends and family was harder this time then it was when I first left a year ago. Just thinking about it I have tears in my eyes. I didn’t want the plane to land as we approached Addis. I know this last year went by fast and no doubt the next one will be just the same, however so many things happened in just one year. Many great memories, but also some especially trying moments and experiences. And to think that I have to do it all over again for another year seems impossible.

            About my month in America. I’m so happy I was able to go back and spend some quality time with my family and friends. I ate and drank as much as my stomach could handle which by my last week caused me to lose my appetite. Those hot showers were amazing. Just being able to do my hair, put on some make up and wear a dress was incredible. Those things may not seem like a big deal but I miss feeling like a woman. It felt amazing to see my friends, catch up, and share a few laughs over some good food and a glass of wine. For all of those who made the time to come see me it means so much. I love you and miss you so much. And of course to be with my family again… the people that love you no matter what, even when I’m not the greatest person to be around or I get in a bad mood and in my case, the four people that support me in all that I do, the time I was able to spend with them will be with me throughout this year. I know I’ve said this before, but the support and love that I receive from my family and my friends is what keeps me going. I couldn’t do this without all of you. I’ve learned that my relationships with you are so important to me and I hope they continue once my service is over.

            I did have some difficult moments during my stay however. Living away from everyone for an entire year, in a country so very different than my own left me feeling disconnected. Many of the experiences that I’ve had in Ethiopia are difficult to translate in America. Many times I felt like I couldn’t relate to the conversations that people were having. At times I found myself silent at meals because I had no idea what to say. It’s a very lonely feeling that I know takes time to go away.

            Even so, leaving America was unbearable. I got a taste of America for a month and then I had to leave it. I was reminded of the life I had before I left. I got to have all the freedoms I don’t have here back for a month. As humans we evolve and we adapt. So after a few months in Ethiopia you begin to get used to the way of life here and what was once difficult becomes normal. Before I left for my vacation, I had my routine. But going to America I got to see my life in Ethiopia and it reminded me of how hard and challenging life in Ethiopia is, at least for me. And now to have to get back in that routine and get comfortable with life here again seems too difficult. Last year when I left the States I had no idea what was in store for me. I didn’t know what to expect. This time I knew what was waiting for me when I arrived back in Ethiopia so I think this may be why it was harder to leave. And even though I’ve finished a year in Ethiopia and understand this country a little bit better than I did before, it’s still going to be hard.  

Now I don’t want to give people the idea that Ethiopia is a horrible place and my life here is dreadful. As I was waiting in Chicago for my plane to take off, drinking one last beer of course, I found myself thinking that I needed to make a list of all the things I needed to do when I got “home”. No matter how many obstacles I face in this country, Butajira is my home for now. I have wonderful memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I have met some great people that it will be difficult to say goodbye to when I get ready to leave. I’ve also made friendships with fellow volunteers that I know will last a lifetime. I don’t regret joining the Peace Corps, but it is by far the most difficult thing I have ever done. I am challenged and pushed every day in ways that I know wouldn’t be if I was in America. I’m confronted with situations that I would never have to deal with in America. If there’s anything I’ve learned this past year it’s how much I love my country. And being away from it for so long in a place so completely different is challenging. America has its problems. It’s not perfect and there are many changes that our society needs to make BUT, America is amazing. There are so many things that Americans don’t realize they have that I would also take for granted if I hadn’t had the experience of living in Ethiopia. I understand how lucky I am to have grown up in such a place and I now have a much greater appreciation for where I am from. 

What's Happening in Ethiopia?

Bus ride to Arba Minch

I know I’m way behind on my blog posts so let me try to bring you up to date. The weekend after Easter (so at the end of April) I traveled to Arba Minch with some other volunteers for a friend’s birthday. From Butajira I got on a bus to Hossana (2 hours). Once in Hossana I got on another bus heading to Wolayta Sodo and had the driver drop me off in Areka (1 hour and 15 minutes) where my friend Theresa lives. I spent a couple days with her and then we headed down to Sodo (45 minutes) where we got on a bus to Arba Minch (3 hours). The ride down to Arba Minch was gorgeous. The road on the other hand was pretty bumpy and very dusty. But I got some great photos of the scenery so it was well worth it. And of course getting out of site for a few days is always nice. Arba Minch was extremely hot though. Without ever feeling a breeze I felt exhausted most of the time I was there. It was so hot I couldn’t enjoy the hot shower which is saying a lot seeing as how the only shower I’ve seen in the last few months has come out of a blue bucket. I’m glad I made the trip down though and got to see a part of Ethiopia I hadn’t before.

On a more serious note, the first couple weeks of May were met with some violent protests across the Oromia region. University students along with citizens from the towns in which the students met were protesting a development plan for Addis Ababa. I don’t know all of the details but some people were arrested and some were killed. The volunteers in those areas were evacuated to Addis. They are all safe and as of last week most have returned to site. Because of these events, Peace Corps decided it was best to cancel the EveryOne Campaign Race in Hawassa on May 11^th that many volunteers had signed up for. I think the majority of us were pretty disappointed about this, but it was a necessary decision Peace Corps had to make to ensure all of ours safety.

Bus ride to Arba Minch

Other news:

G10 is out of training and has sworn in as volunteers. This means they have left Butajira and I have the town to myself again. G11 arrives in July and Peace Corps training staff will be back in Butajira to set up in a couple of weeks so I won’t be alone long. Since G11 will be here this summer and they are an education group, I’ll probably be helping out with some of the trainings since school will be out and I won’t have much work.

I still have my weekly English club with my 7^th and 8^th grade students. This is my favorite hour of the week. I have so much fun with the students and they seem to be enjoying the club too. They keep coming back so I’m taking that as a sign that they like club as much as I do. My teacher trainings on the other hand haven’t been going the way I’d like them to. Last week only one teacher showed up. I was pretty frustrated and have decided to stop doing trainings this school year. If the education office wants me to continue trainings we can start up again in the fall, but we will have to go about it a different way because I can’t keep putting energy into helping these teachers if they aren’t giving me anything in return.

I’m still doing the Better World Books drive and am very excited to say that I have over 100 books now. Students come into my class every day to read or just flip through them and look at the pictures (for the ones who can’t read). Most of them have never touched a story book so I’m really thankful to the people who donated. I’ve been putting ideas together for a summer reading program I can do for the students now that I have all of these books.

With the end of the school year approaching students are getting ready to take exams. The national exams are for grades 8, 10, and 12. If students in these grades do not pass their exams they don’t get to move on. So at my school, if grade 8 students don’t pass they can’t move on to the high school. As you can imagine it’s a pretty stressful time. Grades 4 – 7 students also take final exams at the end of the semester so they are preparing for those.

Rainy season is approaching. Walking back from school last week I got caught in a downpour. I was in a t-shirt, skirt, and flip flops and by the time I got to my house I was drenched and my feet and legs were covered in mud. Note to self: start taking your rain jacket with you everywhere.

Even though there will be no school this summer, I’m brainstorming some ideas for some summer programs I can do with some of the students. I’m hoping this will keep me busy. I’ve already mentioned the summer reading program, but I would also like to do a female only program. I’m still working on the details but stay tuned for that.

I have a lot of free time that I fill up by reading. I’ve read so many books! I’m going to use the time I’m home this summer to stock up so if anyone has any they want to get rid of, save them for me when I come home this summer.

And of course the best news of all is that I’ll be in America in less than 6 weeks!!!! I am beyond excited. I’m trying to keep myself busy so I don’t think about it too much. So I think this about brings everyone up to speed on Ethiopia.

View from one of the restaurants we ate at in Arba Minch

View from one of the restaurants we ate at in Arba Minch

 

Updated Wishlist for Better World Books

Here's the website you can purchase books at:

betterworldbooks.com

The best part is that shipping is FREE!!! and if you buy the books used (which is totally acceptable, I'd rather you do that anyways) they are under $10.

Send them to this address:

Helena Chevallier

PO Box 153

Butajira SNNPR

Ethiopia

Better World Books Wish List!

  The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Juster

  Winnie the Pooh, A. A. Milne

   The Adventures of Captain Underpants, Dav Pilkey

   Flat Stanley, Jeff Brown

  The Jolly Postman or Other People’s Letters, Janet and Allan Ahlberg

   Gorilla, Anthony Browne

   Would You Rather?, John Burningham

   I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato, Lauren Child

   Where’s Spot?, Eric Hill

       The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Judith Kerr

       Amelia Bedelia, Peggy Parish

        The Arrival, Shaun Tan

       Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo

       The Borrowers, Mary Norton

       Caps for Sale, Esphyr Slobodkina

        Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Bill Martin and John Archambault

        Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Mo Willems

        George and Martha, James Marshall

         The Giver, Lois Lowry

         Jumanji, Chris Van Allsburg

         The Lion and the Mouse, Jerry Pickney

         Madeline, Ludwig Bemelmans

         Olivia, Ian Falconer

          Pippi Longstocking, Astrid Lindgren

Rickshaw Girl, Mitali Perkins

                   Strega Nona, Tomie dePaola

                  The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, Jon Scieszka

                 The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams

                  My Father’s Dragon, Ruth Stiles Gannett

                  Stuart Little, E.B. White

                  Walk Two Moons, Sharon Creech

Easter

            This post is a bit late seeing as how Easter was over a week ago, but better late than never right?

            Easter is one of the biggest holidays for Ethiopians (that is, the Christian ones). The majority of Christians in Butajira are either Protestant or Ethiopian Orthodox. About a week before the celebrations began I could tell Easter was going to be a pretty important day. All the chickens and the sheep in my compound between my landlord’s family and the renters came out to seven chickens and two sheep. For a week they were in our compound making a lot of noise, waiting to be slaughtered the night before Easter. I had yet to watch a chicken get killed. After ten months in country however, I felt prepared to watch a chicken get its head cut off. So when they began preparing for the holiday Saturday night, around 8pm (my landlord and landlady were sitting right next to my house), I stepped out of my house and sat with them. That day they had also made kineto (non-alcoholic homemade barley drink that the children drink) and tala (homemade beer) so they started drinking while preparing the chicken. Women are not allowed to kill the animals. As I’ve been told plenty of times, that’s the man’s job. So my landlord began cutting the neck of all these chickens with a huge knife. Once dead, my landlady proceeded to tear them apart, either with a knife or her bare hands. I watched her rip apart that entire chicken, pull off all the feathers, take out all the insides for the dog, clean the good parts and man is it a lot of work. She was out there until past 11pm. On top of that the power had gone out, so she was doing all of this by candle light. I was more than impressed. I know why Ethiopians only eat chicken a handful of times a year. It’s so much work. But doro wot (the chicken stew/curry Ethiopians make) is delicious! I love it. It’s made with a lot of berbere (similar to chili powder) and they add hard-boiled eggs to it. For two days I had doro wot probably four times a day.

            A week earlier my host mom had told me to be at her house at 8am so I woke up early Easter morning to meet my host family. As soon as I got there I was offered a plate of doro wot and two glasses of tala. When Ethiopians offer you food and drinks it’s very difficult to say no so I found myself drinking beer at 8am. We then walked over to my host grandmother’s house and had more chicken. Again I was handed a glass of tala and each time my glass was empty it was refilled immediately. I probably had at least six glasses by 11am. The rest of the day was full of more food and drinking. In the evening I had dinner with my landlord’s family which meant more doro wot and tala. I wasn’t complaining. As I said I love doro wot and I couldn’t tell you the last time I’d had chicken. Safe to say when I go home this summer I want A LOT of chicken wings.

            The next day I had lunch twice. My first lunch was with my landlord’s family. They had killed the sheep on Easter so had prepared dulet (sheep dish) on top of the doro wot. Then I went to the house of one of my teachers and had more chicken. In the evening, I went over to my neighbor’s home with my landlord’s family and had more tala, doro wot, and dulet. By the end of dinner I was exhausted from the two day celebration. It was a lot of fun though and I’m glad I got to spend it with some really great families. Being away from home during the holidays is always more difficult, but being accepted and welcomed into all these homes was wonderful and Ethiopian Easter is unlike any Easter I’ve ever spent. It was a great experience and its moments like these that make the many struggles of living in Ethiopia worth it.   

Malaria in Ethiopia

April 25^th is World Malaria Day but since malaria is still such a deadly disease in Africa, Peace Corps has proclaimed all of April as World Malaria Month. Because of this I thought it would be a good idea to spread awareness about the disease to family and friends back home and teach people a little bit about the state of malaria in Ethiopia.

Students working on the malaria word search

Today, malaria continues to be a crisis in Africa. Every 45 seconds a child dies from the disease. Even sadder news is that this disease is completely preventable and curable if people would sleep under a mosquito net. Malaria has been eliminated in many parts of the world with the use of insecticides, medicines, and by sleeping under mosquito nets. Malaria is transmitted only by a special kind of mosquito- called the Anopheles mosquito- which primarily bites at night. Getting malaria feels like you have the flu.

Compared to other countries in Africa, the percentage of people who get malaria is low. The goal for Ethiopia is to eliminate the disease throughout the country. By spreading awareness and teaching people about how malaria is transmitted and how to prevent people from getting it, hopefully this goal can be achieved in the near future. Certain places in Ethiopia have no cases of malaria due to high elevation. Mosquitos are not found above 2500 meters, however in the last few years (as a consequence of global warming) cases of malaria have been reported at higher elevations than normal. Health clinics throughout the country pass out mosquito nets to communities in rural areas. Many people do not know how to put up their mosquito nets and so use it for other purposes. Many volunteers have said that community members do not believe that there is any malaria in their town so do not see the use in putting up a net. As Peace Corps Volunteers we have to take either weekly or daily malaria medications throughout our service and sleep under a mosquito net.

Furthermore, I along with volunteers across Africa have participated in activities to raise awareness of malaria in our communities. All month long I focused my English club on malaria. We discussed facts and statistics about the disease. We went over prevention and the goals for Ethiopia. We went over new vocab associated with malaria and I made the students a word search (the students had never done a word search before) one week and they worked on a crossword the following week. Hopefully, by spreading awareness and teaching people about the deadly consequences of not using a mosquito net and other prevention methods, malaria can be eradicated in Ethiopia and the rest of Africa so that it no longer has to take the lives of millions of people.

Students working on the malaria word search