My Ethiopian Journey

The summer of 2002 I had the opportunity to do a volunteer/Internship in Tigray, in the northern region of Ethiopia. I had the privilege to work with Dr. Teweldebrhan Hailu, in a non-governmental organization, Relief Society of Tigray (REST). The head office is located in the capital city of Tigray, Mekelle. I was assigned to work with the youth organization. I attended a language center in Mekelle. Additionally in Wukro, I had the opportunity to work with youths in anti-aids center.  With the guidance from Dr. Teweldebrhan I was able to inform the youths of Tigray of sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV, and I also educated students on contraception. I spent most of my time exchanging valuable information with the youth in Wukro. I learned that the majority of parents in the society do not explain the ordeals of sex, which is due to cultural behaviors. Even among the young men and women, sex is something that should be kept “behind closed doors”.
Although in Mekelle, sex is talked about freely. Mekelle being a bigger city than Wukro is more open which creates the differences between the youth centers. This would explain their different views on how sex should be shadowed away from the social aspect of life. The population of youth in Mekelle is larger than in Wukro, therefore these young people are more liable to be sexually active. Moreover, the youths I worked with in Mekelle attended language school and are probably considered as middle class in the society. The youth I interacted with in Wukro did not attend because they couldn’t afford it. Nevertheless, they were anxious to inform their society about the awareness of HIV-Aids. They lacked the equipment to educate their community about contraception or learn how abstinence can be maintained. Without critical sex-education people are more susceptible to diseases and have less important information regarding sex. In relation to old traditional teachings in Wukro, sex cannot be talked about. The outcome of this is more and more teenagers having sexual intercourse. Teenagers are at their peak of adolescence and hormonal period, and are more liable to act upon their impulses. They don’t really think about the outcome and the lasting affect of having sex, and are prone to indulging in their desire.

The teen language center that I attended was more educated in the areas of sex and relationships between men and women. The reason for this is because the center is full of people who are more aggressive in the matter of sexual protection, and diseases that can be prevented with sexual shielding materials such as (condoms, and other contraception). Although no matter what standards are used and believed by a teenager, most are embarrassed to talk about sex in Wukro and many places in the world. My experience in volunteering with the Relief Society of Tigray has helped me become a better leader! I have been working with PRISM, a group dedicated to improving diversity awareness with the Wheaton community.

The project for this year is to inform the Wheaton community about HIV/Aids as well as raise money for youth and children in Tigray, who have lost parents because of HIV/Aids. We have arranged to bring a speaker to Wheaton. In February we will be having an HIV/Aids awareness party. At this time we are waiting and hoping to receive all the funds we had asked for, and so far we are doing well. Moreover, I am also working on connecting Institute for Practical Democracy (IPD) students with the Against Aids Youth in Wukro. My goal for the summer is to take the money we raised to Ethiopia. Dean Sue, Dean of Students in Wheaton College is also willing to go to Ethiopia with me and present the money to the youth organization. Though I am not able to pay for the airline ticket, I am still looking for funds to help me accomplish my goal. After coming back from Ethiopia, I joined the Awlaalo group at Awlaalo@yahoogroups.com. It is a group of people from all over the world who try to help a high school in Wukro where more space is needed to assist in their education. I also became part of the Men'esay Tegaru at tegaru@yahoo. com, a group that is pledging to help victims of the drought in Tigray.  
I would like to thank Wheaton College for giving me the opportunity to go to Ethiopia and discover my ambition. I realized that I love cultures and working with different people with unique ideas. Significantly I appreciate Mr. Tekle G/Michael for opening the possibility to work with Dr. Teweldebrhan Hailu. He has helped me learn how to accept the epidemics surrounding Tigray and work to prevent obstacles that are blocking health among youth. Furthermore I would like to thank the students in Wukro and Mekelle who have taught me the best way to learn is by getting involved as well as reaching out to society about the importance of social matters that need to be addressed.