Grasses, Monkeys, and Making Memories

                Well, there weren’t any sheep to eat. But there were lots of monkeys, games of kick the can, capture the flag, and sardines, cold nights spent trying to get as close to the fireplace as possible, no power, and God’s beautiful handiwork shown in the majestic mountains and sweeping hills.

                This last week, I had the privilege to travel to Guassa, a region in the Ethiopian highlands (northeast of Addis), with half of the tenth grade class. The trip was a part of the “Activities Week” in which Bingham Academy sends their 6^th through 12^th grade students once a school year all around Ethiopia. Depending on the class, the focus of this week is either community service or spiritual awareness. This provides an opportunity for the students to spend time out of the city serving alongside their friends and teachers; a time to bond, build memories, and learn in a new context.

Ours was a focus on community service and we spent the week learning about the unique Guassa grass. Being a scarce resource, which is used for roofs, weaving, and other daily necessities, the surrounding community has spent the last 400 years working together to preserve it. This includes an advanced system that records the nature of the grass (height, density, etc) and any signs of illegal harvesting. It was a fascinating study on how a group of people can bond together in order to maintain and protect what’s important.

Hello Mr. Monkey~ he and his friends are the "Gellatus" monkey.

Of course, the learning is always important. But I relished the opportunity this last week of getting to know the students and teachers outside of a normal classroom- not only does this provide a different context,  but also a true bonding experience as we dealt with flat tires, screaming monkeys, a (very) flexible schedule, hiking through the beautiful Ethiopian highlands (which brought to mind either the Doxology or “The Hills are Alive” from the Sound of Music), and many games of Fishbowl. It was a great first week in Ethiopia and a chance to see how Bingham impacts many lives to this day.

And now- a week to relax (mid-semester break) and prepare for teaching that starts the next week!!