Ethiopia — Bahir Dar
April 17–30, 2010
If you are looking for a unique, rewarding, life-changing experience, please consider service in Africa. We are looking for adventurous people to join us on this exciting and challenging trip to Ethiopia. While helping people in great need of decent housing, you will also have the opportunity to explore the unique Ethiopian landscape and culture. We will be building in Bahir Dar on the shores of beautiful Lake Tana and there will be an opportunity to participate in an optional tour of historic cultural and religious sites in the region.
About Ethiopia
The Blue Nile River, mountains and plateaus highlight the Ethiopian territory. Ethiopia is a land of dramatic variations—from lush mountain highlands to low-lying deserts. It has one of the highest peaks on the African Continent. Ethiopia also has the third largest population in Africa; around one in eight Africans are Ethiopian.
In spite of its magnificent natural beauty, Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries in the world, with a low quality of life for the majority of its population. Ethiopia is unique among African nations in that it has avoided European colonization, except for a brief Italian occupation between World Wars I and II. Still, the nation has had its share of difficulties, including ongoing famine and conflicts with neighboring Eritrea. Ethiopia's housing crisis is one of the world’s worst, with more than 80 percent of the population in Addis Ababa, the nation's capital, living homeless or in substandard housing.
Types of construction for volunteers
Your participation is vital to HFHE’s ministry. Volunteer manual labor helps the national program to reduce house costs by 10–20 percent for partner families. Similarly, expensive labor-saving equipment is absent. Typical work for a GV team is to assist homeowners and local volunteers in building the houses. Work may include mixing mortar and concrete; carrying construction materials; fixing chicken wires; digging foundations; making bricks and carrying water.
Standard itinerary
(14-day itinerary)
Day 1: Saturday, April 17: Depart home country.
Day 2: Sunday, April 18: Arrive in Addis Ababa; dinner and overnight in Addis Ababa.
Day 3: Monday, April 19: Travel to Bahir Dar by bus; welcome and orientation with local staff.
Days 4–8: Tuesday, April 20–Saturday, April 24: Breakfast served before traveling to work site; work from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. with lunch on site; free time in the evenings; dinner; team activities.
Day 9: Sunday, April 25: Visit a local church and enjoy other cultural activities.
Days 10–12: Monday, April 26–Wednesday, April 28: Breakfast served before traveling to work site; work from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. with lunch on site; free time in the evenings; dinner; team activities. Farewell celebration on day 12 with homeowner families.
Day 13: Thursday, April 29: Travel by plane from Bahir Dar to Addis Ababa; free time; dinner and overnight.
Day 14: Friday, April 30: Depart for home.
Note: There will be other opportunities for cultural activities in the evenings, during free time and during days off.
Accommodations
Teams traveling to Bahir Dar and Addis Ababa usually stay in standard tourist hotels. They will generally have well-furnished rooms with hot and cold showers, restaurants, bars, telephones, fax, television with satellite dish services, etc. Mosquito nets are not always provided, so team members should always bring one with them.
There might be occasional electrical power fluctuations throughout the country, but the hotels have their own standby generators whenever such incidents occur.
Meals will be cooked and served at restaurants located in the hotels. The restaurants serve both national and western dishes and will most likely accommodate vegetarians and others with special dietary needs.
In-country travel
A vehicle will be arranged by the National Office to take you from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar. The road from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar is one of the best roads in Ethiopia. The vehicle will also be available for the team’s daily transport to and from the work site while in Bahir Dar. The roads between the hotel and the work site will most likely be dirt roads, so expect a bumpy ride. The return trip from Bahir Dar to Addis will be by plane.
Trip cost
$1,650, plus air fare
Trip cost includes: donation to the Habitat host program and HFHI; meals; accommodations; transport (excluding trip participant air fare); medical emergency evacuation and trip cancellation insurance; some local cultural activities and team coordination and orientation materials. A portion of the team leader’s trip cost and estimated air fare are included in the trip budget. The trip cost does not include trip participant air fare, R&R activities or visa and exit fees (not applicable for all destinations).
Team leader
The team leader for this trip is Norman Clearfield.
Norm is currently working in the Volunteer Mobilization department at Habitat in Americus, Georgia. He has previously led GV trips to Alaska and China and has led numerous home-building trips in the United States. Norm has extensive international travel experience and spent time in 2006–2007 working on a project related to housing of AIDS orphans in Ethiopia.
Norm is passionate about Ethiopia and is very excited about leading this Global Village trip to Ethiopia. He can be contacted directly at clearfieldhabitat@yahoo.com.