After Gondar, we headed south to Bahir Dar. Only a few hours away and opting to save some money we squeezed into one of the 12-seater shared taxis that make up the bulk of public transport in Ethiopia.While a bit uncomfortable, we did get to see a bit more of the countryside as well as make a quick side trip Awra Amba.
Awra Amba is a special village in Ethiopia - often referred to as guided by a utopian world vision. The community was established on the principles of total equality, regardless of gender, age, race, social standing etc. Emphasis is placed on education, hard works and shared responsibility based on ability.
As gender rights is pretty much a constant topic of conversation between my travel companions and I, we all knew that Awra Amba was something we had to see for ourselves.
First stop on the village tour was an introduction to some of the community's guiding principles (handily translated into English for visitors..)
After the introduction, we toured the local primary school and community library. The curriculum teaches children and adults to write and count alongside discussions of ethics and human rights (with a little Harry Potter on the side). But by far the best part was seeing all the healthy looking children far too absorbed with their games of hopskotch to bother paying any attention to the ferengis who were wandering around.
The homes in Awra Amba all have special cookstoves that are raised from the ground to prevent children (and adults) from inadvertently burning themselves on the fire, as well as chimneys to improve ventilation within the home. Most homes also have small personal looms so families can weave their own fabrics.
The community does not have enough arable land to support itself so one of it's major sources of income is weaving. Men and women work together to weave cotton into beautiful fabrics.
Awra Amba is a special village in Ethiopia - often referred to as guided by a utopian world vision. The community was established on the principles of total equality, regardless of gender, age, race, social standing etc. Emphasis is placed on education, hard works and shared responsibility based on ability.
As gender rights is pretty much a constant topic of conversation between my travel companions and I, we all knew that Awra Amba was something we had to see for ourselves.
First stop on the village tour was an introduction to some of the community's guiding principles (handily translated into English for visitors..)
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| "Doing a women's job does not change my sex, it changes my ignorance" |
After the introduction, we toured the local primary school and community library. The curriculum teaches children and adults to write and count alongside discussions of ethics and human rights (with a little Harry Potter on the side). But by far the best part was seeing all the healthy looking children far too absorbed with their games of hopskotch to bother paying any attention to the ferengis who were wandering around.
The homes in Awra Amba all have special cookstoves that are raised from the ground to prevent children (and adults) from inadvertently burning themselves on the fire, as well as chimneys to improve ventilation within the home. Most homes also have small personal looms so families can weave their own fabrics.
The community does not have enough arable land to support itself so one of it's major sources of income is weaving. Men and women work together to weave cotton into beautiful fabrics.
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| Photo Credit: Michelle Ferng |
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| Photo Credit: Michelle Ferng |
The journey to Awra Amba involved a shared taxi-bus, a short bajaj ride, a hitched ride in the back of a land cruiser, and a few kms by foot but it was more than worthwhile to spend some time wandering down country roads, get a snapshot of village life, and hear from some people who are proud of their home and the type of community they are trying to create.
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