So I complied some of the info I've been given about my future country of service. This is just a glimpse of Ethiopia (from a Peace Corps & Wikipedia view anyway).
Peace Corps Ethiopia - Education volunteer
My Job Title:English Language Facilitator
What are you gonna be doing in Ethiopia with the Peace Corps?
I may work at a high school, with grades 9-12 and/or College of Teacher Education. Where the focus will be helping the Ethiopian teachers improve their English language and teaching skills.
oh and Secondary / Community projects...
All volunteers are encouraged to undertake secondary projects to contribute to the development of their communities. This can be outside of English teaching and often reflect the volunteers own interest and the needs of the community. It can be anything from Drama clubs, debate clubs, creating a sports team, youth camps, computer clubs, HIV/AIDS prevention (mandatory), woman empowerment projects, promoting good nutrition, food security and malaria prevention and the list goes on.
So the country is pretty darn big, where will you be?
Most Education volunteers will be assigned to public schools in regional, zonal or district towns. My exact location is unknown for now, I wont find out until I'm already there. A few will be placed in teacher education colleges in larger towns. Resources available to support my work, such as paper, pens, chalk, teaching aids, and library books will be extremely limited. (I gotta use my creativity y’all)
Housing
Volunteers are assigned to a variety of communities throughout the country, from semi-urban centers, rural towns, or villages. Some sites are very remote and life is lived at a very basic level; a mud house with an unreliable supply of water or electricity. Others may be palaces in a rural town and live in a cement structure with electricity and running water. Your roof will likely be either tin or made with a local material. Water may be drawn from an open well or community pump and will be of poor quality, requiring boiling and filtering.
You should, therefore, not count on having daily, or even weekly, Internet access during your service in Ethiopia.
Possible issues for women
Traditional gender roles are very distinct in Ethiopia. Generally, women are expected to show deference to men and do most of the housework. Sexual harassment (e.g., men making unwanted comments) is common. You will be asked numerous times why you are not married or have kids.
Possible issues for people of color
The average rural Ethiopian assumes that all Americans are white (Caucasian). Some Ethiopians are unaware that there are black, Asian, and Latino Americans, and may not believe, at first, that you are an American.
Cultural differences
*Public displays of affection between members of the opposite sex, such as kissing, hand holding, or hugging are not generally socially acceptable, though hand holding among men is very common.
Homosexual and indecent acts are illegal in Ethiopia and punishable by imprisonment or deportation
*In Ethiopia, respect tends to come with age and experience, as well as with the way you dress and comport yourself. Younger volunteers sometimes have difficulty gaining respect from supervisors, counterparts and audiences.
Dress
Volunteers should always wear clean and neat clothes. Buttoned shirts for men and blouses and pants, skirts, or dresses (to or below the knee) for women are appropriate during business hours. Tank tops, see-through blouses, and low-cut blouses are not appropriate; exposing one‘s shoulders is unacceptable. (I hear this varies on where you live in Ethiopia, and how rural or modern / city like your town is)
Languages Spoken
Amharic, Oromifa and Tigrinya
Amharic is the official language at the federal level but there are more than 80 ethnic groups with their own distinct languages within Ethiopia.
Interesting facts about Ethiopia
Ethiopia is one of 2 African nations which remained un-colonized and independent throughout history.
In the 4th century, it was the first major empire in the world to officially adopt Christianity as a state religion and has a Christian majority still, though 1/3 of the country is Muslim.
It is the only pre-colonial Christian church of Sub-Saharan Africa.
It is the birthplace of the coffe bean.
Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world, and the second-most populated nation on the African continent.
It is one of the oldest locations of human life known to scientists and so it is referred to as the birthplace of humanity.
Ethiopia is a land of natural contrasts; with jungles, rivers, deserts, caves and the worlds largest continuous mountain ranges. The landscape varies dramatically, and so does the weather.
About 16% of the population in Ethiopia are living on less than 1 dollar per day (2008)
Addis Ababa has its own university as well as many other secondary schools. The literacy rate is 82%
Ethiopia's main health problems are said to be communicable diseases caused by poor sanitation and malnutrition.
Ethiopia has a relatively low average life expectancy of 58 years. 48 if you live in a rural area.
Female circumcision is still practiced in some areas. The practice is almost universal in the regions of Dire Dawa, Somali and Afar; in the Oromo and Harari regions, more than 80% of girls and women undergo the procedure.
Ethiopia has its own calendar.
I am so ready for this adventure ♥
