Day 12

Wednesday 15th July

The final day of the build has arrived and it's hard to believe - the time seems to have flown by! We're tired but full of excitement as we pray, think about the day and have our usual nutritious breakfast. Stuart, Brian and Daniel led the thought for the day with some inspirational words - some from the Bible and others from themselves. We packed our suitcases and checked out of our rooms.

We headed off to the community site and got stuck in to making concrete for the corner columns of the toilet block. It was great to met up with Hiatz, Netsanet and the other children as well as the adults, including Zee, Joseph and Cecil. It was surreal to be working in the beautiful sunshine with plenty of playing with the kids while knowing that we would soon have to leave.

Sam showing Hiatz some of his photos

When the school teachers arrived at the community site, the anticipation of the closing/farewell ceremony began to build. We finished the job in hand and Cecil left us in no doubt that he was pleased with our work - the customary photos were taken. The local dignitaries arrived and the call came for the ceremony to begin. Zee directed the proceedings which began with a warm welcome from Habitat for Humanity Ethiopia - they presented each team member with a mug with Amharic lettering on it which was appreciated. Then the 'mama' spoke on behalf of the community which was a powerful moment as she communicated how thankful they were for our work - there were a few tears at this point. At this point, I was invited to speak on behalf of our team which was a great privilege. I thanked everyone for their tremendously warm welcome and for the way they have looked after us so well this past week. I said that we have enjoyed every moment of the experience and that we not forget the people as we have learned a lot from them. We also hope that we have made a small difference to their lives. As Zee interpreted, I described some of the gifts that we brought to donate to the school and the community, including a Belfast County Scout scarf, Northern Ireland football shirts, Belfast/Northern Ireland tea towels, balls, etc. 

David presenting signed Ulster flag (signed by us)

Fiona and Katie presented gifts to the school Principal while Stephen presented gifts to the community leader. Ashley finished proceedings by praying for blessings on everyone present which was a special moment. The team then received roses in the national Ethiopian colours which was fantastic. The traditional coffee ceremony followed with tasty, sweetened coffee accompanied by delicious homemade bread and popcorn. It was also great to have the Ethiopian Scouts present with us again especially as one of them had to travel 27 kms from his home! That's true Scouting spirit! The event ended with some group photos and lots of warm goodbyes; hugs and kisses were shared with the hope that we will meet again.

Final photo with community

It was a quiet journey back to the hotel for lunch with Habitat staff. We said goodbye and thanks to the hotel staff and to some of the guests who we have gotten to know during our trip. As the hotel hosts many people who come to Ethiopia to adopt children, it was good to see how well Finntow had settled into his new life with Danish parents Berit and Karsten.

The bags were packed high on the roof of the bus and we set off for our rest and relaxation period. It was an interesting journey through the city and out into the countryside. The farming techniques there reminded me of 1950s Ireland with two bullocks steering a handheld plough for example.

We arrived at the Kuriftu Resort and Spa which was an idyllic spot on the edge of a stunning lake. Interestingly, this resort was once owned by Colonel Gaddafi who would holiday here regularly in the past. Thankfully for us, the hotel has now changed hands and we relaxed and made the most of the good food, pool and spa. 

View of Ethiopian countryside from the bus

That evening, we met to reflect on our day where the team shared how good they felt about making such a good impact at the school and community sites. They felt sorry that they had to leave but are strongly determined to continue to work towards alleviating poverty housing through Habitat for Humanity and through Scouting. It was great to hear from Zee who said that we had empowered the Ethiopians in all that we did during the week; he added that we had achieved more than was expected of us and that he found us to be the easiest team to manage which very much suited the Ethiopians. He said that he was proud of us and that we had worked very hard which was very impressive. We retired looking forward to a rest but content in the knowledge that we have made a difference.

Post by David Scott