Addis Ababa, Ethiopia July 16, 2006

Our last week in Ethiopia wasn't without its unexpected adventures. Last weekend we stopped in to see our cook Melke's brother and friends at their house east of Shashemene. We were treated to coffee ceremony, where the woman of the house roasted fresh coffee beans over a charcoal stove, stirring them all the way, then once dark brown grinding them with a mortar and pestle, then brewing the coffee in a pot and serving the brew in small cups with a little sugar from local sugar cane. Undoubtedly, it was the best coffee any of us ever tasted. The following Tuesday, when shopping for fresh vegetables in the open market in Shashemene, Pinky was hit in the back of the head by a rock, cutting her scalp and causing her to bleed profusely. Her only companion was Isaiah, our frequent driver, who saw who threw the rock and ran him down and "kicked" him, or as he described it, punched and kicked him to the ground. He told us the rock thrower is a local "crazy guy" who is known for such conduct. He is allowed to run loose because he is crazy and the government doesn't have the means to institutionalize him. Isaiah took Pinky to the clinic, where she received excellent care and two stitches and a partially shaved back of the head and a bandage. For the rest of the week, she wore an "Argentina" hat Isaiah bought her at the market. Pinky is ok not and no longer has any headaches. Later in the week, when returning from town with Isaiah, we got stuck in the "road" leading from the paved road to Kumudo. It had rained for some time there, causing the dirt road to turn to mud, which Isaiah's Toyota Land Rover with treadless tires couldn't negotiate. We had some help from villagers who stopped by, but nothing could get the vehicle going, so Pinky and I were reduced to slipping and sliding in the mud for 3 km in the dark back to camp. Pinky only fell once, and we were both coated with mud when we got to camp. Work continued on the siphon all week. The EWB group primed it several times and did their best to try and figure out why it wouldn't work. They thought they had it made in the last attempt, but the siphon stopped. One of the suspected weak spots were two tees placed at high points, but use of Teflon tape on the threaded plugs and placement of Sensation prophylactics over the tee cut off any chance of leaks. At the end, the group had to accept the fact that for the present, it wasn't going to be functional and spent the last few days completing the pipe installation and backfilling and the masonry tank and sheet metal roof. We met with the community on Saturday and explained to them the project status and that the Princeton EWB group should be returning to complete the project in December or the following March and get them the water they need to irrigate their gardens and to supplement their domestic needs. They expressed gratitude for our work and efforts and desire that the group returns to complete the job. After the meeting Saturday we played soccer with the community, which was great fun. I even contributed to the mixed team I played on. We left at 3 PM, had an Ethiopian lunch at Isaiah's house in Arsi Negelle, and left for Addis at about 5 PM. Not more than 20 minutes into the trip we had a very loud blowout, and we had to change the tire and find a replacement en route. We finally made it to our hotel in Addis Ababa at 10. Today we got to go to the National Museum and see the display of Lucy, the Ape-man found 200 KM north of Addis Ababa in 1974. Her bones stand 3.1 meter high. Our Ethiopian Airlines flight leaves at 10 PM this evening, and we should arrive in Newark Monday afternoon. We look forward to our return.

Engage Now Foundation Office Arsi Negelle, Ethiopia Monday, July 10, 2006

Nothing moves fast in Ethiopia. Just about everything takes at least twice the time you would expect it should take. For instance, just getting a connection for the internet took an hour of redialing, and downloading the EarthLink website took 10 minutes. Driving down the main road is a real trip. People walk along the shoulders and lead their cattle and donkeys, which go into the traveled lanes all the time. Our driver, Isaiah, is really great at driving around all the people, animals, wagons, and other obstacles. Isaiah had been engaged through ENF to assist our needs for weekly shopping trips for food and supplies and to take us on our one day a week R & R. He has become a real friend to us all, is friendly and accommodating. On our way into food shopping this afternoon, he took Pinky and me by his house located behind his Mobile gas station and had his wife serve us traditional Ethiopian lunch and soda. (He is Orthodox Christian and is fasting so does not drink beer or eat sweets for the present.) For most of last week the Princeton EWB group has been concentrating on testing and trying to prime the portion of the siphon installed to date, unsuccessfully. I don't think they will be able to get the siphon going unless they extend the line to a lower elevation in the alignment to get a greater head from beginning to end and possibly overcome friction losses to the extent needed to start flow through it. I'm not an expert on siphons by a long shot, but I've told the group that I believe the only feasible way to get the siphon primed and operating on a long-term basis is to use a priming pump at the tank. Such a pump should be able to pull water through the line and get it started and operating to the point that the pump could then be disattached and only subsequently used when the siphon needs repriming. The group has not bought into my reasoning yet but has been spending much time approaching the siphon as a research project. Time is running out, and we have to finish installing and backfilling the line and attaching it to the tank by this coming Friday. At that time, we will be breaking camp in preparation for a Saturday AM departure for Addis Ababa, where we will spend the night and embark on a 10 PM Sunday evening flight to the US. The project continues to have its share of construction problems besides the operational problem I described above. Last week we had three significant rainstorms in a row, all occurring at night. The river came again during one of them, but not to the extent that it did when the last dam that was built washed out. However, the last storm washed away a lot of the soil placed carefully around the pipe to provide bedding for it and a part of the backfilled trench. Work ensued on Saturday to restore the eroded trench and pipe bedding, losing us some valuable time. I continue to help troubleshoot and to lend labor to the project. I've used a shovel over the past three weeks more than I have at home for the last 30 years. Saturday morning we took our day of R & R and drove south to Wando Genet and stayed at the hotel there. The hotel looks like it came from a combination of the Jetsons and Tomorrowland in Disneyland of the early 1970's. I can't adequately describe it, but it looks really weird. As with most Ethiopian infrastructure, particularly that owned and operated by the government, the hotel doesn't look like much has been done to it since it was built back in the early '70's. The draw is its location - in the mountains and next to a hot springs. We all spent 2 hours soaking in the two swimming pools fed by the streams - one a warm pool temp, the other about the temperature of a hot tub. It was delightful. We watched the world cup last night on a TV in the bar of the hotel restaurant. It didn't start until 9 PM here, and I couldn't stay awake past the 1st half. Before the game started, I did successfully predict the 6-4 final score in favor of the Italians! The Princeton group continues to work so hard on the project and, despite some doubts, believes they can complete it successfully in the limited time left. I continue to marvel at their work ethic, tenacity and creative thinking. However, despite all that we don't yet have a completed project. This will be a hard week - much physical work needs to be done, and the siphon need to be primed successfully. My next, and last, email will let you know how it finally works out. This has been quite an experience! It's a good thing I'm in reasonably good shape, or I'd have broken down long before. Pinky has been a terrific support for me and the others, offering some motherly help and advice along the way. We have all gotten to know each other really well and are almost like a family, not so surprising I suppose after living so closely together for more than 4 weeks.

Arsi Negelle, Ethiopia July 3, 2006

With the excavation of the 1 km long waterline from an accessible location in the Haluka R., the completion of the alternate project for providing water to the Kumudo community became a possibility. (I still have reservations about it.) For the remainder of the week, our efforts were concentrated on constructing the intake structure, including a headwall fashioned from a 2-foot diameter 1-meter long concrete pipe. Because of the presence of rock, we had to incorporate 2-90 degree elbows in the 4-inch pvc pipe between the headwall and intake structure. It took a lot of time getting the grades right, chipping away rock, and dewatering as we went. The Princeton EWB group exhibited unbelievable tenacity and hard work in getting the tasks completed, both the men and the women. I am impressed with their work ethic. I have been working harder myself physically than I ever imagined, manning a shovel, pick, saba (similar to a hoe), as well as running levels needed to establish the pipe alignment and to help insure that there are no highs or lows in the line. As it turns out, there are two low points where I've advised placing cleanouts to be used for removing sediment. As of today, the "headwall" and connecting 4-inch pipe are complete, and two lengths of the 24-inch pipe are in place. We expect to pick up an additional length of pipe today and to complete it tomorrow, the 4th of July. The next two weeks will be spent furiously working on placing the 1-inch pvc pipe, testing it and backfilling it, and completing the rock and cement water tank located 1 km downriver from the intake. At camp we have a pit toilet installed by Engage Now Foundation (ENF), the NGO we have been working with on this project. The pit toilet includes a 5-foot sq. pit dug 3 meters into the earth, a concrete slab with a small hourglass shaped opening, and a sheet metal enclosure. It takes a bit of special skill to use it properly. You have to squat all the way down to your ankles, pull up your pant legs and down your pants to your knees, and aim your butt for the opening. I have it down pretty well now and only missed once, unfortunately when I had a bout of diahrea last week and had to clean up after myself. You also have to secure items when you are in the pit toilet. Last Monday when I was in position, I heard a clunk and looked down to see the bright orange 25-foot measuring tape I had brought with me and clipped to my belt bounce into the opening and out of view - and forever out of service. Before leaving for Ethiopia, I was smart to order an air mattress. It is powered by a rechargeable motor and has been serving Pinky and me admirably. We sleep in true comfort, free from lumps or hardness, and with our bug-proof tent without insects bothering us. The nights are delightful (except when it rains, which isn't often and for short duration) and cool, perfect for sleeping. The sounds we hear include birds, mules, cattle, dogs and hyenas, which have loud, piercing whines that sound like they are right outside our tent. I've been using the solar panel Pinky got me for Christmas daily to power up the group cell phone, our cook Melke's cell phone, our air mattress, our iPods, and rechargeable camera batteries. I don' know what we would ever have done without the solar charger, since there is no electricity anywhere near our camp. Pinky and I celebrated our anniversary June 28 by my being sick all afternoon and evening and not being able to do much at all. However, I recovered by the next day, and we had purchased several bottles of Ethiopian red wine and enjoyed it with all the group on the 29th. We have been getting along well with the Kumudo community, and many of the men have been helping us with the labor involved with the project. In fact, we all were invited to, and attended, the festivities associated with a wedding at the village "center," when a father gave away his two daughters in marriage. Neither of the brides were willing. In Ethiopia, marriages are arranged by the families. There was much activity in the village, and we were treated as special guests. When we arrived at 3 PM, we were greeted by many of the people and danced with them. We were then escorted into a mud house and served goat tipps with ingerra. They had slaughtered the goat just for us. We were also provided beer and soft drinks. We then went around the village and visited with the villagers as best we could, considering they speak Oromo and we don't. The males of our group had a memorable experience in the men's tent, where there was some serious drinking going on, along with singing and milling around. It was packed tight with people, several of whom were three sheets to the wind. We didn't stay too long there. Toward the end of our stay at the festivities, one of the brides was taken off wrapped up in white cloth on horseback to points unknown. Later, the second (and sullen) bride emerged from a thatched hut after much fanfare and parading of family members to leave in an rv brought in for the occasion. We walked back to camp in the dark after being there more than 4 hours. Last Friday after a very long day we left for a day of R&R to Dagem Hotel in Awassa, the city from which I sent my previous email. Pinky and I had less than a pinky's worth of water from our shower, but aside from that it was a welcomed change from conditions at camp. Plus the Ethiopian dinner and beer Friday were great. Work on the siphon will continue over the next two weeks. It will probably take a minor miracle to complete the project in only two weeks, but the group is optimistic and unrelenting in its efforts in achieving its goal of completing it successfully. The day of reckoning will come when we complete the line and prime it and see if it really works and takes water through the intake, along the 1 km pipeline, which passes over several fields and through a rock outcropping, and to the water tank. I'll be reporting further. Best to you all.

Awassa, Ethiopia July 1, 2006

I have very limited time today to send this email and hope to be able to send another soon. After sending the email from Jack Williams house, of ENF, last Sunday, I discussed with the group the need to hire a backhoe if the alternate project is ever to be a reality. The siphon installation would involve about 1 km of 1-inch PVC pipe, an intake structure, and a headwall at the Haluka R. There was absolutely no way this could be accomplished with even the whole community digging a trench. Well, as we were leaving the house in Arsi Negelle and approaching the highway, a backhoe drove by in front of us. I said, Did you see that?, and we chased it down. After a brief negotiation conducted by our driver, Isaiah, the operator agreed to follow us to the campsite. For the next two days, he dug the trench needed for the pipe and thereby made it possible for the group to complete the project. The operator, Tashomo, was a hard worker, and I named him Wayne, which was much easier for all of us to pronounce. More later.....

Shashemene, Ethiopia Saturday, June 17, 2006 5 PM (11:00 Ethiopian time)

This is the first opportunity I’ve had to send an e-mail. We are in a crossroad "metropolis" an hour's drive south of where we are camped and are spending a night for R&R at the S. Rift Valley Hotel here in Shashemene. You might be able to find this place on the atlas. We have been at the project site at Kumudu, on what is locally called the Huluka River, since arriving last Sunday. Pinky and I share our own tent next to a field. The 9 students, 4 women, 5 men, share 2 tents. All are safe and sound and in good health. The week has been unforgettable for many reasons, and I think of the TV show 24 for all the cliff hangers we've had, and unfortunately I can't get in to great detail about them now because the connection here is very slow and I have limited time at this internet cafe. The people of Kumudu are most friendly and very poor, subsiding on crops they grow from their collective gardens. Our plan was to install a ram pump at the river and deliver water to a tank 80 feet or so above the river to a tank to be constructed there. Because of the flow in the river, this being the start of the wet weather season of the year, the plan was to build a sand bag dam to divert the river water. When we arrived, we started the 4th attempt and spent all week on it. It was much work for all, digging soil by hand from near the river, filling 100 kg bags, transporting them and piling them up. The students thought that placing a corrugated steel "membrane" in the middle of the dam would help maintain the integrity of the dam. The site is below rocks and a ravine. I didn't know the characteristics of the ravine when I started this, and I don't think anyone did. Well, Friday night after lunch a far off rainstorm created a wall of water I've never seen before, with a roar that could be heard far away. It was reminiscent of what I've seen in the Grand Canyon. This wall of water struck the dam and tore it apart, destroying a week's work of 60 or so villagers and us. Following the event, we reconned the site, and I walked up reach of the ravine. Needless to say, I concluded from what I saw of the storm surge that nothing permanent can be built in the flood plain of this river. Last evening was not a happy one. Our local Engage Now Foundation rep, Jack Williams (who is 74 years in age) brought some beer to our camp last night to help us commiserate. We are evaluating our plan for delivering water to irrigate the fields for the community and are looking into several options, including a setup that includes a removable pump that would be in place only during the dry season, and a siphon to deliver water from an upstream location that is higher in elevation than the proposed tank. We have been eating cooked vegetables all week. The food has been good, but we may be losing a little weight. We will be having a steak dinner this evening for sure, and a sound sleep in a bed. I'll try and write again soon, but doubt it will be much less than a week from now. I will try and read your e-mails but with limited time may not be able to until returning to the States. Nagatti!

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 12, 8 AM

We made it through our marathon flight to Addis Ababa, leaving from Newark, transferring at Dulles onto Ethiopian Airlines, which, by the way, is celebrating its 60th year this year (as is Studer and McEldowney), arriving at 6:30 PM last night our time. We successfully negotiated the Addis airport without losing a bag. Our group consists of 5 students plus Pinky and me, and we will be meeting up with 4 others from the Princeton EWB group later today at a camp near Arsi Negelle. Upon our arrival, I learned that the diversion dam placed a couple weeks ago blew out from heavy rainstorms. In fact, the temporary diversion dam, needed to divert flows while we build the permanent masonry and concrete dam, has blown out 3 times now by heavy storms that, we are told, are "uncommon." Great. The students looked at me and said, "We're not worried - you'll think up something." Right. We spent last night in the Addis Ababa Sheraton, a 5 star oasis of luxury. It will be our last taste of anything like this for quite a while. We leave in a few minutes for the Ascend Alliance camp near Arsi Negelle. We'll be traveling by 4-wheel drive 4 hours. We were cautioned to fasten our seat belts because they drive aggressively here, and the vehicles are known to roll over when the tire blows. I'll write again when we go to town in Arsi Negelle, whenever that will be.

Pittstown, NJ June 10, 2006

Starting today, Pinky and I will be embarking on what will undoubtedly be the adventure of our lifetimes. Since the first of the year, I have been mentoring a group of Princeton University students on an irrigation and purification project, which will improve conditions in a village in Ethiopia. Along with 9 undergraduate students (5 men, 4 women), we will be flying to Addis Ababa and traveling by Range Rover 4 hours to the community of Kumudo in the Arsi Negelle district of Ethiopia, near the Equator and about 6000 feet above sea level. Thursday it was 63 degrees there when I checked and 63 degrees here, too. This trip will be for implementing the project, which will include a ram pump, which operates on the energy generated by the river, a 7-foot high dam, a discharge pipe, water tank and a drip irrigation system to provide water for the community's gardens. We will also be constructing a sand filter to improve water used for consumption. We will be going to a nearby village once a week to "shower and shave," and I hope we can find a cold beer there, but I hold no serious expectations! I should be able to send e-mail and will try and provide you with an occasional update. The group will be returning July 17, and I expect to be back in my office the next day. Pinky and I will look forward to relating to you our adventures in implementing this project and our experiences with the people of Ethiopia.