Flying to Addis Ababa

I have just returned from an unforgettable trip to Ethiopia where I visited some of our current partner projects (and some potential new ones!). I would like to update you on our work in Ethiopia and news from our project leaders. I hope that you will find this of interest and will encourage you to do whatever you can to help Ethiopiaid in its fight to make Ethiopia a better place to live.

Wednesday 1st October

I felt a little apprehensive sitting on the Ethiopian Airlines flight to Addis Ababa. As we were taking off the air hostess realised her seatbelt was jammed so she just held on tight! I was a little surprised that the safety video warned us not to attach a printer to any equipment whilst airborne. The thought had never crossed my mind, but someone must have tried it for them to prohibit it.

My flight was meant to go via Rome - either I was very sleepy and didn't notice it stopping, or it didn't stop there at all. Who knows? I was rather disappointed that my travel pillow burst, my neck certainly felt the strain. I spent an hour or so watching an awful US drama featuring Holly Valance in an attempt to drown out the noise of an arrogant Dutch NGO worker who spent the entire duration of the flight making sarcastic comments to anyone who was willing to listen.

I arrived at 7.20am local time on Thursday 2nd October and was met by Zenebe from one of the projects we support, Hope Enterprises. He explained that the clock starts from 6 o'clock in Ethiopia, so they refer to 7.20am as 1.20am. He also explained that they use the old Coptic calendar, meaning they are 7 years behind our Gregorian calendar. So I actually arrived on 22 September 2001!

Food for Thought

Thursday 2nd October

Addis Ababa is situated at about 2000m above sea-level, higher than many European ski resorts. The sun was strong yet the air cool. The city is surrounded by lush, green hills. It looked surprisingly modern and orderly. There was no chaotic driving but we did have to swerve to avoid a few donkeys on the ring-road (recently built by the Chinese).

Zenebe took me to visit the Street Children's Breakfast. Hundreds of children are feed a banana, bread and warm milk every morning. For many, this is the only meal they have each day. As I entered, the children rose to their feet and sang me a welcoming song, before going to fill their empty stomachs.

I then went to visit the school run by Hope Enterprises. I saw many of the older students engaged in all sorts of vocational training, including electronics, carpentry, metal work, mechanics, cookery and hospitality. I then observed a Year 7 maths class being conducted in English and the younger children gathering their books for the term from the well-equipped library.

Zenebe then drove me to the construction site of Hope University College, which Ethiopiaid is funding. It is due to take its first students in 2009. I arrived at lunchtime so there didn't appear to be much work going on, but the buildings are really taking shape. The plans have been scaled down slightly due to the spiraling costs of building materials but it will still be a fantastic place.

After a brief visit to the leper colony and a bite to eat, Zenebe dropped me off at the airport for my flight to Dire Dawa. The aeroplane was tiny and relied on two propeller engines, yet the flight was smooth. I was met by my colleague John from Ethiopiaid Ireland and after freshening up we went for dinner. After deciding we just wanted drinks, the waitress brought out two plates of unappetising, luke-warm injera and a cold meat stew! We felt rude leaving it so ate as much as we could before making a hasty retreat to a nearby bar.

A daily struggle for many

Friday 3rd October

I woke up with a distinctly dodgy stomach and ended up going back to bed for a couple of hours while John met with Forum for Street Children (FSC). I caught up with John and Yared later in the morning. I was really impressed with the work FSC were doing. They work with children who have been physically and sexually abused. Many are homeless and illiterate. They can visit the drop in centre at any time and are encouraged to visit the safe home. House mothers spend the night with the children in the safe home. The children are encouraged to stay for up to three years, in which time they are given counselling, shelter, food, medication (if needed), and skills training. One of the main challenges is moving them from the safe house back to the outside world. They encourage the children to rent a small house together whilst FSC helps to find them work. FSC works closely with the local police to identify the children most at risk and intervene as early as possible.

I learned about the problem of trafficking young girls from this region to Djibouti, then across the sea to Saudi Arabia and Yemen, where they are put to work as prostitutes. We spoke to some of the girls at the drop in centre. The youngest had run away from her home in Djibouti. She was only 10 years old. Another girl told us how when she was living at home with her family she was beaten constantly. She is really happy to be somewhere safe now where she can be educated too. When she is older she would like to become a police woman.

After lunch back at the hotel, we met Abebe from JECCDO who took us to Dire Dawa’s second poorest kebele where they are running their second project. We saw a new school and some wells that had been dug to provide a clean water supply to the kebele’s residents. We drove alongside the train tracks to the agricultural training centre. In August 2006, heavy rains caused flooding in the region after the Dechatu River burst its banks. There were 256 casualties, 300 missing, and 10,000 displaced. 220 houses were destroyed. Abebe showed us the work JECCDO has been doing to stabilise the hillsides to prevent further landslides which contributed to the death-toll caused by the floods.

We then went on to Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, a compound run by a group of nuns to look after the sick, destitute and dying. Sister Adelaide showed us around. The men’s compound had a large number of mentally ill patients. Sister Adelaide believes a lot of the mental illness is associated with the constant chewing of vast quantities of chat, a leafy plant which acts as a stimulant. There were a lot of patients suffering from TB and HIV too. Outside the compound’s gates, mothers were waiting with their starving children. Sister Adelaide admitted them and called for one infant to be sent to hospital as it was in such an appalling state.

She then took us to the Women’s compound. I met a young woman who had given birth to premature twins the day before. They were absolutely tiny and with her in bed. A little girl pointed at the babies and said three letters, HIV. The nuns were looking after over 1000 people with a multitude of complex problems, yet they were so strong and calm.

We left the Missionaries of Charity feeling very sombre, but at the same time happy to see Ethiopiaid’s money being put to such good use. We walked back through the Muslim side of town to the river. The architecture here was quite different to that of the Christian side of the town, just across the river. It seemed in a poorer state of repair but much more colourful. We got a photo of a chat-seller before crossing the river. The river is seasonal and the river bed is dry at the moment, but covered with litter. Hundreds of people have made their homes on its banks – a recipe for disaster when the rains come.

We ate dinner in a restaurant near our hotel then went back to last night’s bar for a drink in the tropical garden. We met a guy who told us we must go to the Harar beer factory if we got a chance. We were then approached by an attractive young Ethiopian lady who told us she was a ‘General Mechanic’ but who was clearly there to making a living in a more questionable way. She spent a long time flirting with John, trying to get him to dance and when she realised he was not going to change his mind, she started trying her wicked ways on me! John’s excuse that we both fell down a hill so couldn’t dance wasn’t working so we eventually decided it was time to leave before her friend joined her in her mission. A lucky escape!

Exploring the ancient city of Harar

Saturday 4th October

I woke up to find I had totally lost my voice which was rather embarrassing when meeting project leaders for the first time. We started the day by travelling by road to Harar, which is about 1 hour from Dire Dawa. The road between the two towns was recently surfaced by the Chinese which made the journey much easier than it used to be. The drive was stunning. The surrounding areas were very rocky and mountainous and the sun was strong. Chat seemed to be the crop of choice and was being grown all around. We passed through a few suspect bandit towns that seemed to survive on chat-growing, selling and transporting. Chat is legal to grow and sell but not to be transported between regions. There seemed to be some smuggling going on!

Camels and donkeys competed with us for road space. The villages we passed though seemed much poorer than Dire Dawa and overall the surroundings were much more what I expected Ethiopia to look like before coming. However, the land was much more lush and fertile than I imagined it would be. We drove by some beautiful lakes which provided a stark contrast to parched red soil found elsewhere on the route.
Harar is an ancient, walled city and one of the most holy Muslim cities on earth. We made our way through the hustle and bustle of the market outside the city walls before following the road to the new part of the city to visit the newly-built Fistula Hospital. The building is beautiful and almost finished. They are expecting their first patients next week (although we were under the impression they would already be there).

We walked back to the market area then through the old city gates into the old town. The area inside the city walls is an absolutely maze of alleyways - over 368 alleys in 1km2 ! It felt a little like the medina in Marrakesh but was painted in bright vivid colours. Green buildings (to signify peace) were abundant and cars were hardly seen as the roads were too narrow for them to pass by. We were greeted with 'Selam' by everyone we passed and eventually bumped into John's Ethiopian friend, Tedi. He was overjoyed to see us and promised to take us to feed the hyenas that evening.
After a game of table football with some local kids on the street we hired a guide, Abdul, to show us more of the city. He took us to Rad Tafari's house in which a dozen or so ancient manuscripts are kept, alongside weapons, jewellery and old artwork. We passed by the basket weavers and tailors in the 'Maccina Gir Gir' district and visited Rimbault's (the French poet's) house. It was built in a colonial style and was much grander than the other buildings around.

We walked on to the meet market where birds of prey were swooping down to feed on the left-overs. Abdul took us to a traditional Harari house which resembled Aladdin's Cave. It was absolutely full of ancient treasures. We went on to a coffee processing house and bought some of the Ethiopia's world-famous coffee. What a fantastic smell! He then took us to a catholic missionary where 60 orphans were being looked after and a nun showed us around her little church. Harar is proud of its peacefulness. Mosques, Orthodox churches and Catholic churches sit side by side and there are no hostilities between them.

The thrill of a lifetime!

Saturday 4th October ...(cont)

We finished out tour with a Fanta and coffee in the main square then a went for a delicious dinner in a nearby restaurant. We feasted on goat tibs - sizzling hot goat meat in a clay pot above burning coals, and kifto - minced beef with hers and spices. We went to the back room for a shisha but were dismayed to find numerous cockroaches emerging from the cushions so made a hasty exit.

By now it was dark so we met Tedi, John's Ethiopian friend, and went to feed the Hyenas! I was under the impression that we would be throwing meat down to them from the city walls but in fact, we were on the ground outside the city walls with hyenas surrounding us! I could see dozens of pairs of glowing green eyes and was absolutely terrified. They looked like savage bears and in the dark it was difficult to tell where they were. John went first - suspending raw meat on a stick and waiting for the hyenas to pounce and tear it from the stick. I was persuaded to have a go too although I was wishing I had opted for a rabies jab! Anyway, we survived and I'm proud to have photos to prove I did it.

Tedi accompanied us to the bus station for a mini-bus back to Dire Dawa. On a dark strech of road a bandit jumped out in front of the bus with a whip and hit the vehicle! However, our driver didn't seem phased...he swerved and then continued as normal. What a day!

Exploring Dire Dawa

Sunday 5th October

Today was John's last day. I had planned to go to a town called Jijiga, about 150km East of Dire Dawa towards Somaliland (Somalia). The Lonely Planet says "the stunning stretch of gravel road is one of the most scenic in Eastern Ethiopia, with superb volcanic rock formations, contoured terrain and a strangely seductive, end of the world atmosphere". Unfortunately, (or so I thought) problems finding a driver meant it was not possible to go.

However, some research on the FCO website revealed that a bomb went off in Jijiga a week ago (28 Sept) at 10.20am. Four people were killed and eight injured. Two weeks ago (22 Sept), two international staff members of Medicines du Monde were kidnapped by armed gunmen nearby and taken to Somalia. They have not yet been released and the identity of the kidnappers is not yet known. In 2007, there were three bombs, killing over 65 people in total. In 2006, there were three simultaneous bombs and a grenade attack in the town, leaving 43 dead. Needless to say, the FCO advise against all but essential travel to Jijiga.

So, instead of risking my life on a journey to Jijiga, I decided to go for a safer option and go with a new potential project (JECCDO) for a drive up to the highlands surrounding Dire Dawa. We drove alongside the Dechato Wadi (seasonal river, now dried up) before making a steep ascent up a rocky track. We made a brief stop at a cave, before resting to soak up the amazing panoramic views of the sprawling town of Dire Dawa and its surrounding jagged hills.

After lunch we explored Kafira market in the heart of the old town. The market attracts people from miles away including Afar herders, Somali pastoralists and Oromo farmers. We immersed ourselves in the maze of covered alleyways and shacks made from wood and cloth, protecting the fruit and vegetables from the overhead sun. We were greeted by goats, donkeys and people of all ages. The smells of onions, spices, coffee and incense covered the smell of rotting food. We stumbled across camel caravans from the Somali desert behind the market. The owners use camels to smuggle contraband merchandise by night from Djibouti to Ethiopia where it ends up in markets like these.

Calls of 'Farangi, farangi, what is your name' echoed everywhere we went; this was certainly the first time we had attracted so much attention. The attention did not feel at all hostile. The children wanted their photos taking and we didn't need much convincing.

After waving farewell to John at the airport I was taken to Kebele 05, the poorest of Dire Dawa's areas, by a project leader from JECCDO. In 2006, a landslide and flood devastated the area, killing hundreds and leaving thousands more homeless. The project leaders have been involved in stabilising the surrounding hillsides and teaching good farming practices to prevent future landslides. One farm, built just over a year ago, now produces approximately 100 litres per day for the local community.

The project has also provided educational support and facilities for the children who would otherwise have nothing. The project there seems to have been a great success - 35 students from the area have been accepted to universities across the country. It is really encouraging to encounter children from such poor and resourceless backgrounds committed to education, with ambitious yet realistic plans for their futures.

'Disability is not inability'

Monday 6th October

I took a local minibus to the town on Harar this morning. It took at least double the length of time it should as it stopped at every opportunity. I was sitting in the front between the driver and a passenger. After talking with the passenger for a while I found out that his father had been killed in the Ethiopia-Somalia war and he had grown up in an orphanage as his mother couldn't afford to look after him. I found out a few minutes later that the passenger had paid my bus fare for me and there was no way he would accept any money from me. He was so poor, yet so generous. What a contrast to the majority in the UK.

Shortly after arriving in Harar, I walked with the passenger up to the Hamlin Fistula Hospital, where he wished me good luck and went on his way. I was pleased to see the hospital's first patient had arrived today. She didn't know her age. The hospital staff guessed she was about 15 but she looked much younger. An obstructed labour, lasting four days, had left her incontinent and with a still-born baby. She is due to undergo surgery on the fistula injury next Monday.

Whilst waiting for an appointment with the next project, Cheshire Services, I decided to pay a visit to the Harar Beer factory. I don't think they are accustomed to having visitors but that didn't stop them from giving me a really thorough, in-depth tour of all the processes in the factory. The factory is a major employer in the region and takes a number of chemistry, micro-biology and engineering students from local universities. They employ over 1000 staff on that site alone!

After the factory tour, I took a tuk-tuk to Cheshire Services and met Hiwot, the project leader. Cheshire Services help disabled people to achieve their full potentials and become fully integrated into society. They follow the motto 'disability is not inability' which is certainly reflected in their work. They support people affected by cerebral palsy, hearing impairments, learning difficulties and many other physical and mental problems. Hiwot and I observed a kindergarten class run by Cheshire Services. Those with disabilities are educated alongside those without. This kindergarten is the first of its kind in Harar and a model for the region.

Hiwot then took me to a workshop hidden away in an alleyway of a poor Harare kebele. An amputee who has benefited from Cheshire's micro-finance programme was hard at work. With just one arm, he showed me how to turn 'USA' tin cans into sieves which he now sells in the wholesale market. Cheshire's help seems to be making a real difference to both disabled people and their families.

Goodbye Harar

Monday 6th Oct...(cont)

After saying goodbye to Hiwot, I ran into our friend Tedi, a 20 year old orphan who makes his money as an unofficial guide in the city. I took him and his friend for a Fanta and a cake before he took me to buy some Amharic pop music in the market. His friends played me about 50 songs that I was not allowed to go home without! I managed to escape with three CDs which I'll be playing as soon as I'm home. Tedi then took me to buy some incense. We negotiated a fair price then went to a local woman's house where Tedi put some incense on the charcoal burner to show me what good quality it was!

Tedi was keen for me to stay for the evening as there was a big festival in the town, which is organised to help local young men meet potential wives! I asked him if he was hoping to find someone there. He told me he was afraid that local girls may have HIV so he and his friends go for fun but that's all. He gets an HIV test every three months and is worried for the future of himself and his friends. He is a bright guy; his five languages are a testament to this. I'm hoping to get him involved in Hope Enterprises' programme in Addis Ababa so he can continue his education as he so desperately wants.

I left Harar at sunset, narrowly avoiding a fight that had broken out at the bus station. One guy was beating the other with a stick whilst the other hurled rocks at the first before running away. The hour and a half's drive back to Dire Dawa was peaceful enough. As the darkness descended I realised how few places had any electricity outside the two towns. Herds of cows, goats and groups of farmers were making their ways home - just the end of another typical day for hundreds of Ethiopians.

Celebrity spotting in Addis Ababa

Tuesday 7th October

I took the morning flight from Dire Dawa to Addis Ababa. I was struck by how much more expensive Addis is than elsewhere. A taxi ride that cost 5 birr in Dire Dawa cost about 40 birr in the capital. I went for a swim in the Hilton Hotels pool before meeting Dr Abye from Addis Ababa University. The pool was gorgeous but far from refreshing - it was scorching hot! It was almost too hot to get into, hotter than the average bath!

I met Dr Abye in the Hilton's garden. To my surprise he pointed Haile Gebreselassie dining with an acquaintance! It's not every day you see a world famous athlete, so I was rather pleased with this celebrity spot. Dr Abye talked about organising a group of Deans from the university to visit Reed Training in London to improve their management, finance, communication and team working skills. It looks likely that Ethiopiaid will finance two weeks of training for these Ethiopian academics.

We also talked about how Ethiopiaid could facilitate a link between Addis Ababa University and Royal Holloway University in the UK and discussed their current funding requirements.

As I was leaving I bumped into the same guy from the German charity 'Menschen fuer Menschen' that I had met a few days earlier at Dire Dawa airport! The NGO world is pretty small. I went for a wonder around town and got a little frustrated at the number of Ethiopian students who wanted to accompany me around town to practice their English. I just managed to lose one when another would appear! I delved into some souvenir shops around the Nigeria Street area and ended up with a bag of treasures - wood carvings, drums, decorated wooden combs and paintings on goat skins amongst other things.

Changing faces, changing lives

Wednesday 8th October

My first appointment was not until 9.30am so I managed to squeeze an early morning swim in steaming hot pool at the Hilton. I couldn't swim for long as it was far too hot! Still, I'm sure I could get used to this lifestyle.

I met Chris Lawrence from Facing Africa shortly after the swim and we went to the Yekatit 12 Hospital. For the next three weeks, surgeons and medical professionals from Europe will be performing facial reconstructive surgery on Noma victims and those with shocking facial disfigurements including burns, tumours and even hyena bites. The team will be operating on 48 patients in total. I went around the wards where some who've already been operated on are recovering. I was overwhelmed with how brave and positive they were. Some have waited years for this treatment.

I then changed into scrubs and went into the operating theatre. The nurses warned me that I may feel a little queasy. I thought I would be fine but after five minutes of watching the surgeons removing tissue from the scalp to graft onto the affected are on the face left me rather shaky so I stepped outside. After regaining my composure I entered the second operating theatre where a seven year old boy was undergoing surgery. The medical professionals were doing an absolutely amazing job and for the first time I felt truly lost for words and was almost brought to tears.

I was then driven up to the Menagesha Home in the hills surrounding Addis Ababa. Here, the patients undergoing facial reconstructive surgery are prepared for their operations and then cared for while they recover. The patients are mixing well with the Menagesha Home's usual patients, children with physical disabilities. They had been prepared for seeing the facial disfigurements before the new patients arrived so were not too shocked by their appearance.

I was shown around the Menagesha Home and met many of the disabled children receiving treatment there. Common causes for their disabilities include polio and amputations as a result of car accidents, land mines and even snake bites. The children are given crutches, wheelchairs, leg braces and prosthetic limbs. They are also given extensive physiotherapy to help them to walk again. The leg braces and prosthetic limbs are manufactured on site. Each has to be slightly different depending on the exact disability of the child. The average stay is about six months. During this time the children are educated in the home so they don't fall behind at school.

I met with Gebremedhin, the Manager, to discuss finances and their proposed new building in the city centre. An American couple were there to discuss funding a hydro-therapy centre for the patients. It looks like a fantastically well run project in a beautiful, peaceful location, away from the polluted air of the city.

A birthday to remember!

Thursday 9th October

Last night I went to a restaurant called Castelli’s for dinner. According to some sources it is the best restaurant in Addis and is proud to have served a number of celebrities including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. I got talking to a lady on the table next to me who worked as a Water Policy Advisor for the U.S. Department of State. We decided to join tables and enjoyed a lively discussion over dinner.

I had tried to keep today free from meetings and to give myself a well-needed day off as today was my birthday but duty called. I had a meeting with Daniel Tedros from a project called Alchemy World. We drove to his office where he gave me an in-depth account of the work they are doing to strengthen entrepreneurship in Ethiopia. A typical programme they run involves selecting 30 or so bright students aged about 17-18 from poor backgrounds for a year-long study programme. The students spend the first month in intensive English language classes, followed by a month in Microsoft Office classes. They learn about networking and computer maintenance, and then are trained in a number of business areas whilst developing their own business plans. They take part in a placement with a local business and by the end of the course they should be ready to start their own businesses.

The school that Ethiopiaid supports through Alchemy World is slightly different from the others – its pupils are blind. Blind people are still very much discriminated against when applying for jobs. The Sabatre Blind School is due to start teaching its first class next week. We very much hope that this course will open up new doors for them and help them achieve their potential.

I got back to my room at the hotel to find a birthday cake with a personalised message in icing waiting for me, along with a letter from the manager. It was a really nice gesture! I had time to scoff down some cake before meeting Dr Abye from Addis Ababa University in the lobby bar. I had a drink with him and his colleagues, then a second cake arrived and the entertainer sang Happy Birthday to me!

We went on to the Alize Jazz Club. There were no free tables but Dr Abye seemed to know all the right people and we were quickly accommodated. Daniel, from Alchemy World, spotted me across the smoky room and cake over to introduce his wife and daughter to me. They were all really lovely! The jazz was great and was clearly the haunt of Addis’s elite and well-connected. We sipped Remy Martin and listened to the Blues – it was certainly a birthday to remember.

The last day

Friday 10th October

My first appointment of the day was with Norman Ling, the British Ambassador. The grounds of his residence at the Embassy were stunning. There were giant tortoises roaming free in the gardens! Ethiopiaid has benefited from a long-standing relationship with the British Embassy in Addis Ababa. We discussed two projects in which the Ambassador has a special interest - Yeha and Alchemy World. He stressed the imoprtance of developing entrepreneurial skills in Ethiopia and was keen for Ethiopiaid to get as involved as possible.

We talked about the new legislation the Ethiopian government are introducing and the potential implications this will have for Ethiopiaid. The new legislation will prevent NGOs that receive the majority of their funding from abroad from engaging in any for m of social advocacy. The Ambassador and his colleagues have been in a series of negotiations with the government to reduce the impact this legislation will have on NGOs in Ethiopia.

The Ambassador has recently returned from the Shashamane area where food shortages had been a great problem earlier in the year. Ethiopiaid sent £100,000 for food aid for this area in July. I was encouraged to hear that the situation there had much improved but the locals are still nervous about the December rains coming. As i was leaving, the Ambassador mentioned that he would be happy to provide the venue for Ethiopiaid's 20th anniversary celebrations next year. This landmark occasion should certainly be celebrated in true Ethiopian style!

After saying my farewells, I went to Mother Teresa's Missionary of Charity. There I met an American doctor, Rick Hodes who has been working in Ethiopia for 21 years. He has sent numerous patients for life-saving operations in Ghana and America and raises the money needed through an American NGO the American Jewish Joint Distribution Organisation. He specialises in helping those cancer, spinal problems and heart problems, but treats all sorts of health problems. One little boy had an awful skin disease that had turned his skin to scales. Rick took me to a room with two seven your old children undergoing chemotherapy. The difference he is making is amazing. I met Sister Yanneke, the Missionary's Head Sister, for a quick chat before leaving for the Fistula Hospital.

Goodbye Ethiopia

Friday 10th October...(cont)

The Fistula Hospital is set in beautiful grounds. Mark Bennet, the CEO, gave me a tour of the hospital alongside Chris Lawrence from Facing Africa. The hospital is now treating over 1,400 women a year and could do more if they were not limited for bed space. We discussed their fundraising abroad and he acknowledged the problem of having such independent bodies that don't co-ordinate their fundraising efforts. Mark also explained a slight shift in focus for their patients in Desta Menda so they can deliver more tangible benefits to the patients.

My next meeting was at Addis Ababa University. The University is situated in an amazing building - it used to be the Emperor's palace! I was shown around their museum then had a talk with a group of PHD students about their course and extra funding requirements. They could really do with some reading materials and permanent lecturers. They are also keen to present their papers at international conferences. They were a really bright group of highly motivated and ambitious students and it would be great to help them achieve more by giving them the extra funding they require.

My last appointment of a very busy day was with Lilla from Cheshire Services. We went to the lobby bar at The Hilton and discovered that we both had a lot in common, both having spent time in Accra, Ghana. After a drink with Lilla it was time to pack my bags and prepare for my departure back to London. I had time for a quick swim under the stars before saying goodbye to Addis and making my way back home. It has been the most fascinating trip and one I will never forget.