Food crisis in Ethiopia
Watching this video brought back some really vivid and difficult memories from when I worked in a care-home for severely malnourished children in the Philippines. I remember going out into villages looking for children that weren't just hungry, but were severely malnourished and near death. We found a few when we went out, but I can't imagine what it would be like to be in Ethiopia right now and have families swarming your clinic all desperate to save their child's life because they are starving and you have nothing to give them to eat. I think this video quotes that they are finding 10 kids an hour.
Sadly, sometimes Ethiopia still seems so far away to me, I can't wait till we travel there and can feel that sort of connection to a country that only comes from visiting it. For so many, it is just a sad news story and then we move on. But, I do think these kinds of images can impact people. I remember when our neighbour growing up brought over their massive collection of National Geographic magazines. I loved looking through them when I was little, and I loved making collages out of the pictures. I can completely remember the famine in the 80s because of National Geographic. The pictures disturbed me. Looking back now I think it is a good thing to expose children to such images even at a young age (just my opinion!).
I never forgot Ethiopia, and I was always fascinated by the country. In college I learned a bit about the early church in Ethiopia. Then when I was in university I took a political studies course on Third World Development. The professor went around the room and we all had to choose a country that we would focus on for the entire semester. When he called my name I just immediately blurted out "Ethiopia" without thinking. At the end of the semester I did my presentation and I showed graphs on the orphan crisis, the food crisis, etc, etc. And now we are preparing to travel there! I am so excited. I hope that it breaks my heart and that I never watch another newscast on Ethiopia with a feeling of distance or apathy.
posted by emily at
11:38 PM
4 Comments:
Okay so I watched the video again, because I love your blog, however, you are right, when you go to Ethiopia- you will no longer be able to just think that is a horrible situation far away- it will be your problem, which in turn will make it my problem and everyone else who knows you and mike, which is exactly what Ethiopia needs- to make this EVERYONE's problem not just theirs. As for kids being exposed- I let Madeline watch it before school, and she asked what happens to them- I told her they die! The look on her face said it all- she looked absolutely scared and bewildered! So instead of creating a world of sheltered kids we should let them see the world we are leaving them- maybe they can correct our wrongs! (Thats my blurb because that video and all the images over the years disturbs me to no avail- and despite anything we do it is never going to be enough)
as a mother, this kind of thing really breaks my heart; more than it ever used to. I can't imagine what those mothers must be going through.
Great post, em! So sad to see and hear what's happening over there. It will be an amazing for you to go to Ethiopia and see firsthand what is happening there (and I have no doubt that it will break your heart).
...And I must add that I was one of the lucky students who took the university Political Science course with Emily, so I got to hear her presentation on Ethiopia. It was a great presentation and the prof LOVED it!!!
oh Bonnie! You are hilarious! My presentation was so not that amazing at all!!!
And Erin, I love how passionate you are about this!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home