Coffee in Ethiopia

So I've admittedly not actually had enough time or internet access to properly shoot some stories off but I'll try to catch up in the next few days before heading to Cape Town.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was a wonderful experience. It is the only sub-Saharan African country which has never been colonized (only occupied by the Italians for a few years) and so it leads one to wonder about the impacts of colonization when compared to some of its neighbors and other African counterparts. It is a landlocked country although it was once had many ports when Eritrea and Djibouti were part of Ethiopia. It is a multi-ethnic state with 200 distinct dialects and the principle language being Amharic (which is thought to be related to Arabic and Hebrew).

"Lucy", one of our oldest ancestors was discovered in Hadar linking human life in this country back 3.2 million years ago. Ethiopia is thought to be the origin of our species. The history is quite interesting with a dynasty that dates back before Christ.

Modern Addis Ababa is an interesting place...having many characteristics of a capital city (such as the hustle and bustle and housing the World Health Organization's African regional headquarters) it also resonates a strong feeling of the pastoral life of the rest of the country...with unaccompanied donkeys weaving in and out of traffic and people-- dutifully carrying bundles of fire wood to their destinations.

One of the most fascinating parts of the history is that the coffee bean originated from Ethiopia and the coffee was incredible-both in its history and in the ceremony around it. I actually had a chance to learn how to do the ceremony and roast the beans.

The history around the discovery of coffee is interesting. Kaldi is a shepherd who -as legend has it-tended to the goats that discovered coffee. He noticed his goats turned into "jumping goats" after eating these red berries in the highlands. He decided to collect a few. The stories I heard now diverge at this point.

One version says he brought the berries back to a monastery and the monk did not approve of this "drug". The monk therefore threw the berries into the fire and Kaldi went after them. He washed the ashes off with boiling water and this was the first cup of coffee (roasted and brewed).

The second version I heard was that he gave them to 3 monks and they made them into the coffee we know today. In the ancient and modern Ethiopian coffee ceremony the 3 monks are honored in the brewing of the coffee. The ground and roasted beans are brewed three times in a clay coffee vessel over hot coals. Between each round it is placed in a cloth holder at a bit of an angle to separate the coffee and the grounds. The first brew is called "Abol" after the 1st monk and is made for those you love and respect since this is the strongest and best brew of the grounds. The second brew is called "Nota" for the second monk and is for those you hate because it is often made for uninvited guests. Finally the third brew is called "Bereka" and is the weakest brew made for the travelers, merchants and students coming from afar and hence late.

When we went to a little coffee house that does the ceremony the coffee came with a small leaf which neutralized the bitterness (does anyone know what the leaf is? Stevia?).

Coffee in Ethiopia was a sheer and pure pleasure especially since it is now winter. The heat of the coffee complemented by the berbere (Ethiopian spice mix--their garam masala essentially) cut through the misty fog of the rains and warms you from the inside of your soul to the smile on your face.
--- more on South Africa when I get a chance :)

Nairobi Kenya-Short but Sweet

Upon arriving early in the morning to Nairobi I began to learn about the variety of cultures and tribes in this country. There are 40 million people people here with 42 distinct languages and ethnic groups. Apparently the struggle for independence in 1963 was a bloody battle lead by the Kikuyu tribe which makes up 22% of the population. I was told that when the English originally came to Kenya they would go to the chiefs of the villages and offer rides on horses (which apparently were very rare at that time). When the horse became tired this would be one boundary of the land they would take to begin their agriculture. After a days rest, they were then taken on a ride in a perpendicular direction to determine the square land that would be taken. Even today large plots of land are still owned by the British.

With the new constitution passed last week there is rising hope for Kenya. First the constitution was amended so that land must be in Kenyan ownership within 99 years instead of the previous constitution which stated 999 years. Also there is health reform in place attempting to provide universal access to health care. The government plans on financing this by levying a tax that is a small percentage of the wages. Additionally many other reforms are taking place and Kenya is poised to become one of the powerhouses of East Africa.



Historically speaking the country is well known for the link to some of the oldest relatives of our current species with fossil remains found that date back 1.7 to 1.8 million years ago and along with Tanzania the home of what is thought to be the first "homo" genus.

While in Nairobi I visited the Maasai market with Alice and Sunil. There we could see a little bit of the handiwork and culture of the Maasai people. Their beadwork was incredible with bright colors and patterns.

The women are heavily adorned with beads. They are traditionally nomadic tribes people whose way of life had been originally discouraged but now has been accepted due to the ecological conditions of their lands. Their wealth is measured in cows and children. The Massai boys go through a circumcision ceremony at puberty in preparation to become the famous Maasai warriors (upon which killing a lion they earn the title of warrior—some say this is still practiced but the declining lion population is of concern).

There is a lot of controversy over not only circumcision of this tribe but over the increased circumcision practices in the bush. In addition to the traditional demand for adolescent male circumcision, many people are seeking out the practice because current research supports a reduced risk of HIV with the practice. In a country with an adult prevalence 10th highest in the world with 6.7% infected reduced transmission with circumcision could be both a blessing and a curse. Unfortunately 40% of those procedures done in the bush on adolescent boys end up in public health centres with organ damage and infections and there is growing concern over the use of non-sterilized equipment and the spread of HIV. With public health campaigns encouraging people to visit clinics for circumcision a market has popped up for unqualified circumcision clinics done by “quack doctors” (reportedly lab technicians or anyone affiliated with healthcare) that offer the procedure for low cost (200 Shillings which is about 3 USD) and are complicating the issue. Many of these patients also end up in the public health centres with complications and the government is cracking down on these clinics. There is an underlying cultural issue with boys/families preferring to have the procedure in the bush because it is seen as more “macho”. Obviously tackling this kind of cultural shift will be a long road but I hope it does not lead to increased HIV transmission in the meanwhile. I’m curious if any organizations/agencies are looking at training traditional leaders in completing the practice in a sterile environment and if so what the sustainability of having supplies, etc is.

The main purpose of my stay in Nairobi was to see my dear friend Alice who was my flatmate while I was living in Bangkok in 2008 and her delightful Sunil. Although my stay was short my mission was accomplished and I spent a heartwarming time with them-- dancing, laughing and talking. Thanks guys! Photos to come once I end up at a computer where I can upload them :)