Ethiopia 2022. Head, shoulders, knees and toes

ETHIOPIA 2022

Head, shoulders, knees and toes

Pillars of life: Saturday Market TadesseMesfin

Head, shoulders, knees and toes Knees and toes

It has been two years since our last trip to Addis Ababa and many things have happened ever since. However, it seems like the essence of women in this city remains unaltered. It still surprises me to see them at the construction site. The signage is not to say “men at work” because there are also women. Women are present at the security check at the hotel, at stores and shops. Our local architect (and good friend) is a woman. Women are here and there and their role is “main character”.

As kids we learnt the song Head, shoulders, knees and toes. But we did not think about what it might mean for women here.

Heads. In this trip, we cover our heads with helmets, but women heads here are colorful with curly beautiful hair, stylish turbans, more rarely hijabs and many times used as supporting pillars to carry goods…but women heads here also shine because of all the grey matter contained within, which is invisible to the eyes but essential in our daily lives.

Shoulders. Women transport wood on their shoulders. They bend due to the heavy loads, but day after day, the task is repeated. Who said women are the weak gender?

Knees. Sometimes we kneel on our knees, but we don’t pray. It is just a matter of work.

Toes. My favorite part. Tiptoeing while dancing and connecting. Letting it go.

Independent, feminist, poet, mother and architect

Independent. We met while she was still in her twenties. It was obvious she appreciated her natural independence.

Feminist. Women equality starts yesterday and should be eternal.

Poet. While we wait for her poems to be translated from Amharic to English, we can still enjoy some small pieces published in her FB.

Mother. Petit grand Zoscales worships his mama.

Architect. Last but not least, she is our eyes at the site, the one who helps translate hard copies into light and space.

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SHOULDERS

Shoulders

Over our shoulders we lift heavy loads of wood. Life is quite heavy in this country and we support this heaviness on a daily basis. We know that this wood comes from these trees that we should not chop, as we are not planting others and this is a natural reserve, but we need to cook and we need to sell because we need to feed our families.

Cooking is a risk activity in this country. The smoke and the lack of ventilation are risk factors and we know that WHO estimates an annual death toll of two million people in the world directly due to the poor interior domestic air quality that burning wood or coal implies. Still, the load is very heavy over our shoulders, but we will wake up tomorrow to collect more wood.

KNEES

Knees.

She kneels on her knees and looks up to the sky while she holds what looks to me like the Olympic Cauldron. She stands still, surrounded by greenery and beautifully framed by acacias.

Despite the fact that our visit was completely farenji, it still may have occurred that women stand on their knees quite often. Dealing with the enset plant, commonly known a the false banana, implies kneeling to obtain its pulp and prepare bread from it.

In Ethiopia, there are still issues that seem to make women kneel on their knees while curtailing their freedom to decide whom or when to marry. Genital

mutilation is still present, but girls have got together in the “uncut girl´s club” to hopefully put an end to this terrible FGM tradition. Standing up from our knees and saying NO might be the start of something beautiful to come.

TOES

Toes

Dancing on our toes. Singing out loud. Feeling of empowerment as we sing together or become lead singer for a while. Regardless of all the unfair situations we face, we are able to stand up and walk, run, dance and proclaim that we have the power, the will and the strength to pursue a better future, with more opportunities to study, to make decisions and to not depend on men. Our toes touching the ground, grounded to this earth while we continue to aspire high.

STANDING ON MY TOES

BODY AND SOUL

Body and soul

After singing head, shoulders, knees and toes, there still remains the rest of our women’s body. And the soul, or simpler to say our personality, who we are and what our thoughts are like.

We may be weak or strong, tall or short, blue or brown-eyed…but we owe to fight the fight. It is not a fight against, it is a fight to progress, to acquire the rights we should be already entitled to. We are to fight with our body and soul.

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LET IT GO

Coffee ceremony

From abol, to tona to bereka, the mandatory minimum three cups of coffee to transform your spirit.

Tasty delicious Ethiopian coffee prepared and served by women.

Letting it go while sipping coffee from the jebena.

Observing

Sitting quietly I observe the present while I dream about my future. I enjoy the view and let go.

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