I'm wondering what it must be like in rural Ethiopia...

In doing some more research, it seems as if I've been able to pinpoint a bit more about where the area where Hanna is coming from. She is from Le-Zembara, which is a small village outside of Mudulla. It is a very rural area which relies on agriculture.

I am so looking forward to being able to get as close as I can to this area. From maps it appears to be in a more mountainous region and the altitude is approximately 1800 meters. This definitely has an impact on the climate of the area. Typically in thinking of Sub-Sahara Africa the mind goes to a very hot climate. In contrast the southern region’s daytime temperatures hover around 70 degrees and the nighttime lows are

It would appear that life for a family would be quite difficult in a rural area such as this. The statistics for Ethiopia as a nation are staggering to begin with - The average lifespan in Ethiopia is 49 years old. One in every 8 children die prior to their 5th birthday. There is one doctor for every 100,000 people. However, this is a rural area where these things are even more exaggerated.

Because rural Ethiopia relies on agriculture, there is a continual need for rain. So much of the famine crisis that hits Ethiopia relies on the rains not coming when they are needed. There are two main rainy seasons in the area surrounding Le-Zembara. The one is called the Belg Rains. This is a shorter rainy season which stretches from February to May. There are short season crops which are reliant on these rains such as teff, wheat and barley. The crops grown during this short season make up a small percentage of the overall grain production for the country, however there are areas that rely on these crops for as much as 50 percent of their yearly food supply. (http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad2/highlights/2002/10/ethiopia/baseline/Eth_Annual_Rainfall.htm). There also are longer cycle crops that are dependent on these rains, too. Corn, Sorghum and Millet are still dependent on these early rains in order to harvest a larger crop in September.

It is the Belg rains that did not come this year and has contributed to the shortage of food in the area. According to a recent United Nations report, “The failure of the rains has prevented farmers from planting crops necessary to bridge the hunger season. The livelihood of communities is highly threatened as the major root crop, Enset, has been severely depleted due to the drought, excessive consumption and diseases. Sweet potato, Irish potato, haricot beans, cabbages and green maize production has totally failed due to the extended dry season.” This is troubling.

The longer season of rain, called kiremt which lasts from June through September (hitting its peak in August) does seem to be coming, at least as I have been checking the weather in Ethiopia. This rain is very important for the cereal crops and the main growing season crops. Of course the pinch is this in between time when the crops grown during the short season would sustain people until the harvest in September.

Added to this is according to the UN, the daily rate for farm laborers has decreased. It once was 10 birr/day ($1 US) however it now has decreased to 4 birr/day (40 cents). That’s tough to swallow or imagine. This is in addition to the already difficult situations of lack of clean water, diarrhea as a primary taker of life, no electricity, miles of walking to water, harsh farming, high prevalence of malaria and other diseases we never have to think of in the U.S. and the threat of AIDS.

Life is tough in these rural areas. However, what I fully expect to find is a people who are full of joy and who while life is harsh, they are focused on what is truly important.

Much of this blog is from the May 2008 United Nations report found at http://reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/ASAZ-7FBGZ9?OpenDocument