The Day Everyone Came to the Storybook Festival

Brittany and I discussing details before Dinqo starts the official program. Brittany and Dinqo were the two people who traveled the farthest, and also the two who kept me the sanest before, during, and after the festival.

Talking with Lauren (the short one) about how I needed her to keep all the very young kids interested. As you'll see later, she did a great job.

Vice Director Weldu (far right) and another administrator (far left) look on before the program starts. Oh! That's also the new librarian, Girma, right behind administrator-who-shall-remain-nameless (because I've never officially introduced myself to him, nor he me). Also, check out that fresh block of classrooms in the background, compliments of Glimmer of Hope, Oromia Development Association, and, of course, the locals.

Mezemir, and English Language and Literature lecturer at nearby Debre Birhan University holds a read-aloud book for a girl who was a constant presence at my English clubs whenever they would happen. Lauren and I look on, bemused.

Lil Girl has a walker, which you can just barely make out in this picture. Meze was a great help, even in simple tasks like this one.

I'm so so lucky that I get to hang out with Belaynesh everyday and have Sarah a short, 2-hour busride down the road.

Always laughing these two. The best laughs.

Final details being worked out. Dinqo was my Language & Cultural Facilitator for my first three months in Ethiopia, in Butajira. Which means I hung out with him for a minimum of 4 hours a day learing Oromiffa and cracking up over playing games like Telephone. This festival would have been essentially nothing without his participation. He came all the way from Addis. Thankfully, my school helped pay for his transportation and food!

I'm including all of the next few pictures so you can admire Dinqo in his dope suit jacket.

The kids loved him.

Just look at all these kids.

Dinqo can't even count or see all the kids who speak Oromiffa.

Dara, admiring my terrible facial hair. Dara came from a couple hours away and from what I could tell led the most entertaining of all the sessions.

"Belaynesh, I need you to read this English story aloud in front of all these kids. Can you do that?" (In the foreground, an Amharic-speaking student who we mistakenly asked to read aloud an Oromiffa book. Let's just say it wasn't the final bump in the road that day.)

Mezemir takes over to give a short speech in Amharic about the importance of reading storybooks, and how they can be fun for students. Typically, in Ethiopian schools the only known genres of books are (1) textbooks (2) reference books (a general term for supplementary texts, not necessarily dictionaries and encyclopedias), and maaaaaaybe (3) fiction.

We all look on, approvingly. I lost my sunglasses a few months ago.

Mezemir, inspiring hundreds of children with mere words.

This is pretty much everyone who was at the festival. Except for some people who were preparing...

... a MURAL. A four-panel mural, that is. Here's Gabby and Jay stenciling out an idea that Gabby came up with in under 30 minutes after I hurriedly told her my idea that I just came up with the night before. I had asked the kids to submit ideas, but the only kid who did submitted a very graphic depiction of the Battle of Adwa. (I still wanted to include this in panel three, hold on, you'll see.)

Gabby is a true artist. Jay is stunned into silence.

Look at those smiles!

THEY PAINTED SO FAST.

My job turned out to be going from class to class teaching rooms without facilitators (we had 8(!) but some of the classes had very few students for some reason!) teaching the students how to fold/tear a single sheet of computer paper into a small six-page blank storybook. Luckily I'd only used about a hundred sheets of the like four reams that Peace Corps had given me almost two years ago.

Look at these cute grade 1 and grade 2 students, not even on the edge of their seats for Lauren's drawing lesson.

My mom sent me several packages of colored pencils. Glad they got put to good use.

Alemtsehay (middle) and Yinenesh (left) volunteered to help Lauren keep the kids under control. Maybe they learned a little something themselves.

A student showing off his tiny book!

Belaynesh checking out tiny books. Male students checking out the photographer. (It wasn't me, it was my pal D(eShantell))

Belaynesh also made the rounds, helping with whatever needed help with. Also, look at that neat sign!

Out of one room and into another!

I like this message. We ended up focusing a lot on writing for this festival. Hopefully, they'll be reading after I leave.

Just keep painting!

I can pretty much guarantee this was Dara's session. She's a rockstar. She'd be the first one to tell you that we were all rockstars that day.

Pooped after a long day.

Happy with their work.

The painters in front of their hard work!

All the volunteers (including Meze and Dinqo) were gathered in the director's office for a secret ceremony. (Which I only became aware of at the beginning of the day.) (This is how I choose to remember Jay.)

Dara, stop.

Bereket showed literally everyone in the room his cloth book that he made. I see you, D.

I'M SO HAPPY WE'RE FINISHED

D showing off the beautiful scarves they gave each of the volunteers!

Dara, just stop it.

Can I get real with you for a second? Being in Ethiopia has been a struggle more often than it's been a piece of cake, but Belaynesh and Dinqo have been tremendous whenever I've called upon them for emotional support. Which has been many times. This is (one of) the (many, many) way(s) I choose to remember them.

Mezemir is a tremendous example to his fellow Ethiopians about the power of volunteerism. Sometime in the past several years, Ethiopians in general lost their natural volunteer spirit and many refuse to do any sort of training or program unless they are duly compensated with "per diem", which typically goes beyond that which is required for food or travel. Mezemir basically volunteers at the drop of a hat. Thanks, Meze.

Me, looking dopey. Belaynesh probably saying "Ohhhh!" in that way she does.

This picture. This picture forever.

Bereket, I guess, got a front row seat to the secret ceremony. Other kids had to stand at the door.

The final (though not final-final, words must still be added) product.

Oh, that guy in the middle is Addisu. He's a relatively (like 6 months) new director. Kedir is on the far right and he is an English speaking machine. He helped out Sarah with some of the older kids.

Look at all of us. We're so happy!

Some stragglers. I guess they didn't wanna leave.