A Daring Dozen GTers Visit Ethiopia

March 5, 2025

In mid-January, 2025, a “daring dozen” Rotary Global Travelers set out to travel throughout Ethiopia for two-plus weeks. Several of us had visited Africa before, but none of us had been to Ethiopia. It was a destination outside the comfort zone for all of us. We’d read about security issues in the north due to rebels and civil unrest. After several pre-trip discussions and lots of soul-searching, twelve of us decided we would go.

Fortunately, we didn’t experience any serious issues on our journey through the north. At our hilltop, fortress-like hotel in Gondar, we suddenly felt surrounded by dozens of soldiers and wondered if some kind of military action was imminent. It turned out to be a security / honor guard for the Ethiopian President, who was departing our hotel. Whew!

We also encountered several checkpoints, usually designated by wire strung across the road. Sometimes, it was the army; sometimes the rebels. Sometimes, they peered into our small bus, saw a handful of harmless-looking older Americans and shrugged. Typically, our driver paid a small toll / bribe. One time he even got an official looking receipt from the rebels!

A little context about this interesting country in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is often called the Roof of Africa, because approximately 70% of the mountains in Africa are located here. We were at over 6,000 feet for our whole trip, and sometimes over 8,000 feet.

Physically, Ethiopia is roughly the size of Alaska. Its population of 129 million is about the same as our five largest states (NY, CA, FL, TX, and PA) combined.

The population of Ethiopia is very young, with an average age of 18.9 and almost 20% under 15. The birthrate is around 4, which means its population is growing rapidly.

Sadly, Ethiopia is also a very poor country, with a poverty rate approaching 80% in rural areas. Even in the cities, the poverty rate is nearly 40%. Their once thriving tourism industry has been decimated by the double whammy of COVID and then the well-publicized civil strife. We often heard that we were among the first tourists they had seen in six years.

In Addis Ababa, the capital city, several leaders of the local Rotary Club took us to visit a school where they have ongoing projects. The school serves an area of the city with a high poverty rate. The 1100+ students share fewer than 50 classrooms and often come to school hungry. But they were smiling, excited to see us, and eager to learn.

We brought a suitcase full of school supplies for the teachers to distribute as rewards. And we learned about the local Rotary Club’s goal of launching a self-sustaining commercial bakery in the school to help feed the students. Stay tuned for more information about this potential partnership,

While in Addis Ababa, we also visited the Hamlin Fistula Hospital, renowned for treating a devasting childbirth complication common in some parts of Africa. Women who have prolonged labor (that should be relieved by a C-section) and very young mothers often experience a hole in the bladder. Besides being painful, this causes incontinence which in turn results in their being ostracized. The Hamlin Hospital repairs the physical damage and also has an extensive program of physical and occupational therapy and mental health services to help these women reintegrate into society. They are a teaching hospital; sharing their knowledge with visitors from neighboring countries. We’re exploring options to partner with Hamlin on their education programs.

The timing of our visit to Ethiopia was fortuitous. The majority of the population in the north is Ethiopian Orthodox, and for them, the celebration of Epiphany, which they call Timkat, is a very big deal. Throngs of people dress in colorful traditional costumes and participate in huge processionals on the streets, converging on symbolic sites to re-enact the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. They sing. They dance. They play loud drums and horns. They carry colorful banners. Thousands and thousands of them celebrate joyfully, and we got to watch. It was very special.

From Addis, we headed north to the city of Bahir Dar and our lovely hotel on Lake Tan. The largest lake in Ethiopia, Lake Tan is the source of the Blue Nile, which flows 1500 miles through Ethiopia before joining with the White Nile in Khartoum, Sudan. Water rights on the Nile are a subject of controversary and concern in the Nile Basin. Egypt fears that at some point water-starved Ethiopia will build dams that will reduce their supply.

We took a boat ride on Lake Tan to visit one of the island monasteries built in the 16th century. We marveled at the vibrant paintings whose colors have been preserved through the centuries.

In the northern city of Gondar, we visited projects sponsored by a local Rotary club and by a Roteract club whose members are interns at the hospital we visited. We saw an amazing workshop where technicians fabricate prosthetic legs and feet for amputees. They would love a partner to enable them to continue to provide these low-cost, life-changing devices.

We also saw the commercial laundry equipment provided by the local Rotary club to improve the sanitation and health outcomes in the facility, and we learned about the work they are doing in neonatal intensive care.

From Gondar, we headed to Lalibela to visit the famous rock-hewn churches. These structures were created in the late 12th century. Notice I said “created,” not “built.” They were literally carved out of the landscape by removing surrounding rock to create a structure. And this was done with 12th century technology — hammers and chisels and some kind of wheel barrows and pulleys to remove the rock.

They built 11 churches over the course of 24 years. We visited 6. Each different. Each amazing. Some were free-standing with rock removed from all sides. Some were carved into the rock like a cave. Some were still active; others abandoned. The paths between churches were often challenging. We developed a routine before entering — hats off (men), scarves on (women), shoes off (everyone). What an incredible experience!

Before beginning the southern loop of our journey, we returned to Addis Ababa to build better friendships with the Rotary club at their semi-monthly meeting. Our club president, Melanie, talked to them about our unique club, we shared our impressions from northern Ethiopia, and they shared their many projects. We look forward to a strong partnership in the future.

In the southern city of Arba Minch, we had two unique “better friendship” experiences. One of our travelers, Debbie, has a long-time acquaintance who is currently teaching English at the University in Arba Minch. We invited Tom and his students to join us for dinner at our hotel, and we had a great time talking to the them. We learned a lot about their country and their experiences, and they got to practice English conversation.

During dinner at the hotel, we were entertained by the incredible Arba Minch Theater and Circus Group. Founded as a labor of love by a former national gymnastics coach, this group of homeless kids demonstrated world-class acrobatic skills, and they performed with charismatic stage presence. This grassroots effort provides these kids with a home and a purpose. We were happy to contribute to their work and hopefully to help them with connections to increase awareness of their program.

The southern part of our journey consisted mostly of visiting tribal villages and traveling on very bumpy roads. We often achieved 10,000 steps while sitting in our bus!

These nomadic villages felts timeless. No water, electricity, or sanitation. Adherence to long-established cultural practices, such as polygamy, body painting or scarring, heavy necklaces to demonstrate value. It was fascinating and sobering.

Our final visit was to the Konso Cultural Village — a UNESCO World Heritage site. (One of several UNESCO sites we saw on the trip.) The village enjoyed more advantageous terrain and lusher vegetation than those we visited further south. They grow a variety of crops, both to sustain their members and to sell. And they benefit from a stable cultural hierarchy that has endured for 4 centuries.

The villages are built on terraces with towering stone walls separating well-defined areas and individual homes. They are high on the mountains, making them very defensible. And they have strict rules prohibiting grazing so the livestock doesn’t destroy the fields. From our perspective, they have developed a very sustainable livestyle.

We wrapped up our jam-packed 16 days with a farewell dinner and entertainment at Yod Abyssinia Cultural Restaurant. The next day, some of us headed home. Most of us went on to Kenya, where we “relaxed” on exciting game drives.

We all left Ethiopia better-informed, exhausted, stunned by the poverty, impressed by the resilience of the people, and inspired to form partnerships and contribute to a better future. Isn’t that what a Global Travelers trip is all about?