In and around Ethiopia, mainly in cities and large towns, it's not uncommon to get asked for money. In downtown Addis begging is very prevalent. As it does here in Toronto, it always makes me uncomfortable. I wouldn't say I'm more of a target because I'm a foreigner, I think most people walking around get asked for money. I do seem to get noticed more but I've seen plenty of Ethiopians give change or small bills. For the most part, I think to myself that I won't do it, I don't do it here (not often) so let me just not do it there. This will be my principle.
It seems easier to support someone with a small trade rather than just begging. I'll outline a few of the different options.
It seems that if you are a boy or girl between the ages of 5-10, you might sell gum (knock off Juicy Fruit called Banana mainly - yes, it's juicy fruit is banana flavoured...it is, I'm telling you it is), and kleenex packets. You may also sell groundnuts, in packets or loose, or other nuts and beans. These goods, I succumb to purchasing from time to time. You can buy a pack of gum or just a stick. I bought 2 packs for 50 cents from a young girl and well, I guess it was a big sale.
Once you move up from selling gum, it seems the boys at least, graduate to shoe shining. I actually have no idea if this is a real progression, this is just my observation based on age and the types of street work I see. I am a sucker for a good shoe shine in Ethiopia. Never have I ever had my shoes shined in Canada, but they do an amazing job in Ethiopia, it's very cheap, and well, when you have dirty shoes, it's kind of disrespectful. I usually overpay because 25 cents for a shoe shine really doesn't seem fair. I got my boots and my running shoes cleaned up and they are like new. I was disproportionately happy about the job done on my high tops, I actually jumped into the air.
Somewhere in between is the mother-child combination, which is for kids too young to sell gum. It's pretty heartbreaking. The mother will ask first and if you decline, the young child usually follows you for quite some time. I am spared seeing too much of this when I get driven around but when I am out for a walk, it is hard to ignore. If you're driving in downtown Addis though, traffic is often at a standstill and people asking for money are very common. Many of the people begging have physical disabilities - for anyone who is under the impression that polio has been eradicated, come to Addis and you will see that is entirely not true.
If you're passing through a commuter town, where buses go through, you will also see mostly women selling kolo - a sort of roasted barley, peanut, chick pea mix that is quite delicious. You can buy it buy the scoopful - like groundnuts as well. Sometimes other fruit and food items are sold but it depends on the season. Perhaps the women who were selling gum but do not become shoe shiners (I've never seen a female shoe shiner) become women who serve in small restaurants or sell coffee. You can get coffee everywhere, come to think of it, just about as common to see a small coffee stand as it is to see an opportunity for a shoe shine.
Of course, there is also the more, um, well traditional street work. After having dinner with my old boss, we were in a taxi heading home and he said "Ah we're in Chechenya" and I said "What? We are? How do you know?" and he said "The prostitutes, don't you see them everywhere?" I replied, "Um no." and then he said "There, there, there, there" - "Stop stop stop, yes I see them okay, yes... Oh there's that pizza place we ate at a few trips ago."
There are lots of things to take in and observe, and ignore and try to forget. Ethiopia is not a place where you feel taken advantage of in a way I have in other places. The foreigner price doesn't often exist (exception is private taxis) - but for a shoe shine, or a pack of gum, where I personally think they should jack up the price for me at least a little, they don't.
Sorry if this post is well, I don't know what it is. It feels scattered and I'm not sure what I'm trying to say. I don't think I have a point, other than to share.
Here is evidence of the shoe shining handy work.
It seems easier to support someone with a small trade rather than just begging. I'll outline a few of the different options.
It seems that if you are a boy or girl between the ages of 5-10, you might sell gum (knock off Juicy Fruit called Banana mainly - yes, it's juicy fruit is banana flavoured...it is, I'm telling you it is), and kleenex packets. You may also sell groundnuts, in packets or loose, or other nuts and beans. These goods, I succumb to purchasing from time to time. You can buy a pack of gum or just a stick. I bought 2 packs for 50 cents from a young girl and well, I guess it was a big sale.
Once you move up from selling gum, it seems the boys at least, graduate to shoe shining. I actually have no idea if this is a real progression, this is just my observation based on age and the types of street work I see. I am a sucker for a good shoe shine in Ethiopia. Never have I ever had my shoes shined in Canada, but they do an amazing job in Ethiopia, it's very cheap, and well, when you have dirty shoes, it's kind of disrespectful. I usually overpay because 25 cents for a shoe shine really doesn't seem fair. I got my boots and my running shoes cleaned up and they are like new. I was disproportionately happy about the job done on my high tops, I actually jumped into the air.
Somewhere in between is the mother-child combination, which is for kids too young to sell gum. It's pretty heartbreaking. The mother will ask first and if you decline, the young child usually follows you for quite some time. I am spared seeing too much of this when I get driven around but when I am out for a walk, it is hard to ignore. If you're driving in downtown Addis though, traffic is often at a standstill and people asking for money are very common. Many of the people begging have physical disabilities - for anyone who is under the impression that polio has been eradicated, come to Addis and you will see that is entirely not true.
If you're passing through a commuter town, where buses go through, you will also see mostly women selling kolo - a sort of roasted barley, peanut, chick pea mix that is quite delicious. You can buy it buy the scoopful - like groundnuts as well. Sometimes other fruit and food items are sold but it depends on the season. Perhaps the women who were selling gum but do not become shoe shiners (I've never seen a female shoe shiner) become women who serve in small restaurants or sell coffee. You can get coffee everywhere, come to think of it, just about as common to see a small coffee stand as it is to see an opportunity for a shoe shine.
Of course, there is also the more, um, well traditional street work. After having dinner with my old boss, we were in a taxi heading home and he said "Ah we're in Chechenya" and I said "What? We are? How do you know?" and he said "The prostitutes, don't you see them everywhere?" I replied, "Um no." and then he said "There, there, there, there" - "Stop stop stop, yes I see them okay, yes... Oh there's that pizza place we ate at a few trips ago."
There are lots of things to take in and observe, and ignore and try to forget. Ethiopia is not a place where you feel taken advantage of in a way I have in other places. The foreigner price doesn't often exist (exception is private taxis) - but for a shoe shine, or a pack of gum, where I personally think they should jack up the price for me at least a little, they don't.
Sorry if this post is well, I don't know what it is. It feels scattered and I'm not sure what I'm trying to say. I don't think I have a point, other than to share.
 |
| Before |
 |
| After |
No comments:
Post a Comment