On The Ground

January 20, 2011

How Overjoyed They Were That We Were Here

Posted by kriosconsulting under Children, Community, Culture, Family, Run Across Ethiopia
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POST BY STELLA YOUNG

Thursday January 20, 2011

Today we all ran a 10k even me which is 6 miles, I was really proud of myself.

We ran from the hotel we were staying to a community, probably 5 of those miles were up steep steep hills. When we reached the community there were way over 2000 people, that were surrounding us.

I was not with my parents because my father was sick and at the hotel and my mother was taking care of him. But on the bright side I was with Anne Stanton a reporter with us who also ran all the way. When we reached a community they brought us to a field were again they told us how overjoyed they were that we were here. After they talked some women got up and sang some traditional songs and danced a some sort of traditional dance.

The funny thing was all the runners got a special present from the community, they all got traditional clothing,then they went into a almost brand new school that was probably built a few years ago maybe not even. I again started doing cartwheels but the crowd were to overwhelming and I had to run straight to the us because of the crowds.

Sincerely,

Stella

www.runacrossethiopia.org

January 20, 2011

A Husband in Awe of His Wife

Posted by kriosconsulting under Anne Stanton, Community, Culture, Family, Run Across Ethiopia
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POST BY DOUG STANTON (We stole this from Doug’s Facebook page today.)

Thursday January 20, 2011

A picture arrived this morning of Anne Stanton reporting a story in the highland coffee growing region of Ethiopia, where she has been traveling with Run Across Ethiopia. RAE has done incredible work in this area– this ultra-marathon/goodwill journey is something like Three Cups Of Tea meets The Longest Yard, and Anne and Jacob Wheeler have been covering this unfolding story step by step down these roads.

And while we can’t wait to see Anne (I miss you!), I wake up everyday hoping she’s written more here on Facebook. I hope she writes a book. I have a much better appreciation of what it means to stay behind, having myself left on long trips overseas. I will never experience this absence in the same way again. Pick up a latest Northern Express to read some of Anne’s writing about this trip. It’s poignant, funny, and honest, and above all focused and empathic, just like her in this photo.

www.runacrossethiopia.org

January 20, 2011

Another Humbling Experience

Posted by kriosconsulting under Coffee, Culture, Music, Norm Plumstead, Running, Schools, Uncategorized | Tags: africa, children, education, impact, Norm Plumstead, Run Across Ethiopia |
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POST BY NORM PLUMSTEAD

Thursday January 20, 2011

Norm Plumstead - Honor Michigan

We ran from our hotel in Yerga Cheffe to the village of Afursa Waru – approximately 10K. When we reached the village, we were treated to a huge community celebration. The love and support they gave to us was overwhelming. Over a thousand people were cheering, clapping, and signing. All the runners took time to congratulate one another, and then we sat down while the village gathered around. The crowd was treated to songs, dancing and formal speeches of congratulations. Chris Treter was given a chance to speak and shared some moving words. All the American runners were presented with traditional Oromia clothes. In the video, you can see some of the runners in their garb.

After the speeches and formalities, we were invited into a school where we ate lunch. Following lunch we toured the village, visited the coffee processing area and interacted with the villagers. It was at this point that I was able to grab my video camera and do some recording. The attached video contains some of the sights and sounds from today.

Today was yet another humbling experience in Ethiopia.

Timothy Young posted this about Norm yesterday

I’d like to report that Honor Bank’s VP, Norm Plumstead, has just completed his 250 mile Run Across Ethiopia in great form along with our team of 16 Ethiopian and US runners. Thanks to Honor Bank and many other supporters, Norm is part of team that has raised over $150,000 to build schools in the coffee growing region of Jirge Chefe. Yesterday, in Hase Gola, where one of our schools is already under construction, Norm and the team arrived to a cheering crowd of over 2000 community members celebrating the team’s efforts to bring educational opportunity to this region.

www.runacrossethiopia.org

January 20, 2011

The Cow That We Ate

Posted by kriosconsulting under Children, Community, Culture, Run Across Ethiopia | Tags: africa, children, Ethiopia, Run Across Ethiopia, yirgacheffe |
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POST BY STELLA YOUNG

January 19th, 2011

I would just like to explain yesterdays crowds when we went to the community. When we first got there people were lined up on the side of this dirt track,I felt like I was in a parade , people were cheering, singing, and dancing. Then they brought us to a field were they brought us the actual desks that they the might actually sit in at the new school. At first in the field a person from the community was talking to us about how grateful they were that we were here. A man named Tedesse translated what the man was saying. Then Chris got up and talked for a little bit then my dad got up and spoke. After that they took us into a school room and fed us beef with rolls,the cow that we ate was killed and prepared that morning and was very tasty.

But before we ate I felt like i was in a circus because I started doing cartwheels in front of some kids, then more kids came then more came. I did a few cartwheels then a few kids started doing their own tricks, like walking on their hands, then a few kids tried to doing cartwheels. Kind of going back to the field part, there were kids in the trees, like high in the trees. While I as doing cartwheels a teenage boy came up and kicked a donkey because they thought the donkey was to close to me , but I didn’t think it was very funny.

Sincerely

Stella

www.runacrossethiopia.org

January 19, 2011

What sounded impossible (crazy? unattainable?) is now done.

Posted by kriosconsulting under Children, Community, Culture, Hans Voss, Language, Poverty, Run Across Ethiopia, Running, Schools, Values | Tags: africa, children, community, Ethiopia, Hans Voss, Run Across Ethiopia, yirgacheffe |
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POST FROM HANS VOSS – (And it’s about time!)

Wednesday January 19th, 2011

I write the message below from me to you, my friends and networks, and anyone who is interested in one guy’s view of this outrageous expedition for cause.

Dan Zemper works on Hans' injured leg

Today, after ten days of running, we arrived in Yirgacheffe, our penultimate destination on the Run Across Ethiopia. There is a real sense of accomplishment shared by the 16 runners (ten Americans and six Ethiopians). We’ve come a long way together and have overcome some real challenges. It’s a momentous point in this rugged journey. Other than a short 10K run tomorrow, we are basically done. After more than a year of visioning, planning, fundraising, training, and then actually nailing the 10 days of running, we are are here, we’ve done it. Yes, there’s jubilation and celebration, but for me at least, this is a chance to reflect on what we’ve experienced and the lessons to be learned.

First, running 240 miles in 10 days, no matter how outrageous it may seem, is totally doable. I am no big time athlete. Most of us on this team are just regular folks. We just brought a little extra vision and a commitment to pushing our bodies beyond conventional limits.

The Team on the road to Yirgacheffe

For me this expedition has been especially wonderful because my wife Maureen and two daughters, Aiden and Lucy, were able to join the RAE team on day six of the run. They’ve shared the same experiences connecting with the wonderful Ethiopian people, had the same chances to witness the magical African landscape, and they’ve even logged considerable day to day miles running with the team. This afternoon, after we arrived in Yirgacheffe, my daughters gave me big hugs and sincere congratulations. What I told them was that this run – in fact this whole effort to raise funds to build schools and support children in Ethiopia — is an example that anything is possible. What sounded impossible (crazy? unattainable?) is now done. We did it; one step at a time, one day at a time, with our eyes on the destination and our focus in the moment. I told my kids that this is just one small example that if you put your mind to something, no matter how daunting, you can do it. And I sincerely believe it to be true. It’s a notion that I’ve tried to incorporate in my life for some time now, but I have to say that this is one of the more powerful testaments to that principle I have ever been a part of.

The biggest lessons though have come from the Ethiopian people. They are so warm, kind, and genuine. Glowing smiles. Pure joy. So many Ethiopians have cheered us on. There’s nothing better than when we run by a small hut in the countryside, those inside notice our presence, and then bolt out with arms waving, eyes wide open, and love in their hearts.

Yesterday, we visited the community where construction has begun on one of the schools the RAE donors have made possible. It was as powerful a human experience as I have ever had: the gratitude of about a few thousand people flowing endlessly toward us. 10 runners, a number of crucial role players, and over 700 donors have made a huge impact for thousands of people in this community — and all they wanted to say was thank you.

As I watched their faces, I was struck with how we are much more alike than we are different. Just like us, they work hard, do what they can for their children, contribute to their community. It does not matter how much we own or how much money we make, what ties us together – what makes us human – is something much more important than that. Frankly, I am not sure exactly what that is, but I know it has something to do with our how we reach out to each other with love, no matter how different our cultures may be. That love binds us together. That love is something I believe in.

Voss Equipment is one of the financial sponsors of this run. Voss Equipment is a forklift company that my grandfather, an immigrant from Holland started in the 1930′s, just after the depression. My father dedicated his career to this business and my brother is now the CEO. I raise it because in some respects this business embodies my family story. It just so happened that I was born into a family that was just one generation removed from Holland. My grandfather and father worked hard to build a business that created real economic opportunity for me. They carved out their piece of the American Dream. Now, here I am in Ethiopia. Voss Equipment is proudly printed on the back of the the official RAE shirts, the same shirts worn by six Ethiopian runners whose family history could not be more different than mine. The same six runners with whom, I’ve struggled with, sweated with, and celebrated with. The same six runners who have shown nothing but kindness and support from day one. It’s the same lesson: no matter how far apart we may seem – and how different our backgrounds are — we are connected as brothers and sisters on this planet. You just have to see it.

The Run Across Ethiopia is an outrageous success. To all the wonderful people who made this happen, I want to say “thank you” and I want you to know that your involvement is making a real difference in the lives of thousands of people.

To return to our website click this link, www.runacrossethiopia.org

January 19, 2011

A Smile Is Universal

Posted by kriosconsulting under Amalia Fernand, Art, Chris Treter, Coffee, Culture, Dancing, Environment, Language, Music, Poverty, Run Across Ethiopia, Seth & May
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POST BY AMALIA FERNAND

Wednesday January 19th, 2011

People love to smile. People love to laugh. People love to dance. People love to love and to be loved. I have never felt more loved than I have in the last few days of traveling across rural southern Ethiopia. A smile and a wave can mean so much, to those that have so little. How excited they are, just to know that we care about them, just to have a momentary reprieve from the tasks of everyday survival. Many have never seen a person with a different skin tone, and how glad I am that their first impression is that of friendliness and compassion. We can both stare at each other in intense curiosity, but when we add a smile, the whole dynamic changes. There is nothing like a true and genuine smile to let you know that love is involved.

Today, we were greeted by thousands of people from the community of Hase Gola to thank us for raising money to build them a much needed school. As we walked off the bus, the smiling faces surrounded us and lined the streets, clapping, singing, laughing, and beaming with an excitement that is so difficult to describe in words. We walked through the crowds as policemen kept those singing, smiling people back and settled ourselves in the middle of a circle of thousands of expectant eyes. Speeches commenced as the crowd sat to listen to thank you’s, prayers answered, dreams realized, goals yet to achieve, and accomplishments in progress. Children watched from the tree branches as hundreds upon hundreds of faces clapped, cheered, and emulated gratefulness. Behind us sat the ongoing construction of a school that these runners had worked so hard to help build. The school will educate 480 children in two shifts each day, affecting a total of 8,700 people in the community when all of the people in their families are included.

We toured the current school house, tiny rooms with cracked floors and little furniture, it was hard to imagine that these rooms accommodate 90 children at a time. The children that can’t fit have to walk a half an hour to another crowded school. That is, if their family can afford a notebook and lunches, and if they want an education, and the possibility of secondary school remains dim. There are no bathrooms, no running water, no electricity and tiny windows, It is hot, dark, and crowded, yet math problems cover the chalkboards and children fight for the opportunity to become educated and the chance to improve their quality of life. The people in this community are in dire need of education, health care, and drinking water (there is a 3 hour walk to the nearest water fresh enough to drink). And what do they do for a living? They grow our coffee, our fair trade, organic coffee that we pay top price for. Yet, no matter how much we pay, such a small percentage goes to the grower and his family. If you would like more information about the issues of the coffee growing region of Southern Ethiopia and what is being done about it, please watch the film Black Gold, available on netflix: http://www.blackgoldmovie.com

The central figure of that film, Tedese Meskala came to the village with us and his Coffee co-operative is responsible for 1/6 of the funds needed for the school. The other 1/6 is provided by the community itself and 2/3 by the run. It is important to form alliances in international development, Chris Treter, founder of On The Ground, explained, because we need the community itself to feel invested and we need the coffee co-operative to continue the investment. Tedese encouraged the people to join a coffee co-op if they had not already, because they deserve to be payed a fair price for their coffee.

How ephemeral it had felt the day before, almost as if we were a traveling carnival, offering only a temporary window, a glimpse of a better life, and causing a lot of confusion and questions. Seth and May had played at the runners water and food stops as we blew bubbles and 9 year old Stella Young did cartwheels and the villagers gathered to dance, smile, and stare. How much different it felt today to feel the appreciation of people that understand why we are here, that our sole purpose is to help and that so many have worked so hard to do just that. A beautiful African choir had been serenading us throughout our visit to the community and when Seth and May began to play “My Family,” they appeared as back up to lift their voices to the magnitude of the crowd that pushed in from all around,

We returned to the hotel in the city of Dilla along bumpy dirt roads as children ran along side us, waving and smiling, only to encounter another celebration It is Epiphany day in Ethiopia, the day that Jesus Christ was baptized, and a giant crowd gathered in the streets outside our hotel to watch a traditional parade. We joined a traditional dance with sticks on the way to our restaurant as the smiles continued to trail behind us…

Please remember to follow more details of the run on the live streaming page and if you are interested in learning more about my favorite musicians, Seth Bernard and May Erlewine, please visit: www.sethandmay.com

I have started my own website! www.natureexplorersinternational.com/

To return to the Run Across Ethiopia website, please click this link. www.runacrossethiopia.org

January 19, 2011

South Carolina’s Contingent Closing the Loop

Posted by kriosconsulting under Children, Dena Piecuch, Jeffrey Metzler, Run Across Ethiopia, Running, Schools
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POST BY DENA PIECUCH

Wednesday January 19th, 2011

We are in Yirgacheffe. It almost doesn’t feel real. I feel like we have just started but i know my weary body tells me otherwise. We did 12 miles today to get here and tomorrow’s 6 miles is looked at with a pretty light hearted fun run mentality. The running is over? Yes. But the help isn’t. The things I have experienced and the people I have met here have touched my heart in a long term kind of way. The people of Ethiopia are the kindest, warmest, people I have ever met. Even though I am un able to speak to most of them, we make an instant bond with a silent communication. They are just so appreciative of us and what we are trying to do and have already done for them. They speak hugely, with no comprehend able words actually spoken. My only hope is that the Run Across Ethiopia has created an awareness and by that awareness we are able to pull together and continue, long after the run, to help one another.

Dena Piecuch