EthioBlog

When I vist Addis 3 yrs ago, the one thing that I noticed immediately, was handicapped people dragging themselves along traffic on wooden blocks in each hand. I was so shocked, but at the same time, it was my first time out of America in a third world country. In america, the streets, buses, and sidewalks are all built with the consideration of the handicapped. Of course, this consiousness came into existemce after local and federal goverments starting facing law suits by the handicapped population in this country, who claimed discrimination, so the laws were changed to reflex their concerns in everyday society. In Addis, unfortunatley, you cannot sue the goverment for this. I have never thought about how fortunate handicapped people in america are, even if all their concerns aren't consider, in comparison to being handicapped in Addis. I spent a month in Addis, I saw many things and different aspects of living life in a african country, some was good and some was bad, but when I left I had a new appreciation for having a good paying job, freedom of speech and first hand experience in seeing that people don't need a lot of money and material shit to truely be at peace with themelves and their enviroment. My first week in Addis was culture shock, but by the time it was time for me to leave, I wasn't ready to go,I wished I could had stay another couple of months. It give me a much wider perspective of viewing life, goverments and people.

Well said KoolKarl

koolkarl, if you wana help do something, otherwise we dont need your "wonder" story.

Actually Mr. R, my church has a annual drive in which we collect wheel chairs,cruches and medical equipment that we donate to Ethiopian hospitals and we aren't habasha. We are the foreigners. You should ask yourself and your goverment, "what more could be done to accomadate your handicapped"? Maybe your goverment should release some of those international funds meant to better the lives of habashas? Our personal contributions are minor, its up to the goverment to build a infrastructure which accomadates the handicapped, like open ended side walk curves, that allow a wheel chaired person to move easily from block to block. This may not sound like much to you, but it makes a world of difference if you have to move through life in a chair on wheels. Many of the side walks I saw in Addis were in need of repairs and tough for a wheel chaired person to manuver. We will keep doing our part, but we are still waiting on you and your goverment to do yours.

Mr. R , you're down right rude. Why don't help instead of asking someone else to do it for you?

R

Don't hate. Are you trying to tell us you are helping?? Who are you to tell others what to say and what not to say??

xz Ameche
am seriously alargic to you so pls don't comment anythig. find some blogs and read anything that actually concern you we seriously don't need outsiders i know you didn't post any thing now and pls pls pls don't do on the future too.

KoolKarl [Visitor]
Igonore the haters and continue what you doing now. You probably seen people like R all over Ethiopia walking over the poor and disabled.

They don't do a thing and not happy when others do something to change the life of their fellow citizens.

Koolkarl you are wise in what you say. Don't pay attention to those that put you down and go off the subject with minuplation.

Ego is a terrible thing.

Emmanuel Goujon,
Thank you for your very important heartbreaking concerns. It is one of the sadest, deplorable and the most shameful acts of the ruling party in Ethiopia.

This is solely the ruling party's
responsibitly to take care of the unfortunate underprivilaged citizens. they shouldn’t have to wait for foreign government to come and help our people. However it is not to say for individuals not to help. Every one should do what ever they can to eliviate the sufferings of our unfortunate brothers and sisters.

This government’s shameful main conserns are focused on ammasing the national weath and how to thighten the power grip. Take a good look at when they came into office so poor and dirty, but are stupendously rich now.

This is the other reason why for the struggle people must attention to.

EPRDF neither has the want or the will to help the country. We have seen the true face. They are fithting for themselves to keep power so they can live luxurius life at the expense of the poor. The few buildings and roads they build in their 20 years can be done in few years had there been a good and qualified leader.

Koolkarl, GOD Bless you and your curch crews. Thank you.