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| ashley's Diary |
| Date |
19 Mar 2006 |
| Country |
Ethiopia |
| Weather |
Sunny |
| Diary |
A note on Ethiopian begging. This is one of the most depressing things about Ethiopia. It seems that almost all children have been conditioned to believe that all foreigners are dispensers of aid and charity and travelling round the country in the LR can be a distressing experience as children seem to automatically present an open palm once they realize that there are feranji in the car. The begging typically suffers from inflation, for example a child might start by saying “Give me pen!” then Give me one Birr!” then “Give me 10 Birr” then “Give me 100 Birr” and finally (and most optimistically) “Give me car!”….Oh sure, here are the keys to the LR! Ethiopian self-reliance and pride have been undermined by decades of foreign aid. One positive thing though is that our kids suddenly realize how lucky they are to have been born in the UK and can appreciate that in many ways (although not all) life is easier and more secure for them. PIC LAKE TANA REED BOAT |
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