Rural life in Ethiopia

It is impossible to understand Ethiopia without visiting the countryside. In a country of 90 million people, the rural land of Ethiopia is where over 90% of Ethiopians live and catching a glimpse of their way of life is absolutely fascinating.

During my two weeks in Ethiopia as a fellow with the International Reporting Project, my favorite times were when we were outside of the cities and venturing along the bumpy, cattle-filled roads of rural Ethiopia. For me, the countryside is where the true heart and soul of Ethiopia and much of Africa lies. While some of the other fellows used our lengthy drives as time to catch up on much needed sleep, I sat at the edge of my seat with camera in hand, mesmerized by the world around me. A world I had never experienced yet a world I had imagined in my dreams.

My first glimpse of rural life was during our visit to Mosebo Village about a 42 kilometer drive on dirt roads outside of Bahir Dar. We were visiting Mosebo Village to learn about Ethiopia’s Health Extension Centers that have opened up around the countryside in recent years to combat high maternal and child mortality rates. Reaching Mosebo village is not for the faint at heart. It requires a land cruiser, patience, and a bit of adventure to cover the hour and a half drive on bumpy, muddy roads to arrive in Mosebo and see how most Ethiopians live.

The instant we left Bahir Dar and made a righthand turn onto one of Ethiopia’s numerous gravel roads, everything changed. The first thing I noticed is that rural life in Ethiopia centers around these roads. People are everywhere alongside the road walking, resting and passing their day. Herders tend to their cattle in the fields during the days and bring them back to their tukels in the evening. Women perform the daily ritual of collecting water either by donkey cart or with their jerricans on their backs. Children rest alongside the road with friends or siblings. There are very few cars as most rural Ethiopians cannot afford them thus they travel en masse by foot with or without shoes.