On Saturday morning, I woke up bright and early at 4:30 AM to catch the employee bus departing for Menagesha. The bus left an hour earlier than usual because it was the annual Cheshire Services Ethiopia Walk - WalkAbility 2008. This walk is a 21 km hike through the countryside surrounding Menagesha, allowing walkers to a) support disability rights and the services offered by Cheshire and b) enjoy the rugged terrain and beautiful landscape of rural Ethiopia.
Upon arrival, I marveled at how lovely the grounds looked that morning! There were multi-coloured tents set up on the grass with different tables and stations at each. There was a huge food tent, as the Hilton Addis Ababa was sponsoring the luncheon for all of the participants. There was a volleyball court and many other activities for the participants. Luckily, the weather was relatively cooperative: the rain stayed away that morning but it was super cold. Well, you win some, you lose some, I guess.
I served as the co-MC (Master of Ceremonies) for the event with Ayu, one of the social workers at Menagesha. I was to make the announcements and introductions in English and Ayu was to make corresponding announcements in Amharic. As soon as I arrived in Menagesha at 7 AM, I met with Ayu and we began hashing out exactly what we wanted to say as part of our MCing duties. We had prepared some important background information on Cheshire, its rehabilitation center and Menagesha and its various programs and services in Ethiopia. We also shouted words of encouragement into the PA system when runners returned back after the long journey!
We also set up an ad-hoc “talk show” at the MC table. Now, I do not want to exaggerate the extent of our talk show. Let’s just say we were more community radio (Wake Up Wakefield) than Oprah Winfrey. I have to admit that the whole time it felt like we were in the cast of the latest Christopher Guest film (i.e. Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, For Your Consideration) or on a really odd episode of Punk’d. We interviewed returning runners and asked them about their experience. The first runner to return had won the race the past three years running (no pun intended). One of the top 5 winners was an inspirational 11-year old boy from Addis who was participating in the run/walk for the very first time. He was so pleased to talk to the crowd about his experience on the run/walk and was really looking forward to telling his classmates on Monday that he completed the run!
Also, all of the participants and children were given T-shirts that said WalkAbility 2008. The only downside to the T-shirts was that they had the unfortunate characteristic of bleeding colours as soon as the T-shirt got remotely wet. Eeps. Memo to all participants: make sure to wash your colours and whites separately!
I also took my camera to Cheshire for the first time this weekend to take some pictures of the center and the various WalkAbility events! I have to say that the children were over the moon when they saw the camera. They all wanted their very own picture and would push other kids out of the frame just before the camera clicked so as to be the “star”! They also wanted me to take tons of group pictures and asked that I give them a copy when I had a chance. As soon as I clicked the camera, they would rush me like a group of football players on the verge of at tackle to see the picture on the viewfinder/screen!
After the run was completed, there were a number of events for the various participants including a tug of war competition between the various corporate sponsors. There was also a pot breaking competition which is similar to a piñata, where a blind-folded participant swings a bat with the hope of breaking a terra-cotta earthen pot. The only downside is that unlike a piñata, there is no candy or money inside. The handicrafts made by the children were proudly displayed and were sold so as to raise funds for the arts and crafts programs. The children also performed a series of group songs for the crowd and got everyone up and moving! They also staged traditional dances which are typically done using sticks which the participants hit against each other. Instead of sticks, the children used their crutches. The children in wheelchairs moved to the beat of the music and joined in the burgeoning chorus of vocalists! It was absolutely wonderful!
All in all, the event was a tremendous success, drawing out nearly 200 participants to take part in the walk/run and resulting in increased funding for the organization’s programs. I was so grateful to have been a part of this event and celebrate with Cheshire!
