Arba Minch field trip - DEP students reflect 1

Over the next few days, students from the Development and Emergency Practice Masters programme will be blogging about their field trip to Arba Minch in Ethiopia, where they worked on a capacity assessment of Arba Minch University's legal aid programme. First, Lindsay Slark writes about Arba Minch itself:

Arba Minch in the national language Amharic means forty springs. There are in fact more than forty springs but this represents only one reason to visit the region. Arba Minch has two lakes, Abaya and Chamo, separated by a land bridge called the Bridge of God. These lakes are stunningly beautiful and teeming with life, both wild and tame. The fishermen make their living on the lake, despite the dangers of the wild animals who also seek a meal. Here the crocodiles go to market, the hippos bathe with their young and the birds snatch fish from the fisherman.

Away from the rivers are the national park where the natives climb trees and the children copy them. But only the children dare to jump from the top into the blue spring below – the monkeys do not.

If you seek high ground, the Dorze village will welcome you. Settled high into the mountains they live a life true to their ancient culture. From their elephant shaped houses they will teach you their ways and you will learn to dance in their footsteps.

Above all, it is the people of Arba Minch that will captivate you. From the first welcome, to the last goodbye, the meetings in between are both memorable and humbling, making Arba Minch a difficult place to leave but one that will never leave you.

I am grateful to have worked on this project and I am hoping that it will pave the way to the next chapter in legal aid for the people of Arba Minch.