Jetting to Ethiopia; Volunteer Trip with Friends of Fresh & Green Academy

Jetting to Ethiopia; Volunteer Trip with Friends of Fresh & Green Academy

by Lyuba Halkyn

Thanks to an interesting career that I have chosen, I am able to travel with my job while on the clock and on my days off from work. Throughout this year, I have been to London, Amsterdam, Thailand, just to name a few.

By far, the most inspiring and heartfelt trip that I have taken was to Ethiopia just a few weeks ago. The main objective of my trip was to volunteer with a non-profit organization called Friends of Fresh & Green Academy. This organization raises money for a private school, Fresh & Green Academy, located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The 110 children that attend this school range from ages three to ten and are among Ethiopia’s poorest children. These children are not orphans, but live in conditions that would be unimaginable to most people living in the United States.

Fresh & Green Academy is able to provide three nutritious meals a day for the children and a nurturing environment for them to learn. The director of the school, Muday Mitiku, added a dinner meal for the children after overhearing a conversation between two of her students. The children discussed how hungry they were the night before at home, and how they could not wait to come to school that day to eat breakfast.

I was able to spend three full days with the amazing and bright students of Fresh & Green. These children are intelligent, and eager to please. They are patient, and full of love. The director of the school, the teachers, and the entire staff are extremely dedicated.

I was fortunate enough to travel with my good friend, Trish, who is the President and Co-founder of Friends of Fresh & Green Academy. Along with a non-paid board and many other volunteers, this organization raises money through fundraisers, donations, and child sponsors to keep this school afloat.

The advantages of Fresh & Green Academy versus a government school in Ethiopia are many. At this point, I must say that I have not personally visited a government school in Ethiopia, so all of what I say is based on conversations with highly regarded sources. Some of the benefits that these children receive at Fresh & Green are nutritious meals, clean clothing, and a place to take a shower, including soap and a towel. Their educational curriculum besides basic studies includes English, art, music, and a creative form of physical education. I was able to observe the children in these extra curricular activities where a music teacher and physical education teacher came to the school to add a creative touch to learning.

Also, in Ethiopia, kindergarten is not mandated. Fresh & Green Academy began as a kindergarten and has expanded to include a prekindergarten. The school now can accommodate many of the siblings of the older children.

While visiting the school, the kids taught us games and songs. We worked on a project with them. We also spent some time introducing the kids to some basic yoga, while Muday's husband translated for us. The kids had fun and were very patient with us. They are natural born yogis!

Muday Mitiku has also created a mothers’ cooperative. The children's mothers are able to come to the school one day a week to make local crafts, which provides a small income for them. Most of the children live with their mothers only. It is very common for fathers not to live with their families and in many instances to leave the mothers once the babies are born. Also disease and sickness is prevalent among the moms, including HIV & AIDS. Some of the children also suffer from similar issues but according to Muday, proper nutrition helps these kids to stay healthy.

I cannot explain in words, the joy that I have felt since returning from Ethiopia. In our daily lives as Americans, I feel that sometimes perspective is lost by the life of convenience and privilege that many of us lead. I will speak for myself when I say, I do not know what it is like to be hungry or poor.

My friend Trish told me before I left for Ethiopia, that this trip would be life changing. It is not that I did not believe her. I have traveled to poor places before. My travels throughout the last decade included a trip to visit family in Ukraine in which some of them did not even have indoor toilets.

With that being said, I believe my friend was right. The gifts that I have received from this trip are immeasurable, truly a unique experience. I noticed that while I was in Ethiopia, I was very present not thinking about the next moment, but truly engaged in each present moment. What a gift, not to be obsessing with unnecessary chatter in my head. I felt clear and happy the whole time I was there. I have found a hidden treasure in a school in Ethiopia with 110 plus smiling faces.

The kindness and generosity, which was shown to me by my new Ethiopian friends, was genuine. The food at Fresh & Green, that was prepared in a kitchen with not one modern day convenience, was delicious.

My adventure continued with a weekend excursion to Northern Ethiopia where I saw my first hippopotamus, not in captivity, but on Lake Tana, the source of the Nile River. We visited many small islands and interesting Orthodox monasteries with ancient artifacts. We hiked to the bottom of the Blue Nile Gorge Waterfall accompanied by local village boys who were very interesting and very eager to speak with us.

I was told many interesting stories, including how coffee was discovered. A goat herder, named Kaldi, noticed that his goats would come back from grazing everyday extremely happy. Kaldi followed the goats, and saw that they were eating an interesting plant, which made them very excited. This turned out to be what we today know as the coffee plant.

I was also privileged to eat at one of Addis Ababa’s most premiere Italian restaurants located in an area called Piazza. Ethiopia has an Italian influence due to the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in the 1930’s, under the reign of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie.

My trip was rich in culture, history, and adventure. Most of all, I was able to see with my own eyes, what a difference one school can make for some children and their families.

I plan on returning to Ethiopia to visit Fresh & Green Academy. I urge everyone to volunteer and find a cause to support, even if it is right in your own community.

For more information on Friends of Fresh & Green Academy, please visit www.FriendsofFreshandGreen.org.

Thoughts from Dr. Gregg, Chiropractor.

The Flight Attendant leaned over me as I sat in my first-class seat, and asked whether I'd prefer the shrimp scampi with risotto or the rack of lamb with mashed potatoes for dinner. The question was disconcerting, and it wasn't because I didn't know what I'd rather eat.

It was because, 12 hours earlier, I'd been in Ethiopia, one of the most poverty-stricken countries in the world, completing my second mission trip to its capital city Addis Ababa. Somehow, the menu choices didn't seem all that important anymore.

I'm truly one of the lucky ones. I live in the United States, have a home and office in New York City, enjoy three meals a day, have access to health care and food and water, and get to fly anywhere I want at a 90% discount because my wife works for the airlines.

But even more than all that, what makes me one of the lucky ones is that I'm a chiropractor and have been able to help thousands of people throughout my career. More recently, I've learned to give, serve and love out of my own abundance, as Dr. Sid Williams always taught us to do.

I've been a practicing chiropractor for just under 20 years and it's only been recently that -- thanks to some fellow chiropractors and most importantly, my wife Trish -- I've learned to actually follow Dr. Sid's advice.

My first lesson came shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Living in New York City, I felt the impact of "9-11" personally and professionally. Doctors from the New York Chiropractic Council set up volunteer stations and I joined them in the Javits Center adjusting rescue workers staying there. It gave me a bit of inner peace to know I was doing something for the people who came from all over the country to help our city.

Later, other volunteer opportunities presented themselves. I worked at a soup kitchen in Chelsea run by one of our Council doctors. The two of us worked side-by-side with a third DC and adjusted patient after patient after patient. By the end of the day, we had seen about 200 people who might otherwise never have had a chance to receive chiropractic care.

You get a totally different feeling about giving chiropractic in that situation. People don't have a "fee-for-service" mentality; they're not complaining about their bill or their insurance company or the lack of instant results. In fact, they don't complain at all. They simply thank you as you encourage them to keep getting their spine checked and keep coming back.

About two years ago, at the request of another flight attendant, my wife, Trish, volunteered to go to Ethiopia and help keep a school there from closing. She brought two 50-pound duffel bags full of shoes, clothes, powdered milk -- and some much-needed funds.

This school is special because, unlike regular public schools in Ethiopia, is has a free meal program for all pre-kindergarten through third grade students. Families in this area are so poor they can't always afford food, so children often skip school to beg on the streets for food or money. This school gave them an education AND a meal -- it was worth saving.

Trish returned from that trip on fire to make a difference in the world. As happens so often in life, the timing was providential. The woman who organized the volunteer trip could no longer continue her efforts on behalf of this school and Trish stepped forward to take over.

Shortly afterwards, we made our first trip together to Ethiopia, recruiting six volunteers from the airline. We planned to bring as much food, money and clothing as we could carry. After talking with a few DCs who'd gone on mission trips to the Dominican Republic and Cuba, I decided I'd bring a table and offer free chiropractic care as well.

The day after we arrived in Addis Ababa, we traveled to the school, distributed all the clothing and assessed the situation. We decided to open my "clinic" the next day.

The people at the school didn't know what to make of us. I was a doctor, but had no white coat, stethoscope, instruments, or even pills! Just an odd-looking table. Even the director of the school was unsure about what I did.

They did understand the concept of back pain, though, for they have plenty of it in Ethiopia. People are forced to carry water, food and supplies great distances to their homes (when they have money to buy anything). Walking two miles to fill an old, yellowed five-gallon oil jug with water and then carrying it back with an infant tied to your back can definitely cause a subluxation. I had my work cut out for me, and I loved every minute of it. My only regret was that I wasn't able to get them to fully understand the true meaning of chiropractic and why it's for more than back pain.

I returned to Ethiopia this August and this time, I worked with a translator to write a simple message explaining chiropractic: "Dr. Rubinstein is here from United States. He performs treatments without medications to help the intelligence/power inside you keep your body strong, healthy and resistant to disease."

People lined up and watched curiously, laughing at my attempts to give instructions in the native language of Amharic, and the sounds and reactions of the other patients. A few were hesitant at first, but when word got out, all the mothers of the school's students started to line up, along with the workers hired to improve the school, our driver and even the security guard.

Finally, the entire student body and lined up and I adjusted them all over the course of about three hours. Seeing the smiles on those 82 children, I knew why I had traveled 24 hours to give, serve and love. It truly was one of my best days in practice

I'm not going to lie and say there were no sad moments during the trip. But even in those moments, chiropractic can lift the spirit.

I recall the day we walked two miles from the school through some of the poorest conditions I had ever seen to a student's one-room home. His mother's HIV was progressing to a more symptomatic stage and she was unable to get out of bed. We brought food as well as money for rent and cooking fuel, in hopes that she could soon feel well enough to eat and thereby qualify for HIV medicine. (In Ethiopia, the government distributes HIV medication only to those who can prove they are able to eat.)

Before leaving the home, I did the one other thing I knew I could do for her. I helped her sit up, checked her spine and adjusted her. When we left, she smiled, thanked us and whispered "God bless you." She looked as if she had regained at least some hope.

Before I departed Ethiopia, I spoke with the director of the school to see what more we could do. She told me that if we gave her a few months' notice she could put the word out and have thousands of people come for adjustments. She said the government would probably be willing to provide a space for us to work and local radio stations, churches and schools could publicize the visit.

I know many DCs want to get involved but aren't sure how or where they can make a difference. Ethiopia is one place, but so is the soup kitchen in your city. You might choose to spend several days in Addis Ababa or an hour at the local homeless shelter. Whatever you do, you'll feel -- as I do -- like one of the lucky ones. For there are few gifts greater than helping someone who will never be able to pay you back.

(Dr. Gregg Rubinstein attended New York Chiropractic College and completed post-graduate studies in orthopedics and treatment of the low back including a lecture/study certificate program in advanced clinical radiographic studies. He runs a thriving practice in midtown Manhattan. If you have questions or are interested in helping on his next mission trip, contact him through his website 57thstreetchiropractor.com, or e-mail him at DrGregg225@aol.com.

Ethiopian School for the Impoverished

New School Video

Friends of Fresh and Green/Something to Offer Interview

Friends of Fresh and Green/Something to Offer Interview

Left Behind and From the Field

Well, I did not make it to Ethiopia and it truly saddens me. Due to the volcano in Iceland, flights were disrupted around the world and a group of 8 flying stand by without disruptions of ant sort is hard. The volunteers were able to make it out on 3 waves and our new VP and a veteran volunteer were part of the second wave.

Muday, being the wonderful person she is, left me no doubt that everyone would be taken of so I felt completely at ease sending everyone on ahead of me.I have complete confidence things are going well and this has been confirmed through my phone conversations and email.

While I know I am not the keystone of Friends of Fresh and Green, the organization and work we do is my passion and, I feel, my life's purpose. One of the great joys I receive from doing what I do is seeing how people react on their first visit to the school. Kathleen, our new VP has been so excited and full of energy for this trip and has had so many of the same expectations I had before my first trip. I was hoping to blog and send pictures just as she was, and she too has discovered that is next to impossible in our situation there.

One thing I can do to help on my end is post a blog for her. So the following blog is a portion of a heart warming email from Kathleen. I had bitter sweet feelings reading it for the first time. I has so many of the same feelings I had my first time and reading it made me miss everyone so much, and I am so very sad that I didn't get there this time. But I am happy beyond belief Kathleen and the rest have been so touched and Kathleen paints the picture that is "our Ethiopia" so well.

KATHLEEN'S BLOG

Hi Friends and Family!

Well, I've learned that "blogging" from Ethiopia is a bit of a pipe dream -- electricity is off unpredictably and all Internet is dial-up. So pics will have to wait until I get home and updates will have to come via email or Facebook.

I've been thinking all day how to describe the indescribable. Rainy season has started, and we are close to the Equator -- so ... when it rains, it really rains.

Today we visited an "average" family home, one like most of our students live in when they are not at the school. Eleven people sleep/live/eat in a room about 6' x 6' -- four tin corrugated walls and a tin corrugated roof -- no electricity or plumbing, rocky dirt floor, the 3 foot wide, rock-strewn path is both entry and sewer. The rain on the roof drowns out all noise and you have to shout just to talk to the person who is six inches away from you.

The school is truly an oasis, a haven for the students where they can get fed three decent meals a day, get an education and medical help when needed. We took one of the student's brothers to the hospital today, he'd been having stomach pains for five days. No money = just tough it out in Addis Ababa.

It really opened my eyes to just how vital it is to keep the school up and running and to keep the Mother's Cooperative going. It's the only thing that allows the siblings who aren't in our school to get fed.

I worked with the moms today, making some new jewelry projects -- eyeglass holders and watch bands. Now, having seen how they live, I think -- they don't even know what these things are, nor would they have any use for them if they did.

"Stuff" -- these people don't have nick-knacks, their children don't have toys, not everyone on the house even has a blanket to sleep under much less a mattress.

It's truly a different world, and experiencing it firsthand has changed me forever.

Muday, the woman who started and runs Fresh and Green Academy, is a beautiful, energetic, dynamic woman with an amazing vision: to lift these people up and ... I have to say, it is working.

I can't wait to share my pictures with all of you.

Lest you think my trip has been totally dismal, I have to let you know that it's been just the opposite. The people are amazing -- so generous, wanting to offer you tea and hospitality, sharing the little they have. The children are bright and funny, constantly hugging and giving kisses. AND ... my fellow volunteers are the icing on the cake: dedicated, lovely people who could spend their vacation going anywhere in the world, and they come here. And man, do they make me laugh!! We are constantly cracking up, sharing stories, laughing, it's really a blast. That may seem hard to believe but it's true!

OK, I've gone on for quite awhile now, and who knows when the electricity will go off, so I'll sign off for now. If all goes as planned, I will be back in the US on Sunday. But believe me, I plan to come back in August and I know I will miss this place in the meantime. It just gets into your soul.

Love and hugs,

Kathleen