Mai Habar Eritrea - December 5th 2006

 

When I wake up at 6:00 after a perfect night's rest, I wait for half an hour to get up, enjoying the wonderful sleeping place. I wash my face at one of the taps connected to the modern water reservoirs that were bought with financial aid from The Netherlands. The women have already baked fresh breads, crispy and thin, something between kitcha and hembesha. I am given a large piece of bread and tea for breakfast.

In one of the Mai Habar shops I buy five kilograms of oranges and several bottles of araki, the local anis distillate, to share with the people in the home, and give to Tewelde and his family as a gift. I promise I will send the staff a letter and copies of the pictures I made today and yesterday, when I am back in The Netherlands.

Tewelde and Odi show me all the buildings of the old people's home, and the improvements that have been made in the last two years with the financial help of the Dutch "Foundation Seniors in Eritrea" and ISEE. I make more photo's of the family and the staff, for them and for the foundation in The Netherlands.

I spend the rest of the morning and the early afternoon visiting the village of  Mai Habar, which means following the main road, and climbing the hills to visit the church and the school of Mai Habar. Enthusiast children accompany me to their school, where I am welcomed by its teachers.

When the bus to Asmara is announcing its departure, I hurry to Tewelde and Lettu and their staff to say goodbye and thank them for their hospitality. Almost two hours later I am back in Asmara.

  

Old people's home - Mai Habar Eritrea.

Mebrehit's coffee ceremony - Mai Habar Eritrea.

Old people's home - Mai Habar Eritrea.

Mebrehit, Tsebe, Odi, Tewelde and Lettu - Mai Habar Eritrea.

River bridge - Mai Habar Eritrea.

Shops - Mai Habar Eritrea.

Shops - Mai Habar Eritrea.

Landscape - Mai Habar Eritrea.

Secondary school - Mai Habar Eritrea.

Orthodox Church - Mai Habar Eritrea.