We were in Ethiopia in January 2007. Things change a lot very quickly, and of course this is only my personal opinion, so take it for what it is worth. I am sure others will not agree with some of these recommendations, but hey, it’s my webpage :-) I have not included much about the current Guest House since that has already moved to a new location since we were there. Also, these tips will be most relevant to those adopting an infant.
Shopping
Buy as much as you can. We bought a lot and I still wish we had bought more. Also look for cool “free” souvenirs – like Coke bottles with Amharic writing. Those were a hit and I wish I had brought home more.
Buy all of your scarves at the “Former Women Woodcarriers” compound if you stop there. In my opinion, they are nicer than they are at the shops and they are less expensive too. Bring your camera when you go as well – you can get photos of the women making the scarves. I didn’t bring mine and I regretted it.
Of the other shops we stopped at, the Haile Selassie shop had the best prices and selection, and there was no bargaining.
Begging
I would not recommend giving or throwing anything from the van/car. If you do, children will swarm your car and they may be injured.
I would recommend being discreet if you give out anything outside of your car. You will not be in danger, but you may be surrounded by a mob of kids pretty quickly, run out of stuff to give away and feel guilty. When we had nothing to give, we had a child ask us for our shoes, a pen, and other items “on us”. It was very awkward. Besides birr notes, you can also give out meal tickets, pens, or even granola bars or other small healthy snacks.
Trip to Hosanna/Meeting birth family
We received a list of questions from CHSFS to ask the family members. We were glad we had it because it was so emotional I don’t know if I would have been able to speak without it. However, don’t feel like you have to ask everything on it. We wished we had skipped a difficult question that we already knew the answer to.
Dress nicely. The birth family members we saw appeared to be wearing their best clothes. It is not required to dress up, but I personally would recommend wearing a long skirt if you are a woman, and decent pants (no rips or jeans) if you are a man. I think it will make a better impression.
Don’t wear anything to Hosanna you plan to wear again. Your clothes will be coated in dust by the time you get back to the guest house.
Bring a scarf or mask, just in case you need it. Also bring asthma meds if you have asthma. It is very dusty.
Bring a lot of water, but pace yourself. We only stopped at one bathroom for the entire trip (total of a 10 hour day). I have heard others have stopped more in the past – but I don’t know where. I think you would like to avoid that if possible.
Go, go, go! I think the trip to Hosanna was perhaps the most valuable part of the trip to Ethiopia. Seeing where your child is from first hand is priceless, and it is very different from the city.
At the Guest House/Care Center
Be courteous to the staff. Remember, some may not say “no” to you no matter what you ask (even if it is against the rules), so if you have an idea that something is against the rules, don’t ask a staff member if you can do it. If you really aren’t sure I would ask someone who has some authority, like Asnake or Tsewaye.
Don’t give gifts to individual staff members. Even small sentimental gifts (like photos) are against the rules. Everything has to go through Asnake.
Don’t forget your flip flops. At the Care Center, you must leave your shoes outside and put on flip flops before you enter.
Plane/Travel
Bring lots of receiving blankets. I used them to cover my child when we were out and about and in the car, since it is culturally inappropriate to have an infant in public uncovered in Ethiopia. I also used these to cover her face on the plane when she got overstimulated and would not go to sleep. And, of course, they are great for spit up.
Disposable lap/changing pads saved us multiple times on the plane. I always kept one under her – even in the carrier and sling. You don’t want a blow out to get through more than her clothes during 30 hours of travel!
The sling was great in the airplane. We could tuck her in it while we were sitting in our seats and know she was secure even if we fell asleep. The Baby Bjorn was perfect for walking around the airports. We were glad we had both.
Bring lots of packets of sanitizing wipes. They really came in handy on the plane after diaper changes.
Large ziploc baggies are great for soiled clothes. A regular sandwich ziploc bag is the perfect size for a dirty diaper.
Put your baby’s formula in a Ziploc baggie, then in your carry on. It takes up less space than that big can.
I have also attached a copy of the packing list I used. The “carry on” list refers to carry on items packed on the way to Ethiopia. It would be slightly different for the trip back.
