“Day in the Life” A Day with Hakika in Ethiopia

Hello, my name is Holly. I am in the beautiful country in East Africa, Ethiopia. I am very happy to be able to have this privilege! This country is flowing with luscious vegetation and cascading waterfalls. I will see what it is like to be a citizen of Ethiopia. I will be staying with Hakika, a 12 year old girl. I will be able to follow her around for a day, everywhere she goes. This way, I will learn more about Ethiopia, and spend some time with Hakika. Hakika lives in the countryside of the city Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. She has a typical house, and lives in it with her little sister and her parents. Her grandmother also lives with her. They have an excellent life. Around her house, there is beautiful landscape, with exotic plants and flowers in the back along with a forest. There is a waterfall not too far away from her house. Here is her typical morning with a twist!

When Hakika wakes up, the sun is gleaming into her bedroom. She shares a room with her sister, Nolli. She needs to wake up her sister because her mother is busy in the kitchen, starting breakfast. She jumps out of bed and washes her face and brushes her teeth. Today she is wearing a special uniform. It is the Meskel Festival today, which celebrates the finding of Jesus’ cross. She puts on her uniform in its finest condition and then brushes her hair. She puts it up in a pony-tail. Her long, black locks flow freely down her back. She puts on her socks and shoes and pulls on her jacket. She heads out of her room, reminding her sister of the time. When she walks out of her room, she smells breakfast cooking. They will have Injera, unleavened bread and staple of each meal, with fruit chutney. She grabs the plates from the table and starts setting them in front of everyone’s places. She sits down and waits for the rest of her family. She pulls out her book and begins to read. When the rest of the family joins her at the table, they say a prayer and then enjoy their meal. When she’s finished her breakfast, she washes her dish, dries it, and then puts it back in the cabinet. She then says her final goodbyes and heads out the door with her sister. Regular UniformSpecial Uniform

She walks to the center of the city today, because of this special festival. Her friends and their siblings join Hakika and her sister. They arrive to the center and see everyone around! They go to find their friends and get a good spot to watch the blessing. The priests and deacons are wearing their best costumes and carrying their most beautiful crosses. Once everyone arrives, they begin the festival. The patriarch, the leader of their church, says a blessing and then the bonfire is lit! Everyone sings and dances and enjoy themselves.

When the festival is over, they walk to their school in the city to begin classes. When they arrive, it is around 11:00. They have classes and study chemistry and math. Once their classes are over for the morning, they have lunch. There is a beautiful view of the city from the cafeteria, which they all enjoy looking at and love the scenery. Since it is the Meskel Festival, a priest comes to bless their lunch. They also say prayers today. When the blessing and prayers are over, Hakika sits with her friends to enjoy a nice meal. When lunch is over, they continue to learn. The classes for the afternoon include English.

When school is over, she takes the 20 minute bus ride home with her sister. On the bus, Hakika starts her homework. When they arrive at their house, they are greeted by her mother and grandmother. Her father is still busy at work in the city. Hakika starts making coffee for the night. She performs a common ceremony, The Coffee Ceremony. The Coffee Ceremony is the process of burning frankincense while making the coffee. When she is finished, she changes out of her uniform and settles down in her room finish the rest of her homework. It takes her about one hour to finish her homework. When she is done, she sets the table for dinner and helps her grandmother and mother finish preparing the meal. When her father comes home, they eat their meal. They have Injera again, but this time with a vegetable and chicken sauce. After dinner, she relaxes and watches television. She watches her favorite show on Disney Channel Ethiopia. When the show is over, she gets ready for bed. She washes her face and brushes her teeth. She puts her sister to bed and then shuts out the lights at around 8:30.

I hope you learned about what it is like to be a girl living in Ethiopia. Her day has been busy, but it was fun! There was a special festival and parade to add an extra spin on her ordinary day. Today, her and her family worked together to have a wonderful day as a family! I hope you enjoyed it! See you later!