Ethiopia and Covid-19
IMAGINE YOU are a Jew living in Gondar,Ethiopia.Yourhome,whereyou sleep on the floor with your family of six, is a mud hut the size of a small bathroom. Your daily life, including washing and cooking, all happens communally outside.Youaresurroundedby60members of your compound and they all share the same pit latrine and the same tap for washing. Soap is in short supply. Then coronavirus hits your town. Abebe, a tailor, is one such Jew. Like others, he is frightened to catch the virus and equally worried about supporting his family of seven. “Before Covid-19 struck, the profit I made from my small business was good. I used to mend the torn clothes of my customers and I also made and sold mattresses filled with straw.” His “good profit” was £2 per day which was sufficient for his needs. But customersarenolongercomingbecause of their fears and he has no savings. British charity Meketa has been interviewing Gondar’s Jews to see how it can continue to supportthem d u r i n g
the pandemic. One of Meketa’s principles is to train and educate Gondar’s Jewish community to become self-sufficient rather than to give handouts: these skills will be as useful in Gondar as they would be in Israel, should all of the remaining 8,000 Jews in Ethiopia one day be granted permission by Israel to make aliyah.
However, because the pandemic is preventing people from earning an income, Meketa has, since the start of the outbreak, been providing basic food items (teff, oil, chickpeas) and PPE like masks and soap. Selamawit is 22. Her mother works in the synagogue and she used to love joining her for services but attendance is now limited to just 20 congregants instead of the regular 200 plus. Unable to find a job since graduating, Selamawit took a microloan from Meketa to buy and sell vegetables; her business was going well until the pandemic. “The loan was very important to me, it gives me an experienceaboutsmallbusiness management. I hopewhenthingsare back to normal after Corona, I will widen my business and boost my profit. The support is also really very good. Right now, there is high inflation on food items. But we got food provision from Meketa and it was very good to us in easing the inflation impact.”
The impact on children and ed––ucation in Ethiopia has also been harsh. Abraham is a sixth grader who had been attending Meketa’s afterschool club to improve his grades and to learn some Hebrew. Abraham is an average student, so he finds it hardtolearnatschoolwith80 pupils in his class and almost no resources. This is why he loved the club which provided him with support in all the main subjects in smaller groups. Because of the pandemic Meketa has had to stop giving classes but it has tried to continue to support its children.
Abrahamsays“Icollectworksheetsfrom the club for subjects like Maths, English and Science. I also borrow books from the club’s library, mostly reference books,andalsofables.Theseareveryuseful for my education. “
WiththeEthiopiangovernmentplanning to re-open schools shortly, Meketa is keen that children like Abraham are sponsored so that other families like his can afford school uniforms, books and writingmaterials.Withoutsponsorship, theJewishchildreninGondarwillsometimes find work, like shoeshine jobs, or stay at home and look after younger siblings while their parents look for work. Mukete,amotherof four,isgratefulthat one of her children has a sponsor. “I’m a day labourer, and most day labour jobs are now frozen. But, thanks to God, my child is sponsored and I get monthly financial support from Meketa. Because of the fast spread of the virus we spend most our days at home and if we ever go somewhere we wash our hands with soap, we use face masks and we try to keep the recommended social distance both inside and outside our house.” The Jewish community of Gondar is facing up to the challenges posed by Covid-19 with strength and patience. Their concern for the future is however very evident: concern that the virus will continue to increase exponentially; concern that they will continue to have no income for essentials; concern that their children will fall further behind in their education.
The Jewish community is facing up to the challenge with strength’
Ramon. We are saddened by the loss of our dear brother, brother-in-law and uncle. He will be greatly missed by Estelle, Gloria and Derek, Victor and Hilda and their families.
HARRIS. John CBE. Ours is a love story. Thirty one glorious years of happiness and harmony together. John was a truly wonderful man, a life well lived. May his dear, sweet soul rest in peace. I am heartbroken.— Jacqueline.
HARRIS. John. A wonderful father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend. We will all miss him.— Much love, Daniel, Allyson, Gaynor, Lauren, Alana, Eloise, Charlotte, Henry, Darcie and Callie.
HARRIS. John. A wonderful stepfather, father-in-law and Pops for over 30 years. He achieved so much, always with great modesty. A man whose optimism, generosity and kindness was an inspiration to us all.— Howard, Jennifer, Olivia and Susie.
Evelyn. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Evelyn, much-loved wife of Andrew, mother of Sasha, Nicholas and Jonathan, mother-inlaw of Timothy Bolot, grandmother of Alex, Oscar, Eliza and Bella.
Gisèle (née Horovitz). Our beloved mother died peacefully on September 14. Widow of Raymond, she was a wonderful mother, grandmother and greatgrandmother. She will be deeply missed by her children Tania, Philip with Sharon and Jessica with Robert, her grandchildren Richard, Lisa, Marc, Leigh, Michelle and Nicola, and great-grandchildren.
Audrey. Beloved wife of the late Gerry Stone and mother to Deborah, Carolyn and Vanessa. Audrey passed away on Thursday, September 24. She will be much missed by her three daughters, five grandsons, sons-in-law, sisters and extended family and friends. Forever in our thoughts.
ZATLAND. Jacqueline. How lucky we are to have had such a blessed and beautiful wife, mum and grandmother with us for so long. She died peacefully at home without warning on September 22.— Heartbroken Ben, Stephen, Sue, Josh and Sam.