Day 18 – Our final day in Bahir Dar – Natasha and Ryan

So the time has come for our final day in Bahir Dar. Our time here has flown by and we are all so sad to leave. This morning we got up to go to the Grace Centre at 9:00. The Grace Centre is a foundation run by an American woman called Marcy – what an inspiration! The purpose of the centre is to provide a day care programme for women who have had children and need help to care for them. The centre acts as a warm safe environment, similar to that of the New Day Centre, providing three meals a day and an education. Everyone felt so inspired by Marcy and and what she has achieved.

After spending time at the Grace Centre and the children there, we rushed to Shimbet School for a celebration and the handover of the school. When we arrived we were embraced with smiling faces of some of the children from the school. We all gathered into one of the ‘renovated’ classrooms and a few speeches were shared as well as a long awaited (well for Rachel Bourne) round of ‘Swing low sweet chariot’.

So once we said au revior to the school, some of the group went back to the Grace Centre to buy some souvenir’s which are all hand made by the mothers there. Back at the Ghion hotel we had our dinner and packed our clothes to take to the New Day Centre. Some of the group went to the market during dinner to buy some local cloth which you will all recieve on our return!!

Following a trip to the centre to drop off our clothes we then went to the Catholic School for a football match between the Habasha (locals) and the Forengi (foreigners) So it was around a 2 o’clock kick off and quite an amusing game. From a farmer bringing his cows onto the pitch to Joe tripping over the uneven field. The full-time score was 6-4 to the habasha which to be honest was a pretty good fete! Until extra time when they scored another two goals ending in a result of 8-4.

After the football match, we all walked back to centre for what felt like a ‘feast’ of loacal Ethiopian cuisine of injera, luminous yellow bread and an assortement of sauces and spices. More celebrations followed the meal including traditional music, dancing and a few marriage proposals. It was lovely to feel like part of the centre and the students there were so friendly.

Finally we had to say our goodbyes to the students and staff (many hugs and tears were shed) and back to the hotel we went where we sat and had some final drinks for Andy Cunnaz birthday.

Again, much love to everyone at home, not long now until you’ll get to see all our big cheerfull faces coming through the airport doors!