Dispatches From Ethiopia - Collecting Firewood 

06/01/2012 



When leaving the SOS village I saw a man driving donkeys with their carts laden down with firewood collected from the bush. Three of the carts belong to him and the others were rented from a local businessman. At first I was impressed because the carts seemed to be so full, but then I realied what a feat it was to have found so much wood in an area that was so barren and dry. 

He had to go far from home to find this much wood and he would have been struggling through the heat of the day, and on rocky pathways through the plains.

It took him five days with another person to collect the wood. So he had to provide food and water for the donkeys as well as for the boy who assisted him. Half of the wood will go to the businessman as rent for the carts and animals and the other half will be split between the man and his assistant.
He will have the choice between selling or using the wood for his household or make charcoal. Either way this is a good week`s work for him. 

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