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I asked myself how many cups of coffee did I really drink during my two years in Ethiopia?

Every day upon leaving my house my neighbors would say "do you want to have coffee with us?". I would then sit with them at street-side coffee shops, chatting and watching the traditional coffee ceremony.

On weekends and holidays, I have been invited to the homes of colleagues and friends to experience the traditional way of brewing coffee in Ethiopia. My life in Ethiopia cannot be described without coffee, so I would like to tell you about my experience with a focus on coffee.

I visited Arba Minch city for the first time during the homestay program, right after finishing a one-month local language (Amharic) training period at the JICA Ethiopia Office. I was very anxious to spend a week with my host family, speaking only in Amharic, which I had only just learned. I remember only feeling relieved when I was served coffee after every meal with my host family.

On my first official dispatch day as a badminton coach, the nervous feelings returned. Soon after my introduction, my colleagues took me to a coffee shop, and bought me a cup of coffee to welcome me. Seeing my eyes light up with delight, they were delighted as well. Their invitations to participate in coffee ceremonies over the weekends allowed me to get along well with both my host organization and my counterpart coaches, which then eased my communications at work.

Eventually, I even found a small jebena-bunna vendor near my house, which allowed me to become friends with even more of my neighbors. This also provided me with the opportunity to improve my Amharic skills. After a difficult day at work, I would go there and talk to whomever was around, allowing me to reset my mind. The times where I sat by the roadside drinking my 5 Birr bunna, relaxed me in way that I could never experience in my busy Japanese life.

Looking back at those 2 years in Arba Minch, I found myself learning a lot from my Ethiopian friends. Their love and hospitality was truly amazing, and I cannot tell you how many times they helped me in tough situations. Due to my experience there, I decided to work in international cooperation upon returning to Japan.

Ethiopia is not just a place where I worked as a volunteer for two years, but it is a place where my life changed forever. I often find myself still thinking about Ethiopia while drinking Ethiopian coffee.

Drinking coffee with my friends.

Coaching badminton