A portrait of two girls at Children's Village Gode, Ethiopia…
When I read this story about a young girl called Rebka it sounded almost impossible that a child would loose so much at such an early age. I cannot imagine how she would feel, all I can tell from the story is that she is amazingly resilient. It makes me very proud to work for an organisation that can help people like Rebka. Here is her story:
- Lisa
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A portrait of two girls at Children's Village Gode, Ethiopia
When I read this story about a young girl called Rebka it sounded almost impossible that a child would loose so much at such an early age. I cannot imagine how she would feel, all I can tell from the story is that she is amazingly resilient. It makes me very proud to work for an organisation that can help people like Rebka. Here is her story:
When Rebka was 5 her mother spent a long time in hospital where she was being treated for tuberculosis. Rebka's mother didn't recover from the illness and it was left to her father to take care of the children. Then a year later her father died too, leaving Rebka and her younger sister with her aging grandmother who sold vegetables for a living.
Rebka's grandmother had been saving up to buy her own small house but all her savings were used to pay for medical treatment for Rebka's parents, so there was little money for anything. Then, sadly, Rebka's grandmother also died and Rebka and her sister were then passed on to their only living relative, an uncle age 15. This uncle was still at school but he gave up his education so he could look after his nieces. Work was hard to find but he managed, just.
Early in 2005, the village director of SOS Children's Village Gode went to Jijiga and when Rebka's uncle heard, he applied for a place for Rebka and her sister at the village because he could not afford to look after the girls properly. The village director confirmed that the children were in a very poor state when he saw them and readily agreed to take them to the village.
Rebka and her sister arrived at the SOS Children's Village Gode in early June.
The village director says that Rebka is a happy and intelligent child. "I expect her to be one of the best in the village", he concluded.
Rebka's name has been changed to protect her identity.
- Mary
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Roasting peppers , a recipe from Skopje, Macedonia.
Landlocked in the Balkans, Macedonia has always been a poor country with agriculture as main source of survival rather than income. The local cuisine is perfect reflection of this difficult living. Yet, its taste is a complete opposite. One of the true represents of such diversity is ajvar.
Delicious from the Heart of the Balkans What ajvar really is remains an arguable issue in global culinary circles. Some say it's an appetizer, others claim it's a salad, certain gourmets prefer it as side dish to roasted meat, and there are those who like it as a dip. For Macedonians it's clear: ajvar is a national pride!
The Contents
Ajvar has probably one of the simplest recipes in the world. It requires only four ingredients one of which is optional. As it's normally made in bulk, the necessary quantities for fifteen kilograms of ajvar are: 40 kilograms of sweet red peppers 10 to 12 medium-sized eggplants [optional] 2 litres of sunflower oil Salt, to taste
To make the simple even simpler, ajvar doesn't even require electricity. Traditionally, ajvar is made on old-fashioned wood-fired stoves.
Making of Ajvar
The peppers and eggplants are roasted until their skin is blistered and darkened. After about 10-15 minutes of steaming in their own heat, they're peeled and cleaned of stems and seeds. Then the liquid is drained from the peeled vegetables and they are minced on a meat grinder.
Placed in large pots, the mush is cooked on the same wood-fired stove. After about twenty minutes, oil and salt are added. The ajvar is boiled for approximately two hours constantly stirring. Once done, ajvar is poured hot in glass jars which are immediately sealed.
The ajvar-making season begins in mid-September, right after the red peppers harvest, and lasts until late October. During this time, it is normal to see parking lots occupied by ajvar-makers leaving no space for cars. Funny enough, Macedonian drivers, quite edgy at any other time of the year, do not mind!
Eating Rituals
When a Macedonian tells you that he or she had ajvar, this means that it was eaten spread of bread. For Macedonians there's just no other way of consuming ajvar. Best when combined with white cottage cheese.
The first jar of ajvar is normally opened in late November or early December. The consumption season should last until early spring when fresh vegetables appear at the markets. Should, but doesn't. Macedonians eat so much ajvar that, in a four-member family, fifteen kilograms can hardly survive by February.
When a Macedonian runs out of ajvar, he or she can only hope on the generosity and larger supplies of a relative or neighbour. See, no self-respecting Macedonian would ever dare to buy ajvar in a supermarket. The low industrial production is mainly exported.
The Ajvar Myth
Macedonians claim that they only eat homemade ajvar because of the specific taste manually cleaned roasted peppers have. Confused? Well, it's like this: while cleaned of seeds the roasted peppers must not be dipped in water. Water can be used for washing hands, never the peppers, because supposedly it kills the taste of ajvar.
Peeling roasted peppers results with burning fingers. But, Macedonians would rather put up with this unpleasant sensation than attempt busting the myth. If you try homemade ajvar, you'll understand why.
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