My name is Henry, and I'm the new Programme Assistant at EWCP. I started back in August, based in Oxford with Claudio and Jorgelina, assisting with any and all aspects of project operations.
Earlier this month, Jorgelina and I returned from a trip to our HQ in Dinsho. Along with teams from throughout the country, we arranged a week-long schedule of meetings and planning sessions across all our projects. The aim was not only to strengthen the new EWCP structure, but set the agenda for the new 6-months of our work.
It was wonderful to meet so many people who I have been working closely with for the past few months, and the week was also a rare opportunity for EWCP staff members from Amhara and Oromia to get together for in-person discussions and socializing.
Not only was this my first time in Dinsho, but it was also my first time travelling to Ethiopia, and I was immediately struck by the extraordinary beauty of the Bale Mountains. From the peaceful woods of juniper and Hagenia surrounding the lodge to the breathtaking expanses of the Sanetti plateau, it was a landscape unlike any I have seen.
However, the greatest impression was made by the hospitality and dedication of our teams. Their work and their devotion to our shared cause, often in the face of substantial obstacles, is remarkable. It is a pleasure to be a part of this family.
The week ended with a spectacular encounter with two Ethiopian wolves in Sanetti. As we slowly drove homewards, the alpha male from the BBC2 pack walked alongside us, only 10ft from our window, stalking a hare nestled down between the mounds of 'everlasting' Helichrysum flowers.
It will live long in my memory.
