Mennonite Weekly Review

AKRON, Pa. — Lydette Assefa of the United States and Hiwot of Ethiopia started building a bridge when they were assigned to be roommates at Mennonite Central Committee’s orientation for young adult volunteers.

Nindyo Sasongko of Indonesia, left, listens to Tewodros, from Ethiopia, as he shares advice about life in Ethiopia at MCC’s Global Service Learning orientation in Akron, Pa. — Photo by Silas Crews/MCC

Hiwot, 23, who uses only her first name, will work with MCC Great Lakes in Goshen, Ind., for a year.

Assefa, 23, who is from Indianapolis and graduated from Goshen College, will teach in Addis Ababa for a year.

The information they had for each other was golden. Hiwot described the neighborhood of Addis Ababa where Assefa will be living. Assefa’s host mother is open-minded, Hiwot said, and will not require Assefa to follow the Orthodox Christian fasting rules that the host mother follows.

Although Assefa is already familiar with Ethiopian culture because her father is Ethi­opian, she welcomed Hiwot’s description of the people she will be working with, the MCC program and safety precautions.

In return, Hiwot soaked in Assefa’s knowledge of Goshen. Assefa told her about the parks where she can find the “peace and quiet” Hiwot enjoys.

Assefa described events at Goshen College and encouraged her to network with the Ethiopians on campus. Hiwot appreciated Assefa’s guidance as she figured out cell phone options that were different from what she was used to in Ethiopia.

“MCC is always about bridge building,” said Bruce Campbell-Janz, MCC’s Africa director. “This is just another example of that among young people who are beginning their terms of service.”

Hiwot and Assefa were among 112 people, all younger than 30, who were building bridges at their orientation Aug. 9-14. The volunteers came from 27 countries and were preparing for ser­vice assignments in 30 countries. Nine more were oriented in Canada and seven in their home countries due to visa restrictions.

The young people will work through one of MCC’s Global Service Learning programs: