Latte and Literacy

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In Ethiopia, drinking coffee is more than just a morning routine before running out the door to work. The traditional village-level “coffee ceremony” is an integral part of Ethiopian social and cultural life. An invitation to attend a coffee ceremony is considered a mark of friendship or respect. Performing the ceremony is usually done in the presence of a visitor, regardless of the time of day. The coffee beans are roasted and then coffee is usually served with a local snack such as peanuts, popcorn, or barley. The special ceremony is never rushed; it can sometimes take several hours.

ProLiteracy partner in Ethiopia, Nurture Education and Development (NED), uses the coffee ceremony as an opportunity for education. During these education sessions, coffee is served while men and women use pictures, skits, songs, or dances to discuss sensitive issues such as individual rights, early marriage, abduction, domestic violence, and female genital mutilation.

NED is an Ethiopian in-country grass roots organization dedicated to promoting human rights, providing voter education, and fighting practices that are harmful to women. With a population of 83.1 million, Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries in the world. NED currently operates in four regions: Amhara, Dire Dawa, Somali, and Addis Ababa. NED provides educational services to a variety of groups, including women, youth, farmers, teachers, and religious leaders . Through “door to door” education and counseling, workshops, panel discussions, and school drama competitions, NED is helping participants address social issues .

To learn more about ProLiteracy’s work in Ethiopia and other countries in Africa, visit proliteracy.org.


Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 1, 2011 at 8:54 AM

    I think what NED is going is genius. Using the coffee tradition to incite discussion on important topics is successful in that people feel comfortable talking in familiar settings. When people engage in doing normal things it's easier to communicate. It's all about getting to know people first then the agenda can be pushed. The "coffee ceremony" has really enlightened my thinking about how to communicate to people from other countries. Thanks!

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  2. EcuatoriGringaApril 5, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    @yellowtop04 Thank you!

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  3. monicam1616May 18, 2011 at 1:50 PM

    What a wonderful way to incorporate indigenous traditions into learning. It is great to see an attempt to understand a culture rather than change it.

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  4. EcuatoriGringaMay 25, 2011 at 11:46 AM

    @monicam1616 Thank you!

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  5. KrisJuly 13, 2011 at 10:42 AM

    I am awe-inspired by so many of the stories here on the Global Literacy blog. I feel inspired to borrow this idea and use it in my own teaching here in the states. I believe we can benefit from this custom as it brings together a community of people for dialogue- I believe this is much needed in homes, communities, and institutions in the US.

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  6. KathyAugust 8, 2011 at 12:14 PM

    kristucker,
    I agree with you. I love this idea. Many times I run into the classroom and begin teaching without even saying good morning. I think to bring on a pre-class tradition of everyone getting something to drink and then use that time to answer questions, ask questions, and carry on dialogue learning and education with students is perfect. Since I meet with my students daily, this would be an excellent way of revisited the discussions from the day before and making sure every one is okay with material prior to continuing. Excellent idea and suggestions.
    Kathy

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  7. ehodgeAugust 21, 2011 at 5:28 PM

    I wonder if the people attending the NED sponsored coffee ceremonies know in advance when these very important topics will be discussed?

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  8. Jolly PeterOctober 18, 2011 at 1:18 AM

    This is a good way of imparting education. It reminds me of my days as a nursing student where we had to spend 6 months in a rural village in India. We would stay in the community and get to know their culture and traditions and then use festival occasions to impart education related to sanitation, drinking water, health, and nutrition. We would use songs, drama, skits, dance , etc as the medium to impart the education. This strategy was easily accepted by the villagers as they could readily relate to it.
    It is interesting to know that such strategies are used in other parts of the world to impart education

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  9. SKWDecember 10, 2011 at 9:11 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  10. SKWDecember 10, 2011 at 9:12 PM

    Response to jolly peter: I too am a nurse. I agree that connecting with the participants is so important. I have a tradition of bringing candy to class, meeting, or even my clinical units. Throughout the 35 some years, I still have previous students and staff telling me they remember the candy. It is funny how small things can make a connection to learning. Even more special is when my international students display activities that reflect significance of their culture. I love it when I have diversity in my classroom.

    The coffee ceremony...what a wonderful tool to impact transformation.

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  11. AnonymousDecember 15, 2011 at 5:49 PM

    response to skw,
    I agree about the small things. I had never heard before today the "coffee ceremony". What a wonderful tool to use in many situations.

    SKW, What are your thoughts on using this ceremony with cancer patients?

    ReplyDelete

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