This is Bingham Academy, the P-12 school at which I presented 3 after-school professional development seminars and 2 lunch-hours discussions. This is a private school, with students from many countries.

This is the kindergarten class.

Two giant tortoises live on the ground at Bingham Academy.

Playground equipment includes a “Bag Swing” – that would not meet safety standards in the US or the UK. It swings students out over a wide, deep ravine behind the school buildings.

Bingham Academy is located in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. Addis Ababa means “desert flower”. It is a city of approximately 5 million people. ALL of the following pictures were taken out of a taxi window on the streets of Addis Ababa.

A new building under construction. Eucalyptus branches are used as scaffolding.

Small herds of goats are common in the city. Herds are brought to the city to sell. You can see buyers picking out their choice of goat from the herd.

Coca –Cola – one product that is known all over the world.

Today is a holy day for one of the saints of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Crowds of people are making their way to the church to celebrate.

Would you like to eat at this restaurant?

A common sight is a person sitting on the sidewalk, selling vegetables or garden produce placed on a small cloth in front of them.

Shopping – although there is one fairly modern shopping mall in the city, most of the shopping consists of these roadside shops.

This is a clothing shop.

Here is a furniture shop.

Donkeys carry loads into the city. These are carrying wood, but donkeys also carry bundles of other goods.

A fruit stand. Good fruit, -- and inexpensive!

Near “mercado” – the concentrated area of markets where most Ethiopians do their shopping, both car and foot traffic can be very dense.

Do not get sick in Ethiopia. This is a typical hospital. Medical care is very inadequate. It is even worse if you need a dentist , as there is only 1 dentist for every 250,000 people.

Although there are some nicer “foreigner” houses, most of the housing in Addis Ababa looks like this.

Another view of typical housing. Remember – this is in the city of Addis Ababa.