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This lakeside city of 60,000 is named after nearby Lake Zeway, which wraps around one side of it.  Like other parts of Ethiopia, it presents a life of contrasts.

The area is one where the wealthy vacation as the lake provides local tourism.  Cabins can be rented a couple of kilometers off the highway and people come to relax, swim, and fish. 

Fishing is also an important part of the area’s economy with fishers supplying restaurants and local markets.  As well, some vegetable farmers in this part of Ethiopia can make a reasonable living because of the lake and irrigation.

In some ways Zeway is more prosperous than other parts of Africa. The lake provides income for up to 11,000 local people and others from across Africa, because of an international floral greenhouse operation established here by a private business owner from the Netherlands.  This greenhouse and many others like it are a growing economic sector in Ethiopia.

In Zeway, row upon row of greenhouses go on for many kilometers and greet you as you enter the city from its outskirts.  The greenhouse owner in Zeway established a business here because of the tropical climate and abundant access to water.  It is said to be the largest greenhouse operation in Ethiopia.

Exotic and other flowers grown here are trucked daily to Addis Ababa about three hours away, and are put on planes bound for the Netherlands to be distributed to other worldwide destinations. Chances are that some flowers I have bought in my Canadian city may have been grown here.

The other noteworthy distinction about Zeway is that the national highway that runs through it also becomes its main street. The highway takes travellers into Kenya.

And while there are many who work in the greenhouses to support their families, others in this city face extreme poverty. Ironically, poverty is further complicated here because of the greenhouse and national highway.

A migrant population is the result of these two features, and with them comes social issues locals have to contend with. Trucks bearing the name of the greenhouse move in and out of the city daily to load flowers for sale elsewhere. 

Truckers and people passing through to Kenya who may be HIV/AIDS infected patronize sex trade workers and spread the disease in the community. The locals are then left with lifetime consequences of dealing with the illness and the effects on their families.

Families who are affected by HIV/AIDS encounter poverty, as their loved ones may not be able to work or have to adjust their work hours due to illness. Because of this, many of the NGO’s that work here have AIDS/HIV education and healthcare as part of the outreach they provide to citizens. 

Yet despite these realities and hardships of life, many families here with the assistance of NGO’s are coping and developing better ways of life for their children. Social change is slow, but many of the changes that are occurring are positive. It is inspiring to listen to parental stories of hope and dreams of the future for their children.

These people, in a land so far away from my home, are teaching me many things.  They have a persevering spirit and a willingness to succeed.  Their examples remind me of my cancer battle nearly three years ago.  They give me Strength, Courage, and Determination to live a life that matters.