They begin their hike at 3 am, collecting the fuelwood in the forests, loading their backs for a long day’s trek along a trail that is usually thick with mud, dung, and rocks. They travel very quickly, sometimes racing against the clock, assuring their days journey will be met with a receptive marketplace. If for some reason the area is stocked, they continue onwards until they can sell their wood for only $2 - the amount they need to feed their family that day

We heard about these women and decided that in order to help them, we first had to go to Ethiopia to work alongside them - so we did. How can you decide the best way to provide assistance, if you don't understand the struggle?

We found and joined the women and offered to buy their packs for the day so we could understand their daily journey. We were met with understandable confusion at first -- why would anyone willingly pay to carry this wood? Then gratitude appeared on their faces when they realized our intentions.

Some of them were very young, roughly 9 years old, while some had been working for 30-40 years. They all had families to support, and for many, they were the only source of income. All seemed to enjoy our company as we walked together, and we began to learn each of their stories along the way.

Amara - one of the more talkative young ladies - started carrying wood after her sister died 18 years ago, and her family relies heavily on her earnings to survive. Through our interpreter she asked us what America was like, and how we had liked school (she has never been). We found her to be entranced with our stories of college and what school is like in America. She told us that only one of her friends had ever even been to school, and that she left to carry wood in what would be the equivalent of the 5th grade. She stopped for a minute and looked in our eyes and said, “I want to go to school.” This is something you rarely hear from someone nearly 30 years old - and also something that you can never forget.

As we continued walking we noticed that our group had grown. More and more kids joined us, and apparently they were fascinated with why men would be carrying the wood rather than the women. Our translator explained that even though some customs in Ethiopia have progressed, carrying wood was considered a ‘woman’s job’, as it was part of taking care of he home. This was clear (and very frustrating to us) as able-bodied men would walk by and laugh at us while calling us women. In the end it was hard to notice though, as hearing applause from the women as we walked by made us realize that they appreciated our efforts to bring awareness to their daily struggle.

Trying to convey how difficult it was would be a lesson in futility. The sprigs of wood and bark dig into your back - the weight of the packs shift continuously as you try to keep your balance while sliding in the mud - and all you can do is focus on the ground to keep yourself from falling. By the end of the day this proved to be a daunting experience.

When we ended our journey at the market, we couldn’t find the words to express what we had just been through. Knowing that women do this daily and that other people rely on them to complete this back-breaking work, was too much for us. All we could do was thank them and promise that we would report their story.

They smiled and continued on.

We are in the process of developing something for 2009 that we are extremely excited about!!

After carrying the wood we realized a few things...

1. We can't change the economic situation in Ethiopia, and the fact that these women have to carry wood. However, we can try and make it more tolerable for them.

2. We also realized that carrying the wood wasn't the worst thing about the situation, but the fact that it kept the women from an education, and we have a solution!!

3. We have developed a pack that the women can use to strap the wood to - one with a heavy-duty pad to protect their back, padded straps to protect their shoulders, and a pocket for a walkman or an MP3 Player.

4. We will coordinate with a group in Addis, the former women fuelwood carriers, so that the women can go and get their packs and update their walkman or ipod with educational materials... ie, books on tape, English lessons, music - anything to make their experience a bit more tolerable, and to give them a basic education. We are looking for a group to help us develop and make this pack, as well as a lead with Apple, Sony, or a group like Berlitz to help with the education portion of it.