Where Adoptive Families of Sidama Children Come To Experience the Sidama Tribal Culture

Common River offers adoptive families of Sidama children the unique opportunity to experience the Sidama culture by living the Sidama culture in Common River, Aleta Wondo, Ethiopia.  This is not a commercial tour, but a cultural immersion trip designed to provide adoptive families with a tangible glimpse into the heritage of their children.  Culture camp participants stay in a traditional Sidama mud hut, eat traditional foods and learn about the birth culture of their children through an interactive program run by local residents of Aleta Wondo. The week in Sidama takes participants through important aspects of Sidama life:   

Growing up in Sidama: Spend time interacting with kids at the Common River elementary school and visit a local family to take part in daily life among a typical family.  Fetch water and firewood with children and learn about the complex challenges facing children in Sidama- as well as the joys of childhood in Aleta Wondo.

Sidama traditions:  Engage with the Sidama elders and learn traditional arts, crafts, music, dance story-telling and religious traditions.  Take part in during a basket weaving class and learn a traditional skill that you can pass on to your child.

Exploring Sidama:  Visit the local market, hike through local villages to the waterfalls, travel into town for fresh mango juice and participate in a basic Sidama language class.  Spend your time among the Sidama people, learning their ways of life and sharing parts of your own life with them.

Sidama livelihoods:  Graze animals with a local animal keeper, visit the coffee plantation, learn about enset from start to finish, and make traditional recipes from scratch with the Common River cooks.

Service project:  Leave a legacy for your Sidama child by sharing your knowledge and talents with the Sidama people.  Service projects are designed directly with the participant to ensure that both the community and the participate benefit from the project.

“Hello from the US!  We hope all is well in Aleta Wondo if you are still there!  We cannot thank you enough for allowing us to visit for the day and the experience is one we will never forget.  I actually blogged about it and wanted to share it with you as I took so many photos of the children that you might want to have.  They all left quite an impact on each of us, as did the both of you.  We will continue to advocate for Common River and we still are planning to make a donation to the children’s lunch program.” 

From the blog of Nancy, Larry, Aidan, and Paige East  (Adoptive Family visit)

For more information about how to be an international intern or student volunteer for Common River, contact us today.