ADDIS ABABA: First impressions; everybody walks. And when schools close, there is a great wave of of children all in brightly coloured uniforms. They make our English uniforms look dull.

LALIBELA: Ethiopian Orthodox churches literally founded on rock as they are carved into and out of mountains. There are fascinating features like King Lalibela’s own solid gold processional cross, an ancient holy book written on goat skin, and several skeletons of pilgrims who asked to be left there, in a hole in the wall outside one of the churches.

Walking from one church to another, we’d be surrounded by children. Some would be trying to sell us souvenirs, others openly begging for money, others asking for a pen and many just looking out of curiosity. I got talking to one boy – Shimeles, who is 16. His English was perfect. He lives in Lalibela with his grandmother so that he can go to school and he goes back to his parents at the weekend. He asked me where in England I lived and so I explained that it was in a city near to Manchester and immediately he asked me if I supported Man. United. No, no, no, I said, Liverpool. He then proceeded to tell me about Steven Gerrard and another Liverpool player, whose name I can’t remember, but he knew so much about Liverpool! He told me he’d be watching the England v Poland match on Wednesday. Shimeles wants to be a lawyer. He was so polite and enthusiastic and bright, he just inspired me. He told me about the recent parliamentary elections in Ethiopia (not something your average 16 year old in England would be interested in!) and he obviously had a concern for the future of the country. He was surprised when I told him that I had been following the recent events too. He said he wanted to help his country by becoming a lawyer and inside I thought ‘Go for it, Shimeles’. I think he can do it. Shimeles was a sign of hope for Ethiopia.

But what disturbed me the most on that day in Lalibela, was seeing so many children with diseases – a boy with an ugly skin disease, another with a deformed eye, some with deformed feet. I found that hard to cope with and I found myself feeling angry. In England these diseases would not have been allowed to develop that far. It’s poverty that’s at the root of those children’s diseases. This whole poverty trap here is very real, horrible, and wrong. I’ve seen it.

On a more positive note, on Wednesday, we visited a project supported by CAFOD which has provided a solar powered water pump (very flashy!) for a whole community which gives them clean drinking water and water for their livestock. They’ve had it for 2 years. Before that, the women (yes, it’s another back breaking job for the women) walked for two hours to collect dirty water and carried it home for another two hours. What a difference! Will try to write again. Ethiopian sunshine to you all, Rosa