ExpatWomen: Annette, to help us understand why you embarked on a 25,000 mile quest to discover former classmates and help bring clean water to Ethiopia, please paint us a picture of your childhood and background.
Annette: My father was an ambitious, aeronautical engineer, who never seemed to want to stay anywhere very long. My mother was a compassionate, quiet Norwegian who had given up arguing with him about it – there was no point. The frequent moves began in 1959, initially to other British towns, and then to Ethiopia. In 1962, aged 9, arriving in Ethiopia was a real shock: the heat, and heart-wrenching poverty contrasting with the affluence of diplomats and wealthy business people. In 1964 we returned to the UK, moving twice until March 1966, when we emigrated to South Africa. The country was beautiful and like Ethiopia, nature had a big impact, but I hated the apartheid regime with a vengeance, and was frequently outspoken about it. On matriculating, I ignored the opportunity of university and chose to work, saving for the return home.
Unsure as to my future career, I fell into Public Relations work because it meant I met lots of people and I could write – my lifelong passion. Meeting my husband Rob in 1977, then climbing the career ladder and working long hours to earn more was pretty much all I cared about.
This changed when I had James, a much wanted son – at a time when I thought I could never have children. Caring for my mother during her terminal illness led to a complete rethink about what life was really about. I realised it was about being spontaneous, enjoying every day and caring for others. There was not much encouragement for that at work, and I grew very stressed by the constant focus on profit, at the expense of people.
In 1995, I chose to change direction: I became a full time author, writing to show the connections between us, whilst helping the very poor.
ExpatWomen: You have said that "my father was an itinerant traveller, and we trailed behind him with our suitcases and shattered dreams of a permanent home and loyal friends". These days, there are research papers, conferences and loads of articles written about Third Culture Kids (TCKs) like yourself and the impact that living abroad can have on a TCK's identity. How do you think your global nomad childhood impacted on your identity and how has it contributed to your quest today?
Annette: Firstly, the loneliness. Incredible loneliness. We had virtually no contact with our extended families in Bristol, UK (my father's) and Kristiansand, Norway (my mother's). This made our family's ups and downs very intense, as there was no aunt or uncle, or cousin to discuss things with – particularly important in teenage years. But the upside was always being able to adapt and fit in wherever I found myself and being able to connect with others, as I had a better understanding of different cultures and customs. And being open to change.
However, in my mid-30's I was very angry about the constant uprooting, when I felt increasingly lost and stressed. This eased when I cared for my mother – it was like finding a new vocation. I discovered the only answer was returning my childlike faith and using my dreams and visions to root out who I really was and what I believed in – the ‘authentic' me. I also wrote down all the things I cared about and was delighted to find these pleasures were all free!
ExpatWomen: From corporate success, a BMW in the drive of your lovely house and the birth of your son, you have endured three job redundancies, lost your mother to lung cancer and lived through a bad business investment that meant that you had to sell your family home – which devastated your husband and almost took you to the brink of suicide. How did you keep picking yourself up when times got tough?
Annette: Well, firstly, it was a deep faith that this was not meant to be my path. That I would be shown something else. Secondly, my dreams were so much more positive than the life around me, I wanted to manifest them. The dream I had when I had purposely chosen to commit suicide showed me how much I was totally loved – and made me want to live through the hardships. I never considered failure, just learnt to listen to my heart, and trust that answers would be provided to questions about the next steps – and they always were.
ExpatWomen: Tell us more about your dreams, your quest and your book An Ethiopian Odyssey – which impressively has quotes of support on the back cover from Archbishop Desmond Tute, Ethiopian President Girma Wolde-Giorgis and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Annette: Well, I have had these dreams since I was a teenager, clear ‘movies' which come out of nowhere, completely unconnected to the day's events. I always remembered them over the years, as they were so unusual. This is a gift, not a curse, and I honour them. (My sister, one of my nieces and our son all have the same gift, so it's genetic.)
The ‘mission dream' appeared in 2000: returning to Addis Ababa to help provide water. It was so clear, but I woke up having no idea how I could accomplish this, as I did not even have any Ethiopian friends. Two years later, I had a premonition dream the month before my redundancy about what would happen, and that I would emerge as a ‘new person'. So, I was able to handle the news of my redundancy calmly, and wisely chose to follow "the road less followed". as M.Scott Peck called it.
Today, I have readers in 22 countries and growing, and most gratifying of all, I was invited to give a talk at the United Nations on 12th September 2007, to mark the Ethiopian Millennium. It was hosted by the Ethiopian ambassador to the UN, where I was interviewed by UN Radio. I am the first self-published author to have achieved this, so the perseverance has been worth it.
ExpatWomen: How many classmates do you still have to find?
Annette: There were 38 in the class and I have only six more to find, including one American, Kathy Miller, who I think came from the Mid-West, and two Indians: Celina Fernandes, a graceful Goan and Sumitra Goyal from Mumbai or New Delhi. I discovered two thirds of my classmates now live in the US, and most have already agreed to my request to be included in the second book. Three committed suicide, a high tally for one class.
Please click here to view the big photo on my website: Kathy is in the front row, and Celina and Sumitra in the second: http://www.anethiopianodyssey.com/display.asp?pid=0100. Anyone who can help me find any of my remaining classmates will be happily mentioned in my book!
ExpatWomen: Please share with us more information about WaterAid Ethiopia.
Annette: WaterAid have been working in Ethiopia since 1983, bringing clean water, sanitation and hygiene education to almost 1 million people. What struck me when I visited their projects is how the entire community is involved, and how important education and training is to the long term sustainability of every new site. Permanent clean water makes the most difference to girls and women's lives. Girls because they can enjoy an uninterrupted education, as they no longer have to stay home to collect the water. And women because they have the time to develop micro-businesses which help the community, not just their family, secure in the knowledge that their children and animals will no longer sicken, or die because of polluted water sources.
ExpatWomen: Thank you so much Annette. We wish you all the very best in your quest to find your remaining classmates and to provide funds for water sanitation through Water Aid Ethiopia.
