Eritrea-displaced,feature-sched Morale good despite tough conditions for displaced Eritreans by Carol Pineau ATTENTION - FEATURE /// KOTOBIA, Eritrea, March 31 (AFP) - Under the shade of a spreading acacia tree, 20 third-grade students sat on large rocks and logs, eagerly raising their hands to read passages in English from a textbook on Eritrea's wild life. "Who can read? Who can read?" asked Jerusalem Tesfaimariam, an 18-year- old from Asmara doing her military service as an English teacher at Kotobia, a camp for Eritrea's war-displaced and rural deportees from Ethiopia. By a nearby tree, 11-year old Zewdi Kiros stood next to a cracked blackboard hanging from the tree as she struggled to recite her science lesson. Fourth grade history is taught under another tree. "It's really hard for the students. There is not enough shade for them, there is dust and wind, and they are distracted by all the people and livestock passing by," teacher Tesfaimichael Woldit said. Up on the hill, a dozen classrooms are under construction, but until they are completed, students make do with their "under-the-tree" classes, part of the Eritrean Relief and Refugee Commission's (ERREC) attempt to give the displaced and deported as normal a life as possible. In the past six months, life has improved for Kotobia's 23,093 residents, as well as for other displaced residents of camps located within 100 kilometers (60 miles) of Berantu, a large city 240 kilometers (150 miles) southwest of Asmara. Eight new fresh-water points put in by Oxfam International have put an end to five-hour treks. Toilets and washing areas have reduced water-borne diseases. With each new improvement, from sanitation to schools, comes the depressing realization: the prospect of returning home soon is dim. Near one water point, women divided rations for children: grain, canned milk and dates. The mood was jovial, with animated talk and laughter. Residents are keen to keep busy, according to administrator Elias Habte, noting that many set up tea salons, bars, tailor's shops and small shops selling basic provisions within days of arriving. "Some of them, they brought five or ten cows. They sell them and use the money to start these little, little shops. They try to do something. To live in the world you must do something," he said. More than 483,000 Eritreans have been displaced by the war with Ethiopia, more than 10 percent of the population of Africa's newest independent state. Some said they were deported from Ethiopia and that their livestock and goods were confiscated. Feeding, clothing and sheltering the people is a massive undertaking, but according to the ERREC, international donations have been only a trickle. "We need tents, tents, tents," Gebretensai Gebremichael administrator of the nearby Adi Keshi camp, said, pointing to the plastic tarpaulins that serve as the only shelter for many residents. The United Nations Development Programme recently donated high-quality tents, but Gebretensai said rain, wind, dust and harsh sunlight destroy them within six months. Blankets and pediatric medicine are needed, he explained, adding, "if kerosene is not brought in, the people will destroy the forest." Deforestation is a major problem in Eritrea, and camp residents are already having to walk further and further, at times up to four hours, to find firewood. As a hot, dusty wind ripped through a large hole in a tent at nearby Jeja camp, Nagiste Kidane, a young mother of five, washed her young daughter in a pail of water. She said she dreams of having a farm again one day, but for now, she is just trying to survive. Residents cannot farm the adjacent land, as it is already owned by the surrounding villages. Nagiste was deported from Ethiopia's northern Tigray province. "They told us to come to a meeting, but then they arrested my husband, took all our animals and household goods, then forced me to walk to the Eritrean border. It was four days without food or water for my children" She said she has not heard from her husband since. "Where these people lived before, they had a good house, good land and a good life. Now there are six to eight in a tent, if they even have a tent. During the cold season the tents don't give any warmth, during the hot season, they are unbearably hot. But the people have no choice. They can only wait for peace," said Gebretensai. Back under the acacia trees, a class of second graders sang: "Eritrea we love you. We are your children, and when we grow up we are going to help build you." But first, these children need peace to return to their homes. cap/agv ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------