The most amazing thing i have never encounter in my entire life !!!!!?

Question

My work is associated with east African countries, mostly Kenya and Ethiopia.
I just got back from Ethiopia with the weirdest encounter of my life, which changed my previous sympathy for the country.
It all started with me and my co-worker as we visited the Lake Tana that’s the origin of Nile River in Ethiopia. There on the lake were these poor Ethiopians trying to fish while we sow one man dropping bunch of fishes, crabs, shrimps and lobsters, etc..back to the lake, I asked him why he was doing that, he looked at me with surprise and asked with broken English what else he could do with them. I told him why couldn’t he eat them or give them to other people, he shouted out, how people could eat such things and left immediately. We were both so surprise, imagine how shrimps and crabs can’t be eaten and the weird part is, they are Ethiopians always suffering with hunger and famine.
After we encounter this we tried to show to the local people how to eat, shrimps, crabs and different kinds of fish as they only eat one type of fish , we cooked and tried to give them to taste, some of them were actually vomiting for just watching us eat and none of them dare to try, my friend was laughing at their stupidity but I was actually offended and the worst part is not just sea foods that they don’t know how to eat, we found out there are many types vegetables that they don’t know how to eat specially mushroom they call it “ umbrella of hyena” and children play with is everywhere on the street , but no one use them as food, my general encounter is that poverty is both mental and physical in Ethiopia and they are the poorest and the most proudest people I have ever seen.
Can you imagine, they think eating pork is disobeying God?
Anyway Kenya is relatively better, actually they are growing economically better than Ethiopians, and they know mushrooms, sea foods and pork are for food. My friend and I now working on project to teach Ethiopians what to eat hopefully we can get somewhere, anyone who read this can give me idea to include in the project

Answer 1

To eat pork is disobeying God. Swine is Pork!

Leviticus 11:4-7 Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of them that chew the cud, or of them that divide the hoof: as the camel, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

5 And the coney, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

6 And the hare, because he cheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is unclean unto you.

7 And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you.

Answer 2

Ethiopia is a country with a large Muslim population.
Why are you working in Africa if you don't bother to understand their beliefs and traditions? If you are serious about wanting to help, you can't just go over there and tell them what you think they should be doing, and get offended when they don't take you up on it. You have to work *with* them to develop a sustainable economic policy that fits in with their culture.
Ethiopia, among other African countries, is a place recieving a lot of attention from NGOs (non-governmental organizations) as well as from government aid programs. If you really want to work to help the people of Ethiopia, contact one of the NGOs listed below. Sustainable development is a major concern in Africa right now and there are a lot of people working to come up with ways for African people to make a living for themselves.

Answer 3

>>>we tried to show to the local people how to eat, shrimps, crabs and different kinds of fish as they only eat one type of fish ... my friend was laughing at their stupidity>>>

Perhaps your friend should be working with someone else besides Ethiopians.

He must not think too highly of them, if he thinks they're "stupid" because their choices of food differ from his own.

I think the Ethiopians would be better off being helped by someone who didn't look down his nose at them.

I'm sponsoring a child over there now, by the way, and I love doing it.

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Answer 4

Well....I know how they feel about eating shrimps and lobsters,they look so disgusting (personally,I don't eat them) but it's a good thing teaching them to eat them,if I were them,I would try eating the white parts,without looking at the "Thing" directly.You must be very patient with them,don't let them feel forced,little by little they'll eat.I hope everything turns out nice.Good Luck!

Answer 5

I guess the easiest way is to show them films, or pictures, of other people of africa eating sea foods, and perhaps pork, like kenya. But perhaps that eating sea food would be like us, americans, eating worms? And if they are primarily muslim, perhaps pork is not such a good idea.

Answer 6

an old dog cannot be trained just like a shadow will always have one color. To change the way they think they must first accept the fact and learn how to learn. Their religion makes them under poverty line. This goes too to all Muslim leaving in the Middle east, if not for the natural oil that the Americans discovered 4 decades ago I'm sure that all of them leaves in poverty because their religion sucks them. I hate the Muslim religion but not the people who believes in it they need to be pitted for their stupidity.

Answer 7

they must be muslims....God had given some dietary guidelines in the bible which the muslims copied for their own religion. Originally, these foods were considered contaminated. For example, pork had trichonosas, the meat parasite. Meat from animals who were scavangers were not to be eaten either, since they ate rotten contaminated food. So the guidellines were for their protection, not to starve them. However, the muslims copied rules without the understanding of these rules......God would never want people to starve to death, if that is all that is available to eat.

Today we have better ways to cook and prepare food in a sanitray way, so that it is not a danger to us. We have a better understanding of microbiology and disease.

When Jesus came, he clarified this interpretation. That it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles the man, but what comes out of it. If food is blessed, and God given thanks for the food, (and also properly cooked is understood) then it is fit to eat.

Maybe you can use what Jesus taught to appeal to them. They have some degree of respect for Jesus in their religion, so maybe that is your way into getting their agreement to listen to you.

Answer 8

this actually is a sad and touching story except one part
why are you and your friend offended and laughing at these people ?
however it is very sad that these people for some reason have been told that eating this is wrong ( which sounds very biblical to me )

Answer 9

They have to want to change. Education is expensive.