WHEN HUMANITY AND HUMANITARIAN SERVICE INTERSECT

The Big Fig Tree

By a Mobile Health Worker in Northern Ethiopia

Photo by Gilly Stewart on Unsplash

Three years ago, I joined a mobile health and nutrition team working in regions of Northern Ethiopia deeply affected by conflict and displacement. One of our most frequent destinations was Ayina Bugina, a remote area in North Wollo, about 60 kilometers northwest of the sacred city of Lalibela — famed for its 12th-century rock-hewn churches, legacies of the Zagwe Dynasty.

Our journeys often began in Lalibela, heading north on a paved road toward Sekota. After about 30 kilometers, we’d reach a familiar sight: The Big Fig Tree.

This iconic tree wasn’t just a marker — it was a turning point. Near the town of Bilbala Giorgis, known for its proximity to the ancient Yemrehanna Kristos Church, the fig tree signaled our turn onto the unpaved pista road, a dusty, winding path navigable only by durable off-road vehicles.

Our Toyota Land Cruiser wasn’t just a mode of transport — it was our lifeline.

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A Ride, a Festival, and Roasted Barley

One afternoon, as we made our way back from Ayina Bugina to Lalibela, we saw a woman walking with her two young children under the harsh sun. We stopped…