Coffee, Tea, and Khat is a book by J.R. Sampaio.
It tells a tale of an Ethiopian family and their struggles, often self-afflicted.
Some books explore the lives of people. Some give commentary on society and culture. Some, including this book, do both. The life of an Ethiopian family Marcio describes is tough. They are poor, superstitious, and deeply religious. They don't live in a country that is one of the best from the perspective of quality of life. The head of the family is not a nice person, nor is his wealthier and more influential brother. Despite all this, the family wants to live, so it searches for ways to survive. Those ways are one of the most interesting aspects of this book.
The book talks about the complete lack of rights that children have in Ethiopia. Well, maybe the government recognizes their rights. But since they are not enforced in mass, they are meaningless.
The book talks about the almost complete lack of women's rights. Many Ethiopian women don't allow themselves to even look at men. The daughters are treated like the property of their fathers, who want to sell them for good money to other men, calling this process "marriage." Instead of getting an education and doing whatever they want, women are supposed to marry, have children, and tend to the house. Sure, mothers do teach their daughters languages and how to do chores, but that's about it. The only escape for many women is fleeing the country, which requires documents, money, and language. Of course, there are exceptions, but the more religious or poor the family is, the fewer chances their women get.
Men, on the other hand, are masters of everything and everyone. Sons are treated like heirs who need to be educated and intelligent. They can choose their jobs and fate, although their fathers still have a final say in many things.
The book also talks about all-penetration superstition and religious thinking that overrides all reason. Ethiopia has medics and knows about science, but what use is it when most people don't?
Even though superstition is supposed to be incompatible with religion, it's almost never the case. Many Ethiopians are Muslims, although there are people of different faiths. The book talks about distrust and even hatred towards other religions. If you happen to be a Christian in a Muslim neighborhood, at the very least, your life won't be easy. At worst, you'll be killed. But, obviously, there are evil or weak Christians as well, and the book doesn't forget to mention that.
Despite all the negatives, Marcio also doesn't forget to talk about positive or neutral things. Ethiopia has its own cuisine, fruits and vegetables, customs, and traditions, and Marcio describes them for us. Walking down the streets, you may hear many different languages and see colorful people, and Marcio succeeds in painting an interesting picture. And of course, there live some good people who care about each other, and those scenes brought smile to my face.
The book doesn't end in Ethiopia, for it also describes Scotland. It describes how a particular Ethiopian sees Europeans and how some Europeans treat a particular Ethiopian. It uses differences in faith, cuisine, language, weather, and customs to show that understanding, co-existence, and assimilation are possible but difficult. There are always problems, and it may require a lot of work and will to change. Some people are more understanding or simply more kind than others. But it's possible.
Overall, I genuinely recommend this book. It is long, and its writing is not among the best I've read, but it's good enough to finish reading. And while you're at it, you come across a lot of information and different perspectives. I think it's more than worth it.
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