Living Circumstances and Perceptions of Potters

The sole income generating means for occupational minorities is making and selling pots in the market. The whole family, including children, is engaged in the process of making

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pots and baking jar. They have to make as many pots as possible to make enough money for a living. Virtually every day they are preoccupied with making pots. As one parent said in the discussion [FGIMINPA-18/09/2010]: ‘we spend all our time on making pots and the process of producing one pot takes time’. The time varies depending on the size of the pot, ranging from hours to five days. The low price of a pot and market volatility challenge their livelihood, even seasons in the year have a significant influence. For instance, during the summer when there is little sun and dry firewood, it is difficult for them to have enough income.

The price per pot depends on the size of the pot, ranging from one birr [~ 0.059 USD⁶] for the smallest to six birr [~0.35 USD] for the biggest pot. Only the parents are engaged in making the big pots, while children make small pots. Ingredients, such as clay soil, water and firewood, are crucial in the making. The parents mentioned that one thing they get for free is water, for their settlement has for centuries been confined to the river sides.

The finished pots are sold in local markets. The market days differ from one site to another, but there are generally two or three market days per week, including one big market on Saturdays where buyers come from far away villages.

It was difficult to estimate the size of the population. No public information is available since the minorities are not distinguished from the rest of the population. However, according to kebele officials and the people themselves, out of 374 households in one of the kebele, 125 are minorities. Their exclusion from the vast majority of the population has made them develop their own culture, a culture which is still considered as impure by the majority. Not only is there cultural exclusion but they are also excluded from participation in the political sphere. According to the kebele official, people in power are not from the minority group and hence there has been no plan or incentive to remove the prevailing social stigma. In the PTAs, for example, where at least two parents are represented from communities, none was from the minorities.

6 1USD= ~17 Ethiopian Currency (Birr).

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It appeared that there is very little room for interaction between minorities and authorities, for there is nothing that brings them together. For instance, had the minorities been farmers, issues such as use of fertilizer, safety-net programme or any other political issue would have brought them together. Instead, the minorities live in complete isolation. During the discussion with PTAs, the kebele leader said that the minorities are different in every way from the rest of the population in that they violate food taboos, such as eating dead animals and insects, and have no self-respect and wisdom. They rarely own a house. Hence, he continued, as everyone in the group nodded their heads,

‘how can we think of bringing their children to school when they have so much to change?’ [FGIPTA-03/10/2010]

The discussion got heated when a question was raised about what universal primary education means in this area or as was written on the school gate ‘ጥራት: ያለው: ትምህርት:

ለሁሉም!’ which means quality education for all. It was mentioned that door-to-door awareness creation for the farmers in the community was made regarding government plans as well as the importance of education for their children. Yet potter families had no information on what was going on in their own area. In the discussion with potter parents, they described that, due to the fact that they had been left as they are for decades, they could not do anything now. One of them continued:

….other people, i.e. farmers, did change for the better, they are sending their children to school because they are close to the ‘kawoo’ [‘kawoo’ in the local language means leader or government] and the government hears them.

Everything is being done for them, but what do we have? Nothing! So here we are, for centuries. [FGIMINPA-18/09/2010]

The minorities do not own productive assets, land or cattle. Because they are considered as impure, they are not allowed to produce anything edible for the market. It is an established practice that they are not involved in farming or animal breeding. This has left them with only one economic activity, pottery production, which has to be done every day. One parent said:

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You can see this [showing me how to make pots], this is how our grandparents used to make them, and nothing has changed. No difference at all. We are forgotten people, something worthless. There are so many ways to help us improve our way of life so that we do what you are saying to us […educating our children…]. I cannot send my child to school as long as there are so many social problems here. [FGIMINPA- 18/09/2010]

The implication is that the income they generate is not enough to cover school fees and other opportunity costs, since it is just enough to cover the daily living costs. As parents pointed out:

All family members are involved in pottery production in order to maximize the income we get from the sales. The job is physically demanding and labour intensive. We need to buy a lot of food; we have to eat to get the strength and power to produce as many pots as possible. For that, we buy food and other necessities at a high price. We generate far less income than what we spend. After shopping, we often have no money to save. So we do not have money to send our children to school. [FGIMINPA- 25/09/2010]

This led to the question whether the parents would send their children to school if they receive financial help? According to one parent:

Our economic problems would not be alleviated by giving us financial help [….]

because that would not be enough. We might not send our children to school even if we receive that. First, you have to look at our way of life. What do we have?

We are not treated as humans here! We have no equal right with others. Second, what is the future of my child after graduating? As far as I know, I have not seen anyone from our group assuming government office or being hired by the government. [FGIMINPA- 25/09/2010]

The discussion with PTAs revealed, however, another argument about the economic situation of the potters because of, what was seen as, their extravagant behavior. As indicated during the discussion:

They make money and they spend all in one night, they do not consider that there is a tomorrow. It is they who always get drunk. Look at other people [farmers]

they seldom do like that. Look at their [potters’] homes; we [farmers] do not even let our cattle live like that. They sleep on bush and grass. And the thing is, they

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know they will get money again tomorrow, because they alone have that skill which no one else can take over. [FGIPTA- 03/10/2010]

Despite the above claim, parents involve their children in the production of pots partly to generate as much income as possible to make ends meet.