Yaya Village

Last Friday, I visited Yaya Village and had my most comfortable run since arriving in Ethiopia. Though I’m still struggling to adjust to the altitude, this was my first run absent of exhaust fumes and mule traffic! Joseph Kibur, an Ethiopian who lived in Canada from age eleven until his early adulthood and then returned to Ethiopia less than ten years ago, is in the process of building an athletic resort, Yaya Village, just outside of Addis. It is a complete training facility with western comforts, beautiful guest rooms, scenic running routes on paths and in the forest, a well-equipped gym with large windows facing the mountains, steam rooms, volley ball and tennis courts, horseback riding and (hopefully, in the future) a pool! It is nothing like what I have seen in Ethiopia thus far. International teams have already contacted Joseph, eager to visit and train at Yaya Village. 

As Joseph, Joanna and I ran together, he told us that he dislikes running alone and the village will give him plenty of training companions. Indeed, Joseph’s vision for the village is much larger than merely a source of running buddies. He hopes to host young Ethiopian runners to give them the gift of a year of intense training that may provide them with the opportunity to become successful athletes. Joseph also plans to partner with GGRF to host young female athletes. He recognizes that success in the form of international wins is not possible for the majority of runners and hopes that the village will also provide many almost-athletes with a fallback employment option, such as learning to become massage therapists, cooks and gardeners in the village. I cannot wait to return to the village in a few weeks (or months—things move terribly slow in Ethiopia) when it is fully up and running! Learn more about Yaya: http://yayavillage.com/