General Information

Makki, a remote area in southwest Ethiopia, is not a town. The nearest is Jinka, three or more hours away over a 4WD track. Addis Ababa is about 500 miles away by road - the only one to Makki, which travels through Mago National Park. There are no postal, phone, electrical or transport services closer than Jinka - and all these services are unreliable, including the road! Near the equator and at about a 2,000-foot elevation, the climate in Makki is always warm. Days are typically in the 90s and nights in the low 70s, with twelve hours of daylight year-round.

The Mursi people live in a remote area of southwest Ethiopia: a hot and dry, isolated region challenging to cultivate, surrounded by mountains and rivers challenging to navigate. The people live a semi-nomadic lifestyle dependent on crop harvest and cattle raising. The men tend the cattle and move them constantly for grazing, while the women take care of the home and fields. At each harvest, the people move to another land area to start again. Surrounded by enemies who have traditionally fought over land expansion and cattle possession, the Mursi's daily existence revolves around survival. The traditional religion is animistic and is also centered around ancestor worship. It was not until the 1970s that the Mursi became aware they were part of a larger country called Ethiopia.

Tim and Deborah Ricker are missionaries with HIM seconded to serving with SIM (Serving in Mission), ministering to the Mursi people in Makki. Tim serves in a maintenance and basic engineering capacity, and Deborah as the Curriculum Development Specialist for the Mursi Education Pilot Program.