Does Your Doctor Bring You Bananas?
A story of Ethiopia Immersion with (W)HOLE in the Roof, July 2026
When you sit in a doctor's office waiting room, what do you expect? Uncomfortable chairs? Random magazines on the side tables? Sliding glass windows that separate you from the receptionists? A quiet hush around the room, with every cough or sniffle?
This description fits most waiting rooms I have experienced. No one wants to be there. The space has a holding room vibe, a quiet purgatory... necessary, but rarely engaging.
And then there is the waiting room at Fares Medium Clinic...
The bananas in Ethiopia are amazing! Truly!
Our immersion group spent many afternoons in the Fares Medium Clinic waiting room. One afternoon Dr. Hiwot left the clinic for a short time. As she walked back in, her arms cradled two bunches of ripe bananas. Every person was offered a banana. It didn't matter if the person was a waiting patient, a family member, a neighborhood child, or a clinic nurse. After each person was offered a banana, Dr. Hiwot peeled one for herself and invited the next patient into her office. They walked in eating their banana.
Neighborhood children sit in the waiting room with Martie.
It was not unusual for neighborhood children to wander in to talk with us or ask a question. If they were thirsty, a bottle of water always seemed to appear. As patients waited for lab results, they would sit on the couch. During slow times, Dr. Hiwot and Dr. Hana would sit in the waiting room alongside them. Other staff would gather if there were no current patients to treat. Everyone had conversations together. It was community. A gathering in the most beautiful sense of the word. It didn't matter who you were, your level of education, or how you dressed; everyone fit into the ever-changing micro community.
Each afternoon includes coffee! A staff member makes coffee for Dylan and Lewi.
In upbeat times, the waiting room buzzes with conversation. In more solemn times, it becomes a crucible holding prayers, quiet contemplation, and community support. For me, the waiting room at Fares Medium Clinic is where I experience the Kingdom of God. Dr. Hiwot and Zebene intentionally set an atmosphere of hope and community that stands in the face of sickness, suffering, and death. The harsh realities of the world do not disappear. However, they are enveloped in grace and mercy.
Important conversations, dreams, and plans are born in this reception space.
Zebene, Dr. Hiwot, and I discuss future plans.
I can describe. I can offer pictures. I can share videos. However, nothing will fully demonstrate what I experience there. Next time you have a banana, consider the power it holds in the hands of a healthcare professional halfway across the world.
Fares Medium Clinic and its staff embody much more than healthcare.
Dr. Hiwot caring for Kevin during a kidney stone episode.
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