Thursday, 24.02.
On my last day at the school I visited two VT groups. VT stands for Vocational Training.

First of all I audited a class consisting of 17 young men and women. The instruction went from 8:30 to 10 o'clock without pause. The young people were receiving training for the secretarial profession and in this period were practicing proper speaking with other people. They were required to read personal history compositions in English before the class. Therefore, they had to pay attention to content, form, grammar and gesture. Not a simple exercise, as was apparent.
After several students had read their history the teacher jointly with the class evaluated their presentations. Each had to comment possible grammatical faults that were done.
Some funny expressions were revealed such as "Yoseph's house went out." instead of "Yoseph left the house." Or: "I have come comfort you your old age." instead of "I have come to comfort you about your old age."

After I left this group, I audited another VT class for the training of secretaries.. This class was exclusively for young women between the ages of 18 and 21 years.

The class was begun in the fall of 1999 to give women the chance for an education since women in Ethiopia have very few job opportunities. With this concept GCS goes less traveled paths and at the same time solves some of their own problems. More about that later.
In the teaching unit that I attended the assignment was a forum on the benefits and disadvantages of television and video. Two groups had been formed for the debate.
To my surprise, the women led a really interesting and lively discussion in which they made their points accurately and in depth. The fact that the discussion went well owed much to the Indian teacher, Subashini. She carefully structured the statements and thus produced more discussion.

Among advantages named were good potential for education, information and finding jobs.
On the adverse side it was felt that the media was open to all kinds of sex and crime as well as open to negative religious and psychological influences.

Digression: The television is still monitored by the State so that unrestrained degeneracy of television is not allowed (if one does not consider satellite television). In the video market, offerings are as diverse as they are in Europe or America. The dissemination of hard-core video is of epidemic proportions. Although the marketing for such dirt already is in existence, the sales are not that high so far because people simply can not afford it.

At the end of the hour there was time for conversation with the women and for me to answer questions.
Altogether the group has made a very good impression on me and it is important that this group be carried to completion, but that also this special work for women is continued.
The VT program has some problems to be addressed. Since the school does not have suitable teachers on its staff, the university must provide the teachers. On the one hand that guarantees high quality instruction, but on the other hand presents a considerable financial burden for the payment of this talent. As a result the school has asked a group of experts to examine the concept and effectiveness of the program.
At the conclusion of the study the school officials will decide whether or not the VT program is to be continued.

There is a firm conviction that the current women's group should be continued to completion. In my view there is no doubt that the program must survive. Meanwhile, the voluntary self-control of the schools concepts speaks much about the responsibility and credibility of the school leadership.

Cost of the VT women's group program:

(Post script: As I learned in July 2000 from the pastor of the German speaking congregation, the VT-program was stopped for reasons of efficiency. The students who began their studies at the GCS will be supported by the school so that they can finish their education. They were referred to other educational institutions with the help of social workers.)

Website of the author.