Project Work with Practical relevance

This morning, concluding this school year, some particularly gifted students presented the results of the projects they have been working on for the last few months. In the context of their social studies classes, these students visited a bio-farm in Debre Zeit and at the same time came up with a suggestion for sustainable energy at our school: The GCS should buy ten cows that could produce both, biogas and 300 l milk. That is the practical relevance of curricula that a lot of Ethiopian schools lack.

Continuing Integration

Again this year, our blind and visually impaired students went on an excursion together with their seeing partner students. This time, they traveled to Bahir Dar at Lake Tana, far in the north of the country. Shortly before, Ato Teshome, the Unit Leader of the Integration Unit, participated in three conferences that were initiated and organized by the University of Karlsruhe. Here, the challenges of teaching blind students in subjects like mathematics and natural sciences were discussed. 17-year old Markos is now excited to take part in an international youth program in Bologna/Italy next week. He is the first visually impaired student of our school who has the chance to travel abroad.

Meeting Partner Students

Reversely, traveling is easier. For the sixth time now, a group of teenagers from the Friedrich-Ebert High School Sandhausen, near Heidelberg, came to Ethiopia for their social internship at the end of February. They came to our school and were highly motivated. Also our 11th and 12th graders had spent months of intensive preparation for this meeting, especially by attending the intensive English course that my wife Sabine is offering throughout the school year to those students who are interested.

Strengthening Teenagers

In cooperation with our social worker Merdassa Kassaye, she is also leading the youth service project for Ethiopian teenagers. Almost every Friday, a primarily Amharic-speaking program for our students and other interested teenagers takes place at our church. Walking on crutches, the 16- year old Messai regularly comes from far away to attend the program. The girl lives in an impoverished hut with her grandmother, who is one of the so-called Fuel Carrier Women. Every day, these women carry extremely heavy loads of firewood from the eucalyptus woods on the neighboring mountains into the city to sell them for little money. Despite her disability, Messai is a very cheerful and lively girl who is admired for her positive attitude.

Winning the Cup

One of the greatest tasks here is to help these young people to develop self-confidence and discover their gifts and talents. Ten days ago our GCS soccer-girls-team won the cup at a tournament held at the German Embassy School. Chosen best player of the day, the small Mulubirhan received the cup from Ambassador Lieselore Cyrus. On occasion of the Women's Soccer World Cup the German Embassy School had invited 5 schools to join this tournament. Even the Ethiopian women's national soccer team came to cheer on the teams.

"Kirchentag in Dresden"

Every one of you has his/her own story of how you got in touch with the German Church School. Some of you have lived in Ethiopia for a while or were traveling here; others got to know our work through friends. Without headquarters in Germany it is not always easy to keep in touch and make new contacts. Thus, we took the offer of the EKD (Protestant Church of Germany) to represent our German Church in Addis and particularly our school at the "Kirchentag" in Dresden. Repeatedly, former church members from Addis who now live in Germany came to our booth to help out, among them also our predecessors Hans-Joachim and Gerlind Krause. After a long time, it was the first time for Ato Teklu to come to Germany. Three years ago, our social worker Merdessa had already graduated from an EED-study program of intercultural conflict management in Berlin. After the hospitality they received at our friends in Dresden, the team continued on a four-day journey to three more German cities. In Berlin-Steglitz, they got to know the Paulsen High School, in Stendal the "Afrikakreis" and the Rotaries and to close up they visited the congregation of the cathedral in Brunswick and their impressive house of God. At this point we would again like to thank all the hosts for their warm welcome and hospitality.

Sustainable Parent Involvement

On this last day of June, not only our students presented their projects. After intensive observation and practical work at our school, also Maike Herbst from Greifswald, student of political science at the universities of Münster and Twente (NL), presented the results of her study on sustainability. For nine weeks, she researched how sustainable the impact of the German Church School on the community is. It is good when people from outside come and share their evaluation of our school. She gave us many words of praise but also expressed the wish to involve parents more actively in school life. Often, their poverty is taken as an excuse to not assigning them any tasks at the school. 45% of the students in the evening classes at GCS are parents of our students and this is a tremendous support for these families. However, our school should not only do something for the parents, but also with them. They have to take responsibility as well and they have skills and strengths that are of great value in the school's life and development. It will be one focus point in the new school year to continue to work on this issue.

German as Foreign Language

In the new school year, we will face another pleasant challenge. Thanks to the efforts of the Goethe Institute and the German Embassy we have recently become a member of the worldwide association of so-called PASCH schools, an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin. As the third "partnerschool abroad" here in Ethiopia and one of around 1000 schools worldwide, our students will have the opportunity to learn German, beginning in September. The Ambassador will hand over the Pasch-Badge at the beginning of the school year; then the boys and girls of GCS will be connected to a worldwide network of students learning German abroad, also via Internet. Since learning one foreign language is already hard for many of the children, we will begin with those students from grade six on who are talented in languages and that way gather some experience. Additionally to the Ethiopian curriculum, four periods of German per week will be taught.

School extension still pending

Hence, our Church School is constantly changing, which is a big challenge for the teachers. However, at one point there is stagnation. Since four years we are making every effort to extend the German Church School. In line with the guidelines of the Ministry of Education, the morning and afternoon shifts shall be replaced by teaching full day. Within the last 5 weeks, the director and I visited one certain administration office eight times. There are always new hindrances in our way. In between we also meet helpful officers who try their best. Patience is crucial in a country where many things follow their own laws. However, we hope that in the year of our 40th anniversary we will experience a breakthrough.

Farewells and Extensions

The life in our church is always shaped by farewells. Apart from some other good friends we also said good-bye to Bernhard Ehlert and Anne Braun and their families. Both of them were committed members of our small church board and put a lot of effort into the development of our school in different areas for the last four years. Without the voluntary commitment here, the school would not be where it is today. Representative of the many who actively participated in church life for the last years and decades we would like to thank those two.
After six years, our time as pastor family here in Ethiopia would likewise end next February, however, the church board and the EKD accepted our application for extension for another three years. Thus, we will - if this is the will of God and we stay healthy - stay in Addis until spring 2015, although with a reduced number of family members. Our three children whom we "brought along" will be moved out after this summer; Beza who joined our family here will stay with us.

Also in the name of Ato Teklu, we would like to explicitly thank all of you. Some of you we could get to know personally. Presumably next April we have reason to celebrate: the 40th anniversary of GCS!
We also thank the Kindernothilfe in Duisburg and their energetic team, the Christoffel Blindenmission as well as our Finnish partners Interpedia; and we thank you, who supported the German Church School with small or big offerings, your prayers, your great commitment or supporting foster children here.

Kind regards to all of you,

Ato Teklu Tafesse, Principal and
Martin Gossens, Pastor