we often mention that there is nothing more pleasing for us in German Church and German Church School than seeing a child becoming self-supportive and independent.

Over the past decades hundreds of students have had positively impacted their families and the society through the education and support that they got from German Church School and at present more than 1139 children are in the pipeline heading for a better future.

Like the past years, the academic year 2004/2005 (1997 Ethiopian Calendar) also marked the graduation of seven students from different higher institutions. This group comprises of a chemical engineer, a laboratory technician, a sociologist, four teachers and a graduate in plant sciences. At the time of this report all except one have secured jobs in different institutions. Biniam (third from the right in the picture) is one among the group and he graduated in Chemical Engineering from Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Technology.

We had the opportunity to share the joy of these graduates in their respective homes with family members and relatives. Biniam's view on graduation was quite different. In his own words he said, "I don't want to spend anything on my graduation day, if I do so my mother and brother will starve and I will not have money for his school expenses for the next academic years. For me it is enough that I could graduate and that is all I look forward to."

Having heard this, we decided to prepare a simple graduation celebration for Biniam and other graduates and that was joined by his mother and brother as well. It was a joyous occasion for all participants and all of us.

Just a few weeks later he secured a job as an assistant lecturer in Bahir Dar University and his desire to support his poor mother and his brother is met fully. The uncertainty of getting a daily meal and buying school materials that used to hover over his brother is no more there. His prime desire was to meet their needs and there he is.

In his thank you letter (September 5, 2005) to his fosterprents Biniam mentioned the following.
"I could remember how difficult it was for me to overcome the challenge of life. Even though I felt like living in the dusk, I didn't loose the courage to dream about a bright future, by now my dream has partially become true, so today is a new day for me. Now, I can say that I am on my way to win my struggle against poverty. But I don't mean that I have finished my home work. As the saying goes life is a lot like a high school Algebra class, every time you get one problem solved, the teacher is till waiting to give you another one. So, I know that there is a lot of assignment waiting for me to be done. In any case I am happy by now."

It took involvement of GCS and his fosterparents to make a difference in his life.

Let us also introduce to you one more young man in this group of graduates. He is a visually impaired fosterchild who has been in our integrated education for the blind program. Tatek is one of the first few children that joined our integration unit. Initially he was begging in streets of Addis Ababa mainly in an area known as Teklehaimanot. They were three in number and all of them are blind. They all used to live together in a small room which is also shared by many others in a similar situation. They used to pay the rent from what they got by begging.

Fortunately these three friends got the chance to join our integrated program. Due to the distance of the place where they used to live and their whole situation which was so difficult, we rented two rooms for them very close to our school. With this and the fostership support that Tatek and his friends started to get, they were also instructed to quit begging and so did they. Of course, one of them found it very difficult to stop immediately but he succeeded.

Tatek, who always used to be one of the outstanding students in his academic performance joined Addis Ababa University and came out successful.
Tatek says, "it is just like a dream when I visualize how it all started when I joined GCS. I am an example of endurance. I have learned a lot from challenges of life and here have I reached, the level where many advantaged ones failed to reach."

We are so grateful to the foster parents and friends of GCS without whose concerted support this success wouldn't have become a reality. Even if all supported children do not get to the level which we had wished, we believe they benefit a lot in life in the years they spend at GCS.

The livelihood of many in the family and of others is changed through the support that a child in GCS gets. Your support and of many others is in deed making a real difference in the lives of hundreds of children from the poorest of poor families.

As the Pastor of German Church and Chairman of German Church School my wife and I have to say good bye after six years we have worked here. In January 2006 we will leave Ethiopia for good. We had a great time and I would like to express our feeling with the Gospel of Luke 2:8 "And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night."

We hear that simple shepherds were the first to receive the good news from the angels about the birth of our Saviour. Today in Africa especially the shepherds in different countries turn to the Christian faith in big numbers. The mission of God continues and wants to move us today like the shepherds to find the way to the manger.
We thank you very much for your support, cooperation and friendship during the past years.

We wish you that the good news of Christmas may enrich you. God bless you on your way throughout the New Year.

Pastor Martin Gossens and his wife Sabine will replace us in February 2006. We welcome them very cordially.

Wishing you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2006.

Sincerely,

Teklu Tafesse, Director               Hans Joachim Krause, Pastor