ADDIS ABEBA (ETHIOPIA) -
Half Year Report January until June 2007
Warm greetings from Addis Ababa, where we are still filled with all the wonderful impressions from a happy and colorful weekend of festivities: the German Church School just celebrated its 35-year anniversary! Although the rainy season has already started, we were blessed with sunshine during these two days, for which we were grateful. Friday began with the graduation of our first boy-scout troop, which was followed with another first: the Karate group showed off their skills. Our blind students then proudly demonstrated their abilities at splitting wood and shattering stone tiles. They gained tremendous self-confidence in this exercise.
35 years of GCS - a reason to celebrate
A simultaneous race together with a school in Germany must have been a world-premiere as well.
The elementary and secondary school from Unterlüß, Germany had the great idea of organizing simultaneous 400-m and 1000-m races in both schools -
Self-confidence - through Karate
Teacher training - with international assistance
Addis is a living example of how learning happens here at the GCS. Young people from very poor and often desperate circumanstances learn to have selfconfidence, and to take responsibility for their lives. In this context, it is also important that the teachers continue learning as well. Our concerns: The new school gym, and more space for everyone
Our wish for Ethiopia: A peaceful transition to the new Millennium
A Thank You to All of You We are grateful to our partner organizations, the Kindernothilfe and Christoffel-Blind-Mission for the Blind in Germany, and Interpedia in Finland. However, we also want to warmly thank YOU, our many individual donors: the heartening level of donations encourages us for the future, and motivates us to tackle the tasks before us with great determination. It is really moving for us to see schools, kindergardens, church groups, children's church groups, and other initiatives contribute to the fact that our Ethiopian kids feel welcome and at home here at the GCS.
We send you warm greetings, and wish you health, God's blessings, and all the Best from Addis Ababa!
Ato Teklu Tafesse, Principal and 
our open house and anniversary celebration was the perfect occasion to follow through with this idea. There were winners at both locations. Of course it would have been even better if students from Germany had been able to stop by to take a look at the exhibition set up by the Art and Social Work departments.
The kids had done a great job of illustrating the HIV/AIDS problem, conflict management techniques, and other topics such as hygiene and water usage on large display walls. In addition, our young art teacher, Anteneh, had inspired the students to create a large number of small masterpieces.
However, the secret highlight of our celebration was provided by a little girl named Addis. Last September, we had included this girl with a fairly serious physical disability in the group for the first time. Addis uses walking aids to make her strenuous way to school every day. Initially, she was very fearful; she also has a slight mental disability. Nevertheless, our karate teacher Nebiyu accepted her into the course without hesitation. In the middle of the performance on Saturday, Nebiyu called Addis to the front. She was proudly wearing her bright yellow karate outfit, and moved forward using just one crutch - which she then promptly also cast aside. Addis then slowly walked a half-round, set down on her own, and got up again - without help!
Everyone at GCS knows little Addis, and her fellow students were truly amazed at this. They applauded her in a thundering ovation, and we all felt how happy they were with and for her. Addis then ran the last few meters towards Nebiyu, who took her in his arms. What had happened? Someone had shown strong confidence in little Addis. He had motivated her to show her true inner strength. By the way, Addis means "new" in English -- by paying attention to her and helping her, Nebiyu had truly renewed this little girl.
For the second time, we were able to receive a male and a female teacher from Sandhausen near Heidelberg at GCS, who came specifically to train our teachers. Additionally, we had an expert at integration from the Netherlands, as well as several Dutch sports students, who came as part of the "Towards the Millennium" project, and provided many positive impulses to teachers.
During the farewell ceremony a few days ago, one of the Dutch students said the following:
"This school has something special about it. One notices that it is a Christian school, and that the teachers feel it's important to pass on God's love to the students. The students can feel this."
It's nice to have an outsider experience our school in this way.
The completion of our new school gym, which we are building in cooperation with the city of Addis Ababa, remains a concern. After completing the wood floor we hope to inaugurate the gym this November. We are also hoping to receive the green light soon for the expansion of the school grounds. We don't intend to take in more students, but rather want to offer more space to move around to the many kids attending our school. Our school courtyard is much too small, and we are bursting at the seams in every respect. All facilities are being used for the three-shift-rotation, and there are no additional facilities available for such activities as the Anti-HIV/Aids-Club or other extracurricular school activities.
The apparent calm inside the country continues to be fairly superficial, and Ethiopia's leading role in the recent war in Somalia has generated external threats as well. We ask you to pray for internal and external peace. On the Ethiopian calendar, the new millennium begins on September 11th. We all wish that the millennium celebrations around this date will proceed peacefully, and that the country will be spared any terror attacks.
Martin Gossens, Pastor
