Wednesdays seem to come around really quickly when Y’Tesfa Birhan takes place after school. We regularly get around 23 of the 25 girls attending each week. I usually greet the girls at the gate and direct them to the guards who search their bags and place them safely until they leave.

Next they enjoy time outside in the play area as others arrive. The younger ones favour the swings and climbing frame, whilst the young teens play a game which involves a large band of cloth that two girls stand in and draw up to knee height. The others take turns to twist and jump in and out in patterns. The oldest girls however, usually just find a quiet spot to sit and chat to each other in the shade.

Our staff take turns to prepare everything for one session. The last time I did this, I prepared popcorn, banana and water to drink. The girls ate this whilst through an interpreter I explained the story of Moses and the exodus out of Egypt. The girls then watched an animated version of the same story and we prayed. After this I had arranged a craft. On this occasion the girls did some needlework using binca and embroidery silk to form a pattern. They inserted this into a frame and added a hanger. It was fascinating to see the different approaches. Some girls had obviously sewn before, but for the younger ones who live in the poorest (tarpaulin and corrugated iron) dwellings, they had clearly never held a needle before. It was certainly easiest to turn the fabric for them. Their faces lit up when they were praised for their efforts though, as praise doesn’t feature very highly in Ethiopian government schools. The girls then divided into age/ability groups for an English lesson. Once again I took the younger girls. We often play a game. Frequently I use a dice game, such as one to ‘build a face’. Each girl throws the dice and then says something like “ I have 6, I need a nose” in English. Probably the trickiest part each week is encouraging the girls to leave at around six o’clock, as they are always reluctant and want that final trip to the bathroom where running water to wash in is still a novelty.

With Christmas approaching we wanted to send some Christmas cards to the UK. Surprisingly it is considerably cheaper to send cards from here than it is to mail a card in the UK. It is more complicated however, as each card required 5 stamps which only just fitted above the address and had to be torn out using the perforations, from a paper border. Each one then had to be licked and applied to the envelope – no self-adhesive stamps here. I had a long drink of water after that task.

Once a year there is a diplomatic bazaar held across town in the Millennium Hall. Myself and a couple of colleagues went by taxi, as parking is always an issue at the venue and security is tight. Many countries were represented, selling their home produce and crafts. The Norwegians selling salmon (smoked and fresh) were the most popular, whilst a friend was keen to find the Canadian stall to buy maple syrup. I bought some camembert from the French – a rare treat indeed. There is always a large stage where cultural dances are performed so the atmosphere was both lively and congenial.

Our time there was limited as we had to get back to Bingham for the Christmas Gibsha. A traditional feast prepared and eaten outside to honour all our Ethiopian staff and their families. It was a surprise to see Lydia a young teaching assistant that we interviewed and hired when I worked in Grade One in 2007. She was visiting Ethiopian family members here before returning to Colorado where she now lives with her husband and two children. I was introduced to some very cute kids too, on each occasion parents encourage their offspring to shake hands and enjoy photographs.

All this, a little light relief from report writing and marks just two weeks until the end of term.