Let’s start with the successes. This week I have met with my VSO Programme Manager (Daniel) who spent three days in Gondar visiting all the vols. I was very impressed with him. Compared to our last Programme Manager, we could have a dialogue. He really listened instead of following a set formula. We were all taken out by him to a new restaurant in Gondar, an Italian place called “Tuscany”. The décor and food is almost like being in the UK, and we indulged in proper pizza. Gill and I finished working on a proposal for the college Deans, on how to develop training for 2^nd cycle teachers and integrate the work of the Cluster Unit with improvement to the quality of teaching in the college. At last, after weeks of delay I finally managed to get three college instructors in the same room at the same time to start planning training for Science teachers. Communicating within the college and arranging meetings is painfully slow. Even when I think I’ve managed to arrange a meeting, people might not turn up. However, the meeting went well, I presented a possible training model and everyone seemed to like the idea. I was especially impressed with, Hiwot, the Chemistry teacher. She was very keen to be involved in all aspects of developing the training and she has the added advantage of good English.

There has also been the ever present frustration. I can look ahead and see that next semester should be productive and we can potentially achieve a lot, but I’ve been bothered with self-critical thoughts about not achieving enough I the last few weeks. I can see that all the faffing around finding things out and struggling with the lack of college systems is leading to good work in the near future, but I can find it hard looking back at what looks like wasted time and not wishing I had done some things differently.

The English Club in the college, a group of 100 or so students who want to improve their English, has invited us to a coffee ceremony at the college this afternoon. Otherwise, I feel quite tired as if I’m going down with a cold or something. I’m spending this morning reading “The Return of John McNab” by Andrew Greig. It’s a beautiful book and makes me quite homesick. In a recent issue of the Guardian Weekly there was an article about a shortage of teachers in the Highlands of Scotland. Right now, when we finish here, I think I’d like to live in a Highland community. I’d miss the sunshine though.