This evening wins the prize for the most incredible torrential downpour I have seen. Fortunately it started just after I got home, although Tilahun (our “night guard”) managed to get wet. The thunder continues to rumble overhead.

It’s slow at work. There’s about four weeks left of the academic year and schools are busy with exams and report writing, which means no chance for us to do any work with them. Instead, I’m using the time to get a good plan for next year licked into shape with my counterparts, and also to get some proper systems running in the Cluster Unit. I spent most of the day teaching Meleshew to use Word to create an attendance list for when we do training. Her computer skills are very poor so together, over several hours, we created a table and Meleshew learned from one of the college secretaries how to use a Word add-on called “Power Ge’ez” that lets you write Amharic script. I’ve been really impressed with her patience and determination to do as much for herself as possible. A slow and undemanding day for me has been very satisfying with seeing the sense of achievement in her face.

The plan for next year is slowly coming together. I’m convinced that the faffing about we’ve done this year will pay off next year with an improved approach to how we support schools.

Mulugeta has been very happy for the last couple of days. One of the college science instructors has been using one of our rooms to deliver training to students on using Science Kits (the box of basic items for schools that allows many science demos to be done). Mulugeta has been helping out and has enjoyed being busy.

Gill is in Addis Ababa again (she really should get airmiles from Ethiopian Airlines!!). She headed off yesterday for a workshop on improving the Higher Diploma Programme and comes back on Saturday. Unfortunately she was clobbered with another amoebic infection on Sunday. Yet another stool test on Monday morning confirmed the diagnosis and she’s now back on those tablets that make your mouth taste like it’s coated with rust. At least in Addis she can get another test at the British Embassy clinic. Since arriving in Gondar we’ve been really hit by many digestive system bugs, Gill more than me. Gill wonders if it’s the spinach we’ve been eating as we were warned about it being contaminated even after cooking. I think the most likely culprit is when we have drinks in cafes. Although the water for tea and coffee has, in theory, been thoroughly boiled the glasses are often wet from being washed and are therefore contaminated by unboiled water. The sanitation in Gondar is exceptionally poor. Most people simply crap onto the ground without burying or covering it. All along the wall near our house there are dozens of piles of crap from the federal police whose barracks is near our house. There are no such things as public toilet facilities and many people, especially poorer people, have actually never used a toilet, wouldn’t know how to and certainly wouldn’t choose to even if they had the option. With human excrement everywhere and billions of flies it’s no wonder there are so many health problems here.