In October 2005, Kelsang Pawo visited his old friend in Ethiopia. His friend being one of our patrons, Kate Fereday Eshete, known, quite rightly, as the angel of Ethiopia.

Pawo and Kate had been friends for a very long time and kept in touch during the eight years that kate had lived and worked among the poorest children in the world.

During the long and difficult years that Kate had lived in Addis Ababa and then Gondar, she had helped and kept alive literally hundreds of poverty stricken children.

Kate, during this visit introduced Pawo to Getnet Gedamu, the headmaster of the Arbatu Ensesa school set in the bowl of what is now known as the Gesar Valley. Pawo made up his mind that he would build the children a library and fill it with books that will give every child an opportunity to succeed in gaining the very best education.

This project has now been completed. With communication difficulties and virtually non existant, we needed help and for this we thank Ethiopia Link and their contacts for coming forward and showing their friendship and assisting in the production of the end product.

The first picture below shows some of our pupils typically enjoying themselves after a game of football, all the lads wanted to be Thierry Henry. The second picture shows a limited view of the Gesar Valley that is in fact a vast area to the North of the city.  

  
The Arbatu Ensesa school was typical of many schools throughout Africa. There were no pens and no paper. No desk to speak of for the children and the teachers had no facilities to help them get through a tough day, not even a desk or chair. This has now changed, concrete floors have been put into classrooms replacing the mud floors that previously became flooded and impossible during the rain season and everyday needs are catered for.

  

The first picture above shows Pawo with pick in hand, busy digging the foundations for the Arbatu Ensesa library. The second picture is of Pawo in laughter with dear Kate Fereday at the Tara Centre. The filing cabinets hold the records of every child Kate has rescued, fed and educated, some now attend university in Addis Ababa. They will soon hold their own in a working environment and all with thanks to the dedication and life's work of a living angel

Note from Pawo

In our early lives we are given the opportunity to open books, see colourful pictures and be inspired by the adventures of charactors ranging from ducks to pirates. This gives us an enormous advantage in terms of seeing a wider world and bigger potentials for our lives from a very early age.

It is truly a tragedy for those who cannot share in this experience. How can we possibly imagine what it must be like to emerge into a world that offers only hardship and no visible means of escape. The world we speak of is small, limited and without hope because those born into it are not aware of alternatives.

Kate Faraday Eshete has for years striven to give the very poorest children of the world a decent start by first nurturing them to good health and then offering them a steady education. She has seen her children develop from the tiniest things bundled in rags to university graduates who have the social skills and general ability to hold their own in a working environment.

I have no doubt that our library at Arbatu Ensesa, which thanks to Ethiopia Link now houses a pre school class room unit, will be an enormous boost, not only to kate and her work but to all the children of the city who will have access to the knowledge that spells enthusiasm and hope.

Many of our friends support children through Kate and the Kindu Trust. These individuals are very special, as long periods pass without news from Gondar.

This situation has improved since Brian Hamilton has taken Kindu under his wing. Please be patient with Kate. Her job is hard and very difficult. She is almost alone in one of the world's most remote and poorest regions.

The Gesar Foundation will now seek other ways to support Kate Fereday Eshete in the future and when we finally receive photographs of the finished school we will post them on this site for all to view.