Ethiopia Update-January 2019

Dear friends and partners, we thank God the almighty for enabling us to come this far and it is my hope that you can attest to His goodness in your life and so let’s give thanks with a grateful heart. Count your blessings in you and you will be surprised at how marvelous God has been to you.

As we are entering to the new year, let’s stir up one another to good works and excellence in all that we do.

Even though we do have lots of life changing stories to tell what God has done in the past year; I have selected few to share with you for this time. However, I will be sharing with you the rest in coming months’ step by step.

Enhancing the computer skill of our students in Wonjishowa school

The progress of our school in Wonjishowa is very encouraging. Currently, we have launched a new computer program for our grade 9 and grade 10 students. This program is designed for our high school students to help them to access every knowledge of all subjects.

Since this is an offline downloaded materials and applications, the students can use it anytime even if there is no access for internet. Our students are so exited and got motivated to educate themselves in great enthusiasm. We believe that this program will be one of the tools that will be able to enhance the computer skill of our students and opens the door to access other educational materials from these downloaded applications. Further more, it will enable our students to be able to become competent enough in the region to join colleges and universities.

We thank God for this opportunity and we would like also to thank all our partners for supporting us to launch this program for our school in Wonjishowa.

Students in Computer class in Wonjishowa School

The fire of Transformation has impacted other African countries

I have got the opportunity to speak on the conference called “Mount Kilimanjaro Transformation & Prayer conference “that was held in Kilimanjaro, from 11th – 15th December 2018. I spoke on the topic of “the role of the church in Transforming communities & Societies”. I was also sharing with them about our work in Ethiopia as practical example and how God is transforming our communities through our ministry.

My message and the stories I was sharing with them have changed the mindset and worldview of the participants and they have got encouraged to implement the principles and the approaches that we are using here in Ethiopia in their own respective countries.

I thank God for this opportunity and I am also grateful for Him that He has ignited the fire of transformation in the lives of many African leaders who participated in the conference.

Transformation & Prayer Conference in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

We have Launched a new Program called “Young Leaders Leadership Development Program”

Ethiopia’s youthful population is an incredible asset and untapped resource for positive growth. Of Ethiopia’s population, estimated at 104 million, 41 percent is under the age of 15. More than 28 percent is aged 15 to 29.

The youth in Ethiopia are facing so many challenges. One of the challenges is Youth unemployment. According to the report of USAID, Ethiopia youth unemployment is estimated at nearly 27 percent. One reason for the high youth unemployment rate is low literacy (68 percent). Ethiopia’s secondary school gross enrollment rate is 39.8 percent—far too inadequate for a country with Ethiopia’s natural resources, economic potential and global ambition.

In order to address all the challenges and life issues that our youth face; we need to equip and mentor them with various spiritual, leadership and other life skill trainings. Though, recently we have launched a new program called “Young Leaders Leadership Development Program”. This program aims to develop youth leaders who are able to influence other youths in their churches and communities. This is a holistic, comprehensive and integrated training program that will make the participants to be leader of other young leaders and impact other youths positively.

Young Leaders Leadership Development Program

Prayer Requests

Here under is some of our prayer requests that we would like to ask our partners to pray for and thank God for His abundant plans to supply our needs: –

• Thank God for the year 2018 for all His provisions and protection that He has granted us to accomplish His task
• Pray for our new school project in Boffa village, may God help us to build good class rooms for our students.
• Continue praying for our women, may God enable us to equip them in various training events.
• Pray for our new “Youth leadership Development program” that God would enable and provide us all the necessary resources to train and equip many youths.
• Continue Praying for our Animal Project, may God touch many orphans so they have a bright future through this small gift.
• We have started a new project for our local church – to provide pastors with Bicycles and Motorbikes if possible, so that it will help them to easier their work as they travel to and from many villages. So, continue praying for us that God would provide us the budget for this new project.

Pastor Samson Weldemariam

Vice – president of U4A and Ethiopia Director