Kindergarten "Parsdorf"

As the city continues to grow, we are planning to open a third kindergarten in 2013 for approximately 300 children, with six classroom spaces, in the Kebele 2 neighborhood—the location proposed by the partnership committee in Alem Katema. It is also designed to facilitate inclusive education. However, this large-scale project faces several challenges.

According to initial capacity and cost estimates from 2014, the construction will require so much money that we cannot reach our goal with our usual donations alone. Although ongoing fixed costs have decreased because Alem Katema has been paying the staff for the two kindergartens since 2017, inflation in Ethiopia is steadily increasing the estimated costs. Our attempt to secure funding from the Ministry of Development Aid has failed due to the funding structure; our project does not fit the criteria.

Alexander Bestle’s major initiative for a large-scale fundraising campaign with significant media coverage has finally paid off. Thanks to donations for “brick certificates,” the charity runs organized by Humboldt High School and the Karlheinz Böhm Elementary and Middle School, private donations, and a gala dinner, we can be confident that we won’t have to halt construction halfway through in 2022. Work on the project begins. On November 17, 2022, the contract with the city is signed.

However, during construction, the Ethiopian currency, the birr, becomes freely convertible in July 2024. As a result, the exchange rate drops from 60 birr/€ to 170 birr/€ between July and October. Costs rise due to the resulting inflation. Experts from Debre Birhan University must renegotiate the contracts with the general contractor, with the support of our supervisory team.

By the time the kindergarten opens in 2025 and the funds have been exhausted. Since the funds promised by the city of Alem Katema have not materialized (domestic conflicts have limited the city’s tax revenue), landscaping and planting remain unfinished tasks. Nevertheless, the kindergarten has begun operations. With 11 teachers and 324 children, the kindergarten began operations in 2026. Following the experimental start-up phase, more children will be enrolled.

Supporting the professional development of early childhood educators remains another task the association has taken on. However, this is made more difficult by the current political situation.

Additional result: In Alem Katema, we now have a strong team that is capable of competently implementing similar projects.

Outstanding tasks:

A security deposit of approximately 1.65 million birr, which must still be paid to the contractor Sahile in 2026
Outdoor area of the site: garden, playground—postponed
Completion of the water basin: roof, filtration system
Revival of partnerships for inclusive education as soon as peace and security are restored (with German Church School, MALD, and others)