Just before Christmas we received a letter from Sister Letteselassie of the Filippini sisters who ran the St Peter and Paul school in Zalambessa on the border with Eritrea. We knew already that the school had stopped operating due to the war, that it had been damaged, and the school staff and some pupils had been transferred to the St Lucy school in Adigrat, also run by the Filippini sisters. Sister Letteselassie’s latest letter confirms the extent of trhe devastation to the school:

“During the war and post war has its implication. We lost some teachers from St. Lucy School and few former students from Sts. Peter and Paul School and other schools of ours in the war. Very sad but we are thankful for those who returned alive. There is still insecurity, famine and shortage of medicine etc… but after having past those darkened times we are grateful. .

On Sunday December 10, one of our Sisters went to Zalambessa. She saw our residence, our school Sts. Peter and Paul, the people who have been there all the while and some who went back. She said there are the Ethiopian Federal Soldiers and you can move around freely. There is no light; water is taken from Adigrat twice a week by tankers and distributed to the people. Our residence which is in the middle of the town, two guards who live there watch it by turn since our sisters left Zalambessa.

 While our school is located on the outskirts and in fact right on the border we have no guards there. From the beginning of the conflict a lot of looting has taken place; it was dangerous to keep guards there. By now except some precious laboratory materials and some documents our sisters moved to the residence, little by little everything has been looted anyone passes through the school compound. As you will see some photos, some windows here and there, the skeleton of the building only exists and that’s it. It is very tragic a school which was flourishing back to zero.

In the middle of this difficult time next to our Institute you are the first to console us, lighten our burden of the debts we have to pay. It is a big help. I told the staff of Zalambessa that you’re standing on the side of the School of Sts. Peter and Paul / the people of Zalambessa/ always and especially this year with your prayer filled financial help. They told me to thank you on their behalf too.

As an Institute we thank and admire you and your association for your sacrifice to help our people in need. Thank you very much and be assured of our prayers,”