I joined EVS in 2012, shortly after its inception. 

During my first visit in Bilo, I saw the foundation for the first of our schools being laid. Much has happened in the 13 years since then. I have visited all of “our” schools on many occasions. 

I am originally from Germany, but have lived and worked as a pediatrician and neonatologist in the East Bay area of California for almost 40 years. I am now retired, but still travel to Ethiopia once or twice per year for a few weeks. Apart from the EVS project, I am also involved in another NGO ("Wax and Gold"), a  group of neonatal nurses and physicians teaching pediatric residents, midwives and nurses in various areas of Ethiopia to provide quality care to premature and otherwise ill newborn infants. 

In my private life, I have two adult sons and am married to my wife Denisia who at the end of 2023 retired from a decades long career as an elementary school teacher in the Bay Area. One of my sons is also a teacher, the other one a city planner.

My main hobbies involve nature and music. I spend a lot of my free time hiking with Denisia and our dog, and love to listen to music from many places in the world, both live and recorded – and am a fan of Ethiopian music, in particular Ethiojazz.  I like to read papers and books, mostly related to recent history – and I love watching basketball together with my wife.

Presently I am the chief financial officer of EVS.

Temesgen joined the board of Directors of Ethiopian Village Schools in 2023. He is the pastor for several churches in the East Bay Area. He serves the Grace Lutheran Church in El Cerrito, the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Berkeley,  and the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Afan Oromo service in Hayward. Temesgen is originally from Oromia in Ethiopia and moved to the United States in 2010 for his study at San Francisco Theological Seminary (SFTS) in San Anselmo, CA. In his more than two-decades of ministry, Temesgen has served in different capacities, both at local and national churches in Ethiopia. Among others he was a pastor of a local church for 5 years, taught at Addis Ababa Bible College for four years, and served as National Director and founding member of a non-profit medical organization called Doctors Giving Back. Apart from ministry, Temesgen enjoys reading, watching and playing soccer, basketball, and enjoying life with his wonderful wife Lidiya Jebessa and their three daughters, Sifen, Fenan and Monet.

Gadissa was born and grew up in Oromia, where he was a teacher of agriculture for more than 20 years. He then went to the US and received an advanced degree in agriculture. In the meantime he operates several farms for commercial seed production, crop cultivation, fruit tree planting as well as animal husbandry and bee keeping. He advises and supports local farmers, and also travels internationally as an agricultural consultant.

Gadissa has been deeply involved in all aspects of EVS since its inception. He identifies schools at most need for support in the area around Ambo, organizes contracts between local school authorities, village committees and EVS, and supervises the fulfillment of contracts . He also organizes the meetings between the villagers and visiting board members of EVS.

Girma is the oldest child of Moti Terrefa, graduated from Rift Valley University with a degree in civil engineering. After working a few years on his own, he joined his father's construction business. Together they worked on 3 of our latest school projects. We are confident that with Girma's experience and talent he is more than capable of taking over Moti's position. Girma is married with 3 children and lives in Ambo.

Lidias is following in her father Moti's footsteps, also works with EVS. Lidia graduated from Rift Valley University with a degree in accounting and a degree in design from Sally College in Addis Ababa. Lidia is in charge of our sanitary pads program. She sews our washable, reusable pads and produces the individual bags that contain 3 pads each. Lidia lives in Ambo with her family.goes here

Moti, the father of Girma, has been a foundational member of the EVSF team. Without Moti, none of what we have achieved, would have been possible. He, with his team, has built all the schools EVS has supported since 2012. His friendship, dedication and generosity, paired with his knowledge as a craftsman, were part of the spirit of EVS. Totally unexpected, Moti succumbed to a severe illness on (day) of 2025. He left behind a family, many close friends, and a legacy which will benefit thousands of students in Oromia for many years to come.