Gembeltu School Project

Meet the Team

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Alex French

Project Coordinator

Alex was working in Ethiopia as an intern for the non-governmental organization Engage Now Africa. On one of Alex's days off he was invited into the village of Gembeltu where he found elementary school children meeting under the shade of a tree. The elders of Gembeltu asked Alex—and later his fiance Kayla—to raise funds for a schoolhouse. Though Alex and many others have been working to raise the funds for a schoolhouse, it should be emphasized that this project was not Alex's idea. It was the idea of the community and the elders of Gembeltu will have an active hand in the construction of this school.

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Kayla Riley

Projct Coordinator

Kayla is Alex French's fiance. Kayla's first experience with Gembeltu was through e-mail. Alex wrote to her telling her about his visit, and the elders request for a school. At that time Alex was unsure how to handle the request. In December, Kayla went to visit Alex, and he took her to Gembeltu. The children and elders were gathered under the tree where they hold class. Children presented Kayla and Alex with flowers, and the elders once again asked for help. They knew Kayla was a teacher, and expressed to her their beliefs about the importance of education, something they knew she would understand. At the end of the visit to the village, Kayla and Alex agreed together that they had to help these people, and would do whatever they could to get them a school. Five days later, Alex proposed to Kayla in Nechisar National Park.