
HISTORY
HISTORY AND PROJECTS.
The Learning for Life Foundation has been in existence since 2002. Based on the conviction that education is the foundation for lifting people out of poverty, Learning for Life founder Josefine Bürgin focused on the implementation of school and training projects from the very beginning. In the foundation's first twenty years, a total of seven schools were built in Ethiopia for over three thousand pupils and more than four hundred apprentices were trained, primarily young women.
Hans Peter Giess - the brother of the foundation's founder Josefine Bürgin - laid the foundation stone for Learning for Life. Through his many years working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), he had repeatedly sensitized his family and friends in Switzerland to the great poverty and the concerns of people in countries affected by natural disasters and conflicts, such as Ethiopia. He was convinced that education and knowledge transfer would create the best opportunities for people to sustainably escape the spiral of poverty and build a secure future in their countries of origin.
Supported by family members Dorothea Amsler-Giess and Corinne Schlatter, Josefine Bürgin established the foundation in 2002, which she led as president until 2023 before handing over the chairmanship to Desta Kebede.
LEARNING FOR LIFE PROJECTS IN ETHIOPIA AND MADAGASCAR SINCE 2003.
2003
- Construction/inauguration of kindergarten and toilet block
- Training of three female teachers and payment of salaries for 3 years
2007
- Construction/inauguration of Supe Boro High School (grades 9 and 10) with 4 classrooms and school desks, Toilet block for girls and boys
- Library for teachers and students
2008
- Donation of a library for Alge High School and College
- 14 solar pennels with batteries for the school in Supe
- Employment of an IT teacher for the training of teachers and interested high school students (until 2012)
2009
- 4 PCs and 4 laptops computers, 2 printers, 1 overhead projector
- Comprehensive renovation of the school grade 5 - 8 with 4 classrooms and a staff room
- Employment of an English teacher
2009/10
- Distance training for teachers in cooperation with Jimma University
2009
- Apprenticeship training for girls and boys
12 girls in Addis near Selam in household, service, sewing, national and international cooking, English, duration 2 years
40 boys at Selam Awassa in metalwork, metalworking, theoretical and practical like our dual apprenticeship training, duration 3 years
10 girls from Alge and Supe training as nurses in Metu, duration 3 years
10 girls and boys annually in college in Alge, duration 2 years each. There were now a total of 50
34 students in various disciplines at the Technical College in Metu, duration 12 - 15 months
4 electrician apprentices at Selam Awassa, now in their 3rd year of training. Duration 4 years
5 girls cook apprenticeship at Selam Awassa, duration 6 months, now finished with training
4 nurses in three-year midwifery training
For all these girls and boys we pay school fees, registration fees, clothes, accommodation, food, pocket money, medication, books and travel expenses.
2010
- 120 school desks for Uzo (part of Supe) grades 1 - 4
- 120 school desks for Supe, grades 1 - 4
- Comprehensive renovation of the health center. Construction of new WC and shower building. Solar lamps, solar refrigerator, modern birthing bed
- Vegetable and water projects by two students from Wädenswil. Payment for the necessary infrastructure such as fencing, seeds, bottles, Moringa seeds, etc.
2011
- Employment of a Field Health Officer
- Setting up and running an office with computer, photocopier, laminating machine
- Microcredit program between 18 and 30 participants
2011 - 2013
- Construction of the school building in Ume (part of Supe), with four classrooms and a teachers' room.
- Toilet block 2012 - Toilet block Toilet block
2012
- Construction of the sports complex with showers for men and women, changing rooms, toilets, various sports equipment such as table tennis, volleyball, football
- Fr. 1'500.- to the schools for the purchase of school materials or teaching aids
- Payment for floors, doors and windows in a traditional school building
- Start of bee/honi project / foundation of cooperative
2013
- Inauguration of the school in Ume
- Contribution to book and transportation costs for students studying at various universities.
- Training/further training of beekeepers and construction of the honey center
2014
- Training of 30 female biologists at the University of Metu (provincial capital of Illubabor) to become beekeeping experts
2015
- Construction of a new school building for 400 children in Jerkuni, approx. 15 km from Supe
- Training of a further 30 female biologists as beekeeping experts
- Renovation of a school building in Supe for secondary school level
2016
- Water supply with 2 reservoirs and 12 water points in the village of Supe
2017
- Expansion of our bee/honey projects in Ethiopia and Madagascar, focus on training for women
In all the schools built by LfL in and around Supe, around 3,000 pupils go to school (class sizes 50 - 60). Teachers are paid by the government. Project in Supe was completed at the end of 2017.
2017
- Orphanage and farm in Wukro, Tigray, is integrated into LfL as an independent project.
2018
- Inauguration of the new school building for 300 pupils in Zew Mariam, Amhara Region Grades 1 - 8.
- We send 20 pupils, grades 9 and 10 to the school in Lalque and also pay for their stay and food during the week.
- Participation of our beekeepers at the Apimondia Symposium in Addis. Presentation of their honey.
2019
- As every year, we train apprentices at Selam in Addis, especially girls.
- We also train girls in short apprenticeships at private schools in Addis.
2020
- Apprenticeship training has come to a standstill. Some exams are not taking place due to corona
- Decision to build a kindergarten in Zew Mariam. Construction could not be started due to war and corona.
- CHF 10,000 grant to the orphanage in Wukro.
2021 - 2024
- 2-year IT apprenticeship for 10 boys and girls in Metu at the Technical College and a 3-year
apprenticeship for another 10 boys in the health sector.
- Wukro switches to SELAM as it has a broader base.
2022 - 2023
- 80 young women, some from very poor backgrounds, complete a 6-month short apprenticeship in housekeeping, service and cooking at Selam. They find jobs in hotels and international organizations.
MADAGASCAR
2003
- Support for the first ten pupils. Dorothea Amsler, member of the foundation, started the Madagascar project with a travel group from Terra Travel on the occasion of a trip.
- Payment of one meal per day and books, school fees for up to 75 pupils per year.
2004
- Renovation of orphanage (initially private) for 13 children and takeover by the foundation.
2005 - 2014
- Employment of a manager couple for the orphanage, food, clothes, medicines, education, for the 13 children. Now there are fewer and fewer, as some have completed their education and are self-employed.
2008 - 2010
- Training of seamstresses, five to ten women per year. It was a success, but there were then too many seamstresses in this location.
2009/2010
- Training six girls a year in technical schools or at university.
- Support for 20 pupils in elementary school
2016
- Start of training for 20 women to become beekeepers
2018
- Beekeeping project to be continued.
- LfL Foundation Board decides to discontinue the education projects in Madagascar at the next opportunity. In future, only training in the field of bees.
2019
Voa Hartmann, Madagascan and married in Switzerland, travels to Madagascar once or twice a year to look after our project. We pay for her flight.
2020/2021
- Voa launches an emergency aid program, as many students are suffering from hunger. We decide to provide one-off emergency aid for food.
2022
- The Foundation Board decides to spin off the Madagascar project into an association called Sata, which is managed by former Foundation Board member Markus Kühne.