Our team
DESTA DANIEL KEBEDE
A connection between two worlds
Born and raised in Switzerland, I have a unique story of cultural connection. My father, a proud Ethiopian, brought the values and traditions of his home country into our family. This connection between two worlds shaped me from an early age and inspired me to find a way to unite these two cultural riches.
Formation in the blood
Education has always had a special significance for my family. My great-grandfather (Brunner) founded the school in Steinmaur against all opposition at the time. What we take for granted in Switzerland today - access to education - is ultimately thanks to such pioneers and forward thinkers that this is the case. This legacy has encouraged me to take up the issue of education and schools as a matter close to my heart. I firmly believe that education is the key to developing individual potential and at the same time forms the basis for a prosperous society. It is my firm conviction that education creates equal opportunities and enables people to realize their dreams.
Thinking and reflecting
I am a thoughtful person who often takes time to reflect on the depth of things. A quote that describes my philosophy well: "Education is not the filling of barrels, but the lighting of flames." These words reflect how I see education - not as the mere accumulation of knowledge, but as the kindling of passion and curiosity. Education should touch the soul and open people's hearts.
The vision of our foundation
The idea of setting up a foundation dedicated to education in Ethiopia was born out of a deep conviction that education can change lives. Our vision is to develop a new educational concept that not only provides students with knowledge, but also gives them the tools to lead self-determined and free lives. We want to build bridges between cultures and traditions and see diversity as an enrichment. The focus is on promoting girls and women in education as well as strengthening communities.
Trust and cooperation
Our foundation is built on trust and collaboration. We believe that education is a collaborative process in which everyone can make a valuable contribution. Our work would not be possible without the support of people who share our vision and are willing to contribute to improving educational opportunities in Ethiopia. We warmly invite you to become part of our community and join us on this journey.
Finally, I would like to share another quote that underlines my conviction: "Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world." (Nelson Mandela). With your support, we can use this weapon to change the world and create educational opportunities for all.
Thank you for taking the time to find out more about me and our foundation. Together we can make a difference and ignite the power of education.
Sincerely,
Desta Daniel Kebede
Josephine Bürgin
Growing up in a small farming family of 10, I learned from a young age that our family depended on each of us to help out. The older ones looked after the younger ones and everyone had to help out on the farm, no matter how small.
However, our parents always made sure that we did our school homework first before anything else.
Through my later travel agency business together with one of my sisters, I came into contact with the whole world, which was exactly to my taste. Australia/New Zealand was our main travel destination at the beginning; it was then that I first came into contact with the Aborigines, the indigenous people of Australia. I immediately had a good connection with them, just as I did later with the Ethiopian population. Maybe it's because we were used to showing respect to everyone at home, no matter what class they came from.
One of our brothers, who worked for the ICRC in various crisis areas around the world, made me aware of Ethiopia, among other things. We were always clear that education was the only way to help people in the long term, which I then realized in 2002 with the establishment of the Learning for Life Foundation.
My sister, Dorothea Amsler, with whom I ran the travel agency, and our sister-in-law, Corinne Schlatter, actively helped out. Administration and bookkeeping were done in our office on the side.
For 20 years, I traveled to Ethiopia three or four times a year to supervise projects such as the construction of school buildings and their implementation or to initiate apprentice projects.
Today's world demands different, new approaches to school projects, which I am now confidently placing in younger hands.
Sincerely,
Josephine Bürgin