Mekdes Bedilu grew up in a humble family on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. As the youngest of four children, she witnessed both the joys and hardships of growing up in a family struggling to make ends meet. Her parents worked hard, but limited resources made it difficult to guarantee that all four children could continue their education. Mekdes, age 12 at Lelt's community center That changed in November 2013, when sixth grader Mekdes joined Lelt Foundation’s programs. As financial...

It was a public school teacher who first saw something in Yohannes Hussein. He was in second grade at Repi Japan School in Addis Ababa – a bright kid in a crowded classroom, with limited family resources and no obvious path forward. His teacher pulled him aside and recommended him to Lelt Foundation. That referral would change his life. Yohannes, left, with friend Melaku at Lelt's Center. 2016. That was 2015. Yohannes was ten years old. Today, at 21, he is a second-year IT student at Queens...

Zeritu Melak, CPU College Web Development & Coding Zeritu's road to college wasn't linear. Separated from her family as a child and raised at Kechene Orphanage, she left school in sixth grade to support herself, first as a housemaid, then as a waitress. However, she soon realized that education was her only true road to a different life. With a renewed commitment, Zeritu returned to the classroom. Today, she is excelling in Web Development at CPU College. Her vision blends the precision of...