Our mission is simple. We strive to make Dogano Community a better place for the people who live there. Our primary goal is to achieve this mission through education and access to basic necessities.
Waljaalladhaa was established by Tadesse Lemu’s children shortly after his passing in 2015. It was one of his last wishes for his children to continue to love one another, hence the name waljaalladha which means 'Love one another' in oromiffaa, one of the many languages in Ethiopia. This family’s dedication to the Dogono community began many years ago. While Mr. Lemu was alive, he single-handedly built and financed a community church, Yedogano Bille Bethel Mekane Yesus for the people of Dogano.
Mr. Lemu later assisted in the construction of a pre-school to benefit the children in the surrounding town. After his passing, Mr. Lemu’s children continued his legacy by completing an expansion project at the school. They built additional classrooms, a playground, and pledged to continue to support the wages of school administrators.
Waljaalladhaa was founded in order to ensure these community assets can continue to flourish and meet any future needs of the people of Dogono. With the help of donors and volunteers, this foundation works to secure the future of this community. Through all these years the purpose of this foundation remains the same: bring services to those in need.
The foundation's most recent project was to expand access to clean water in Dogono. The Water Project was completed in 2022. Learn more here.
