From clean water to classrooms, one family’s commitment to their roots fuels quite transformation
In the sun-scorched hills of eastern Ethiopia, where clean water can still be a distant dream, one community-led foundation is quietly rewriting the story. What began as a single well in Harar has grown into a movement bringing education, sanitation, and opportunity to thousands—thanks to the vision of a man who never forgot where he came from.
From the cobbled alleys of Harar to the rural heartlands of the Dawro Zone, the Lemma and Dr. Genet Foundation is bridging the gap where government reach often falls short—one water well, library, and school at a time.
Founded five years ago by Ethiopian-American businessman Lemma Getachew and his family, the foundation is emblematic of a growing grassroots movement in Ethiopia: local development rooted in lived experience, propelled by diasporic commitment, and grounded in a spirit of shared responsibility.
Headquartered in Harar, the historic walled city in Ethiopia’s eastern highlands, the foundation initially began with modest ambitions—extracting groundwater to serve the Ras Mekonnen neighborhood. Today, its impact spans two regional states, serving thousands with clean water, digital libraries, school feeding programs, and basic sanitation services.
Lemma’s path to philanthropy is deeply personal. Born and raised in Harar, he attended local schools built by community farmers and studied free of charge through high school. He later enrolled at Addis Ababa University but left Ethiopia amid academic and personal challenges. Resettling in the United States, Lemma pursued a degree in pharmacy and built a successful life abroad. Yet the memory of the community that once nurtured him never faded.
“The school I attended was built by local farmers,” he said. “That taught me that we all owe something back. It’s time we, as a society, focus on supporting one another, leaving political maneuvering to politicians.”
This sense of duty was the seed from which the Lemma and Dr. Genet Foundation grew. Named in honor of both Lemma and his wife, the foundation now supports development work across Harar and the Dawro Zone in Ethiopia’s Southwest Region. Its recent efforts include the opening of three schools, the installation of sanitation infrastructure, and a series of digital learning initiatives.
Local Roots, National Reach
“Our foundation has extended far beyond Harar,” Lemma said. “It’s crucial to move past divisive ethnic politics and work toward something larger—leaving a positive legacy for the public good.”
That ethos is reflected in the foundation’s third major initiative, completed earlier this year. In the Dawro Zone, the foundation drilled wells that now serve more than 5,000 households, reaching an estimated 50,000 people. It also launched school feeding programs and installed showers, latrines, and washbasins—services often taken for granted in urban areas, but life-changing in rural Ethiopia.
Edmond Tesfaye, one of the foundation’s earliest advisors, said they aim to deepen their impact by mobilizing funds from the Ethiopian diaspora and institutional donors. “Fundraising is our short-term termplan, with an aim to collect funds from organizations and the diaspora ,” he said. However, 90 percent of the foundation’s current funding still comes directly from Lemma and his family.
Building With—and For—the Community
The foundation’s work is far from a solo effort. In Addis Ababa, it partners with the Bego Sitota Charitable Organization, whose co-founder and executive director, Daniel Digafie, highlighted the partnership’s achievements.
“We began with a digital library project at a school in Harar,” Digafie said. “Since then, we’ve expanded to more schools, donated over 50 computers, and provided programming tutorials to 500 teachers and students.” Their collaboration also extended to covering 30 percent of water services to three Woredas in the Dawro Zone, he added.
The physical execution of these projects falls to Mandefro Fiseha, a contractor who has worked closely with the foundation for several years. He described building a park for students and teachers at Ras Mekonnen School, as well as new wells and school facilities. Most recently, Mandefro has overseen drilling at Abinet School, where the foundation has also provided educational supplies and basic health insurance to 150 underprivileged children.
Their groundwater system, capable of producing 22 liters per day, now supports both drinking and irrigation needs. “We’ve also built six pit latrines, two showers, and two wash basins,” Mandefro said.
A Model for Change
In a landscape too often fractured by political divisions and economic disparities, the Lemma and Dr. Genet Foundation stands as a model of what sustained, community-rooted philanthropy can achieve.
By targeting fundamental needs—water, education, hygiene—the foundation underscores a simple but powerful truth: lasting development begins from the ground up.
