About Us

What is YeKolo Temari
Foundation?

YeKolo Temari Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt non-profit organization that provides financial support for food, housing, clothing, school materials and medical care for orphaned, abandoned, or underprivileged children who are attending traditional Ethiopian education taught by local teachers in rural Ethiopia.
We provide care for overlooked, eager-to-learn, orphaned and vulnerable children who seek a traditional Ethiopian education.
Our provision gives them the chance to attend school and grow up with the support needed to pursue their dreams of an education and a better life.

Our Mission

The YeKolo Temari Foundation’s mission is:

Provide students’ basic needs (food, clothing, and shelter) including a healthy, stable, and safe living environment.
Provide a four-year traditional Ethiopian education program.
Established pathway for graduate students to pursue higher education in one of the traditional Ethiopian education fields:

Zema Bet (School of Music)
Quene Bet and (School of Poetry)
Metsehaft Bet (School of Books)

Provide stable source of income to local teachers.

Management Team

The YeKolo Temari Foundation management team consists of a Board of Directors and Board Officers, as well as a team of professional programmers and fundraising managers assembled to serve on the Board. Their primary responsibility will be to manage and grow the program.

Founder

Zenebech Haile was born and raised in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. Zeni came to the United States in the 1990’s and graduated from Southeastern University in Business Management. She continued her education, and earned a master’s degree in Telecommunications, specializing in Information Systems from George Mason University.

Since receiving her master’s degree, Zeni has been working in the IT industry as a consultant and contractor in various government and private sectors. In addition, she established an IT firm called "Harrar Information Technology", in November 2009.

In 2016, Zeni visited several Ethiopian monasteries including a trip to Jerusalem that same year. These trips and experiences filled Zeni with a passion and desire to help children struggling to gain a traditional Ethiopian education.

Zeni knew this passion that filled her heart was a call from GOD that would later lead her to start the nonprofit YeKolo Temari Foundation. Zeni is married, has three children and lives in Fairfax, Virginia. Zeni has chosen to dedicate the rest of her life to helping orphaned, abandoned, and underprivileged children. Zeni plans to preserve Ethiopian culture and make a difference in the lives of the children and ultimately Ethiopia through the YeKolo Temari Foundation.