Meskerem Asfaw

Ethiopian educator building schools in conflict zones using recycled materials

Meskerem Asfaw (b.1978) has constructed over 120 schools in war-torn regions of Ethiopia using locally sourced recycled materials. Her 1999 initiative to train female teachers in Somaliland increased literacy rates among girls from 12% to 68% in a decade. The Green School Initiative she founded in 2003 uses 90% recycled materials, reducing construction costs by 75%. Her 2007 partnership with UNICEF expanded programs to South Sudan, educating 15,000 children annually. Meskerem's 2010 documentary Bricks of Hope inspired global educational reforms. Read her UN speech here and her book Building Futures.