Case Study: Alignment in Action
From the Ground Up
This is the story of our first pilots—more than $100,000 in aligned funding supporting classroom and library builds in Ethiopia. Together with our partner Together We Learn, these projects advance human-capacity development, a core pillar of the IIASA SSP1 sustainability framework. They demonstrate how The Chamber of Us connects proven organizations, global donors, and emerging talent into one coordinated engine for impact.
Phase 1: The Financial Engine
$100k+ Aligned for Education in Year One
Our financial model is built on trust and partnership. We support the critical, on-the-ground work of established organizations like Together We Learn Ethiopia and Building Futures Ethiopia. This work proved our model across two separate projects.
Proof 1: The $63k Azezo Alignment
First, we acted as an active aligner. Our partner, Together We Learn Ethiopia, had a project to rebuild three durable classrooms in Azezo. They had raised $22k but needed $14k more to unlock a final $27k grant from the Amhara Development Association (ADA).
TCUS helped bridge the gap. With community support, we aligned the remaining $14k, connecting all three partners and fully financing the $63,000 project.
Azezo Project Fund: $63,000 Total
- $22k (TWL)
- $14k (TCUS Support)
- $27k (ADA Grant)
Proof 2: The $70k Gendit Alignment
Next, we served as trusted bridge for a separate project at Gendit Primary School, led with long-time Together We Learn partner Building Futures Ethiopia (founded by Sue Eland).
A donor wished to contribute $70,000 from a U.S. Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) to build and resource the Gendit school library. Because Together We Learn is a UK charity and TCUS is a U.S. 501(c)(3), we provided the financial “pass-through,” successfully facilitating the DAF transfer to our partners.
Phase 2: The Human Engine
Proving Human Capacity
This is what we mean by human capacity: turning learners and designers into systems builders. Together, these contributors are prototyping the next generation of sustainable school design.
Ephratah Lakew
TCUS Youth Ambassador · Kansas, USA
Ephratah is an aspiring civil engineer with Ethiopian heritage. She leads our remote desk research—interviewing partners like Together We Learn and mapping sustainable, scalable construction models for future classroom builds.
Robel Zeray
Architectural Designer · Addis Ababa, ETH
Robel provides on-site design expertise, developing sketches for future builds and researching practical material mixes— for example, concrete for structure with recycled-plastic components for non-load-bearing panels to reduce cost and waste.
Youth Ambassador program operates with guardian consent and privacy-first guidelines.
Phase 3: The Path to Alignment
From a Local Story to a Global Prototype
This case study is more than a construction story—it’s a prototype for how systems can align. We didn’t just fund classrooms; we proved an engine that connects global capital, local talent, and sustainable design into a repeatable model for development.
Our R&D pod—Ephratah and Robel—are now extending this model through applied research. Together, they’re exploring pathways to true scalability: local material innovation, modular building methods, and open knowledge flows that allow each success to inform the next.
This is what sustainable progress looks like—built one alignment at a time. By investing first in human capacity, the foundation of the IIASA SSP1 “Sustainability” pathway, we help unlock the demographic dividend and lay the groundwork for equitable, climate-resilient development. Each local project becomes a data point in a global model—proof that coordinated design can scale a livable future.
Why We Partner with Together We Learn Ethiopia
Together We Learn Ethiopia is a UK-based charity with more than two decades of work improving education in Ethiopia. Our Azezo pilot builds on their proven, community-rooted approach. You can see their public update acknowledging this collaboration on LinkedIn.
Youth + Innovation
Emerging Voices in Sustainable Design
TCUS’s Youth Ambassador Program empowers students to explore where sustainability, engineering, and education meet. One of our first ambassadors, Ephratah Lakew, is leading desk research on sustainable school construction — inspired by her goal of becoming a civil engineer and helping communities across Ethiopia build resilient classrooms.
Ephratah Lakew
TCUS Youth Ambassador · Kansas, USA
Ephratah anchors our distributed R&D model — synthesizing interviews and literature on materials, cost, safety, and scalability to inform future school designs.
Robel Zeray
Architectural Designer · Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Robel contributes on-site design insight — developing early concepts and testing recycled-plastic elements for non-load-bearing panels alongside conventional concrete to reduce cost and waste.
Together, this R&D pod demonstrates how Pathfinder’s human capacity layer works in practice — aligning remote research with on-site design to prototype sustainable education systems that can scale. Interested in contributing your skills? Join via Libelle.
What’s Next
Scaling What Works — Together
The From the Ground Up pilot showed what alignment can achieve when funding, field expertise, and global volunteer talent work in concert.
Building on that success, The Chamber of Us will continue collaborating with Together We Learn Ethiopia and welcoming new education and sustainability partners to help scale proven approaches to classroom construction and community learning.
Each lesson from Azezo informs a replicable framework — proof that coordinated collaboration can multiply impact far beyond a single site. Together, these building blocks strengthen the ethical infrastructure essential for sustainable development and a livable future.
Join the Next Chapter
The groundwork is laid — now we’re scaling what works. Each aligned project strengthens an open, ethical infrastructure designed to help humanity move closer to a livable future. Whether you’re an engineer, educator, or funder, your contribution helps turn alignment into action.