Anthropologist Eliza Woloson founded Global Education Fund in 1998, after witnessing the barriers that prevent extremely poor children from getting an education. Working in Indonesia, Eliza met children who were unable to attend school for the lack of $15 uniforms. While in China, she noticed her Chinese students come alive when handed a picture book for the first time.
Eliza founded GEF with the principle of listening to local needs and empowering grassroots leaders. Since its inception, GEF’s work continues to be guided by her principles instead of dictating a one-size fits all solution.
GEF first began its work in response to a request from orphanages in Nicaragua for Spanish books. Eliza, who was then working in the book industry, was able to acquire Spanish books from publishers and ship them to Nicaragua, thanks to the generosity of family and friends.
GEF has grown from this humble start to a broad network of partners and projects in more than 20 countries. While the breadth and scope of work of GEF’s work has grown, the hallmarks of our work have remained consistent: a grassroots approach that is based on listening to local needs, strong partnerships with community leaders on the ground, a vibrant network of global volunteers and generous donors.
