the formation of KCHT.

In the summer of 2013, Gelila had the opportunity to take a trip with her family to Ethiopia. While there she witnessed firsthand the conditions some children had to endure to receive basic education. Such conditions included lack of adequate facilities, inadequate funds for school supplies and the lack of basic essentials such as clothing.  The circumstances she witnessed disturbed her a great deal and forced her to realize something needed to be done.

In the summer of 2018, Gelila had another opportunity to travel with her family to Las Angeles, CA where she was exposed to a similar experience. She witnessed a vast number of families who were homeless and were living on the streets. Realizing the poverty issue she had previously witnessed was not an isolated incident that just occurred in Ethiopia.

Upon her return, Gelila approached some of her friends and shared all that she has experienced. Even though they were minors and did not have sufficient capital or disposable income, they decided to get creative and raise funds for their cause. They named their group Kids Can Help Too (KCHT). 

Shortly after the creation of KCHT, Gelila was diagnosed with terminal cancer. While undergoing numerous painful treatments, Gelila was approached by Make A Wish Foundation to see if she has any unlived fantasy she may want to experience before the cancer took a turn for the worse. Gelila’s greatest fantasy was to travel to Paris, France to see the Eifel Tower, however she understood it would be an unfair burden for her parents to endure as she was confined to a wheelchair and could not travel freely. Consequently, Gelila proposed a selfless request to the foundation. Rather than send her to Paris to live out her dream, she kindly requested they donate the money to the KCHT.

You can see the information mentioned here, in Gelila’s own words, when she wrote a letter to Make a Wish Foundation with her proposal on the page titled “Letter to Make a Wish”. We are all here to ensure that all her efforts and wishes live long past her time with us. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for taking the time to read this short story of Gelila and how KCHT came about. God Bless You!