Our Story

At Life to Live Africa, we’re all about enabling freedom. That’s why we chose to create a non-profit. It began when Life to Live was first established in 2013. Co-Founder & Executive Director, Sam Ekstein, began his journey when he was in Ethiopia volunteering as a certified nursing assistant. He was so inspired by the incredible people he befriended that he decided there had to be a way to give back.

Co-Founder Beth Roseman graduated from Ohio State University in 2012 and spent the following year assistant teaching at an inner-city school in Ohio through the City Year program. After many lengthy conversations, both Sam and Beth decided that one of the best ways to make a positive impact was through education.

We are believers in the Chinese Proverb, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Hence, rather than solely fundraising to donate money to the poor in Ethiopia, we want to help children living in poverty attain a good education so they themselves can escape the cycle of poverty. 

​Fulfilling Needs, Inspiring Dreams 

LIFE TO LIVE AFRICA

Our Vision
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​We envision a safe, healthy, prosperous community that has all its needs fulfilled. A community that’s free to dream and has the capacity to lead the lives they want to live.