Upper School Student Club Raises Money To Provide Solar Panels for School in Ethiopia

On May 3, students in the Upper School Kids for Kololo Club gathered at The Crow, a comedy club in Santa Monica. Cloudy skies and a downpouring of rain couldn’t dampen their mood as they excitedly prepared for the club’s biggest event of the year: a benefit concert aimed at raising $22,000 to provide solar panels for the Kololo School in Ethiopia, providing access to a reliable source of electricity.

Led by 10th graders Melese Light-Orr and Shiv Munjal, the club was first founded by Crossroads alumna Meazi Light-Orr ’23 as an extension of her family’s involvement with the Kololo School. Founded in partnership with the Tesfa Foundation, the school educates children in the village of Kololo,  where Melese and Meazi were born.  

Since Melese and Shiv took over this year, the club has blossomed to include more than 20 members. During a biweekly club meeting earlier this year, students began brainstorming ways to bring people together in support of the important cause. Both Melese and Shiv are talented musicians and members of Crossroads’ jazz bands, which served as inspiration for what came next.

“We knew we needed to do a fundraiser, and knew a lot of us played music,” said Melese. “We love music, so when the idea of having a concert came up, we were like, ‘Yes, we've got to do that.’”

The Upper School students set to work, reaching out to local businesses to garner support. Crossroads’ Theater Tech Teacher Mickey Blaine offered the students use of The Crow, a nearby comedy club that he runs with his wife, Nicole. Students secured donations of food and coffee from local eateriesTiato Kitchen and Cafe Ruisseau. Club members, many of whom are involved in the music program at Crossroads, signed up to perform. Tenth grader Noah Klein designed T-shirts featuring the Kids for Kololo logo, which were sold onsite at the event alongside small Ethiopian gifts collected from businesses in LA’s Little Ethiopia neighborhood. 

In addition to raising $20,000 toward the event’s $22,000 goal, one of the greatest achievements of the concert was its role as a community-builder, with students, teachers and Crossroads families banding together in support of the philanthropic cause.

“I feel really proud of all of us,” said Shiv. “During the club meetings, we weren't sure if people would show up. They bought tickets and all that stuff, but when they actually showed up, it felt really great to know that they actually cared about it, too.”

As part of their mission to connect the Crossroads community with the Kololo School, Upper School club members also partnered with the Elementary School to foster connections with students in Kololo. When Melese and his sister traveled to Ethiopia three years ago, they brought pictures that Crossroads students had made as gifts. Teachers at the Kololo school sent back a video of the students joyfully receiving the artwork. “That kind of created a bond and a connection, and we wanted to continue that,” said Melese. 

This year, seven Upper School club members visited a second grade science class to facilitate a sibling gardening initiative: Students from both schools planted vegetables on their campuses at the same time. “It was really cool that they had this experience together, creating a sense of unity between the schools,” said Shiv.