VELETA JENKINS
(Founder & CEO, Library for Africa)
I am passionate about education and international humanitarian work. Advocating for underserved students to have access to equitable educational opportunities is deeply personal to me. As a former teacher, I’ve witnessed firsthand the life-changing impact a quality education can have on a child.
During my international travels, I've visited schools that lack books, school supplies, and technology. I engage with school administrations, teachers, and students to learn how the Library for Africa organization (LFA) could address their urgent need for educational resources. So far, LFA has established a Library/Computer Lab in several schools in Liberia, Africa (Monrovia). We plan to expand to other underserved countries.
My commitment to create real change in the lives of students who need it the most is unwavering. Education is not just a right -- it's a lifeline!
EDUATION:
Bachelor’s degree, Communications (Indiana University)
Bachelor’s degree, Educational Specialist (Wright State University)
Master’s degree, Educational Leadership (Wright State University)
Since the age of 12, Brooke Gates, worked alongside her mother as the Youth Ambassador for the Library for Africa organization. In February 2024, she traveled with her mother to Liberia, Africa for the first time. During a visit to a school, several teen girls around her age asked her if she would help pay their tuition. Brooke promised she would help. Four months after the trip, she founded the Brooke Gates Project. BGp supports international humanitarian projects.
What began as a promise to a few girls quickly grew. Brooke awarded a Brooke Gates Tuition Scholarship to 51 students, over nine (K-12) schools in Liberia, Africa for the 2024–25 school year and will continue to support students’ tuition.
The Brooke Gates Project supports: