Mt. Etjo School and Scholarship Program

Mount Etjo is a safari lodge located in the Kalkveld area of Namibia.  The safari lodge is very dear to the Bell Family. During the Bell’s first visit to Africa in 2009, Amy Bell and her mother Ellen visited the Mount Etjo lodge where they took what would become the first of many game drives during their future trips to Africa.  The Mount Etjo School, located at the Mount Etjo Safari Lodge, was established over 30 years ago by Annette Oelofse and her late husband Jan. Since Jan’s passing in October, 2012, Annette, her son Alex and daughter-in-law Carola and the entire Jan Oelofse Safaris family have continued to provide the funding to make available this full time educational opportunity in this remote area of Namibia.  This school provides daily educational opportunities and wholesome meals for the children of the staff of Mount Etjo Safari Lodge as well as the other children who live in this remote area of Central Namibia. 

Ellen and Larry Bell have joined with the Oelofse family in an effort to provide some additional funding for the Mount Etjo School and its programs.  The goal of this partnership is to draw attention to the incredible work the Oelofse family is doing in their area by transforming the lives of children and their families through education.  Ellen and Larry have also joined with the Oelofse’s by funding the Amy Bell Memorial Scholarship program for a special student to continue their education at a nearby boarding school and throughout a tertiary study program. They are also helping with financial support of other selected projects in at the Mount Etjo School with the goal of enhancing the educational opportunities for all the children at the school.