VALERIE LEMKE: HELPING WOMEN VIA JJANGDE

          In the Senegalese dialect of Fulani, “jangde” means to learn.  And that’s the aim of Jjangde (jjangde.com), a collaborative not-just-for-profit enterprise founded to build schools in Senegal with profits from the sale of products made by rural artisans.  Jjangde is the brainchild of Valerie Lemke, ’08, and co-founder Ousmane Gaye, a native of Senegal.  They have already started two schools, in Guedeiawaye and Koumpentoum.  “That’s a village of 20,000,” notes Lemke of the latter.  “You won’t find it in a map.”  Valerie says Jjangde became an immediate hit after its web launch. “It was insane,” she says.  “We had over 5,000 visitors and they wanted everything we offered.  They loved the products, the story and the mission.”  In November Jjangde issued a crowdfunding appeal via Indiegogo and raised more than its goal of $50,000.  A native of Howell, Valerie selected MSU because a good friend was headed to East Lansing—and it was a decision she does not regret.  At MSU, she especially enjoyed the Study Abroad program, which she says broadened her horizons.  “I had an opportunity to go to South Africa in a class led by Kurt Dewhurst and Marsha McDowell,” recalls Valerie.  “That had the biggest impact on my life.  They took us everywhere and introduced us to cultural leaders, and they taught us that you can do anything.”  After MSU, Valerie spent two years teaching English in Uiejonbbu, South Korea.  “It was a life-changing experience,” she says.  “Being a racial minority changes your view of the world.”  After that experience she attended the University of San Francisco, graduating in 2012 with a master’s degree in nonprofit administration.  She wanted to do something meaningful and partnered with Gaye, who had similar dreams, to found Jjangde.  “I’m very grateful to MSU,” says Valerie.  “It opened my eyes to the world.  I learned that the language of love is universal, and if you can show that, you can communicate with anyone.”  

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