Even though I think it's remarkable what this woman has accomplished, I cannot stop to wonder if this same money (money for a building and eventually computers for a handful of children) coudn't be used to improve schooling in a much larger part of the country.
I mean, there's a lot of trees....maybe educating more people to teach so a lot more trees could be used would be more helpful?

Other than that, setting up projects like these on a larger scale is remarkably hard.
In my opinion, it would be a lot better when governments set up these things, instead of individuals. But then there is the problem of a political agenda again.

in the end, this woman did not leave her country because of hyena's or long walks to school herself, and I quote: "Schaefer moved to the United States in the mid-1970s when civil war broke out at home".
Aye, there's the rub...

Nicky, I didn't say she left Ethiopia because a child was killed by a hyena. I said that was the final push that made her determined to build a school in that area, an area in bad need of a school.

The money could have been used to help children in a much larger area but would have been much much less effective. $250,000 was enough to build the school and supplies to aid that town/area. A school which will be of immense help for generations of children. Especially since the children no longer have to make 3 hour treks.

Spreading that $250,000 to a larger area just dilutes the effectiveness.

Give $1000 to Red Cross and you've accomplished nothing individually.

Give $1000 to a needy family and you have accomplished a lot.