Girls Boarding Coordinator for the Afar Girls.
I was born in 1984 in the Oromia region of Ethiopia and the youngest of 10, however I have lost my father and two of my sisters.
After school I graduated as a teacher and I taught near my hometown and in Addis. From there God guided me to move to Komame where I joined VWDO* as a teacher and girls boarding coordinator. I think that is my call from God; I am happy doing it and satisfied when I see the results. Actually social concern is one of the purposes of the church and I am going to fulfil it until the end of my life.
‘As a woman, a teacher and a Christian and the one living in the rural country, I know all the challenges of women.’
In Afar the challenge is worse. They live in remote areas, come from illiterate families and harmful traditional practices are rampant.
Afar girls are engaged in marriage at an early age by default, even without their consent. Therefore most girls do not have access to education. Helping these girls to get access to education liberates them from this cultural bondage. Being part of this liberation is really a great privilege for me.
One big challenge associated with the community, is that they are illiterate and they do not believe in education. They especially have a negative attitude towards girl’s education. I think that is the root cause for every problem and I intend to do much work on changing the mindset of the community.
* Voice in the Wilderness Development Organisation