In a country like Ethiopia with a ballooning, educated, and young population, it is often difficult to find the right opportunity to advance both your passion and career. My name is Nuhamin. I am 26, and born in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. I earned a bachelor’s degree in public health and working on my masters.
Before I connected with Amref and the Power to You(th) program in April 2022, I was employed as a data collector in a national survey conducted by the Ethiopian Public Health Institution. While I was grateful for the work, I was not sure about a long-term track and how I could advance my career while making a true impact.
My passion centered around helping young girls overcome harmful traditional practices so they can lead productive, self-directed lives. I grew up in the city and was unaware of how prevalent these practices still remain in our society until I started travelling to rural Ethiopia with my job as a data collector. That’s when I crossed paths with a 14-year-old girl who appeared to be deeply distressed. I remember being rattled by how such a young girl could be in this much anguish so early in life. Soon, I learnt that she was married to a 30-year-old man who was abusive. She was forced to drop out of school. “Now I feel hopeless,” she confided in me.
That’s when I knew I had a mission—to do what I can so that no other young girl will ever be a bystander in her own life. The problem was, how do I merge my education with my passion? Luckily, Power to You(th) saw in me what other organizations could not. Even though I had limited work experience, PtY recognized I had the educational background and the determination to make a difference. Amref took a chance one me and hired me as a program officer.
I was trained to facilitate trainings, workshops and events with young people, community actors, and state-level stakeholders. My self-confidence and communication skills grew, as did my ability to solve problems and navigate around complex issues. Now, I feel so proud when I see adolescent girls and young women passing through PtY activities, empowered to making decisions on their body, and pushing back against child marriage and sexual and gender-based violence.
Power to You(th) has been an extraordinary journey for me, revealing the immense power of investing on the front end in young people, and recognizing the lasting impact this makes. Working with Amref, I have had the privilege of being mentored by highly experienced staff who have eagerly shared their knowledge and expertise, nurturing my own growth. This thoughtful cross-generational knowledge flow is what truly sets Power to You(th) apart. We are empowering the youth to solve its problems and build a better Ethiopia.
When passion, potential and profession meet, the possibilities are endless.
