The Magic of a Bitten Apple

A picture taken of my MacBook and me in 2010.

By: Samuel M. Gebru (@smgebru)

October 5, 2011

In the world of technology, Steven P. Jobs is a common name. Along with his colleague and competitor William H. Gates, III, the two are some of the few at the helm of technology as godlike figures. And with due credit, too.

That was, until today. This evening over dinner, a classmate told me that Jobs passed away. I told him that he was bluffing and that Jobs just had cancer and retired from his role as Apple Inc.’s CEO. As I said that, I received breaking news email alerts confirming true what I hoped was false. Inspiringly, my twitter and facebook feeds are filled with status updates on his passing as I write this.

I will forever know Steve Jobs, amongst other reasons, as the man who wore the same type of blue jeans and black turtle neck every day. His swag became a brand of its own. Steve Jobs was a businessman who envisioned and innovated. He engineered the digital empire we know today as a bitten apple.

An activist and inspirational leader of many sorts, Jobs’ message of living life for today and making meaning of it on all accounts continues to inspire me. One can only hope to be in the ranks of amazing humans that have made an impact in how we think, operate and envision. Although he will be missed, his profound impact is in the “i” forever.

Samuel M. Gebru is President and Chairman of the Ethiopian Global Initiative.

Conference Preparation is Building Up!

Preparation for the 2011 BuildEthiopia Conference is fully underway. We are especially grateful for the support we are receiving from the Harvard University African Students Association, our Venue Sponsor.

Today we confirmed our conference rooms and venue for October 22. We will be using Maxwell Dworkin Hall, Harvard University's home for the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, as the conference venue. 

Maxwell Dworkin Hall was built in honor of the mothers of Microsoft Chairman William H. Gates, III and Microsoft President Steven A. Ballmer. As home of engineering and applied sciences, Maxwell Dworkin Hall symbolizes the importance of building Ethiopia though not only engineering but also envisioneering ideas for the future.

Click here for more information on the conference and to register online for free!

Ethiopian Airlines CEO to Deliver Keynote Address at 2011 BuildEthiopia Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, September 9, 2011 – Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI) President Samuel M. Gebru announced today that Chief Executive Officer Tewolde Gebremariam of Ethiopian Airlines is one of the keynote speakers at EGI’s 2011 BuildEthiopia Conference at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, United States.

Sharing his excitement, Mr. Gebru stated that EGI “is happy to highlight the work of Ethiopian Airlines and of Mr. Tewolde Gebremariam, a career employee that built his way to the helm of Africa’s aviation success story.”

Read the full press release here.

BuildEthiopia Conference Webpage Launches

Interested in learning more about the 2011 BuildEthiopia Conference at Harvard University on October 21-22, 2011? Click here and visit the conference webpage and register today!

Volunteering…it sure is rewarding!!

By: Abel Tadesse

August 10, 2011

Have you heard about the Daily Challenge by meyouHealth? If not, I highly recommend that you check it out. There are so many interesting topics that come out to do different things, testing if it helps your well-being. No worries, I am not part of the meyouHealth team, but I love what I see in their websites!

Last week in the Daily Challenge announcement, they posted one of my favorite challenges to users, visit a website to learn about local volunteering opportunities. Right away, users including myself and other colleagues and friends of mine started responding with their comments marking it “DONE!” 

While reading the “why it matters” section of the post, I knew that our communities do have wonderful volunteers. At the same time though, I was surprised to see so many individuals volunteering in their own communities giving their time to Church activities, nonprofit organizations, local food drives, supporting their children school sport teams...the list goes on and on.

As some of you may know, writing and speaking about a topic starts from the self. I volunteer as a Project Manager at the Ethiopian Global Initiative and I vouch that volunteering there is the most rewarding hobby of my own. With that being said, I challenge you to volunteer in your communities and if you really want a challenge, work with international groups to share your talent and skills as a volunteer to help communities globally. 

In my case, I help impact the lives of women in Ethiopia through training skilled midwives. What are you doing? Now, that's a rewarding challenge!

Abel Tadesse is Project Manager of the EGI Midwives Scholarship Fund.

Ethiopian Global Initiative Hosts Ceremony at U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa high school student, Bitanya Yosef, explains
how she thinks the paintings relate to the presentation
on the topic of Juvenile Delinquency. (EGI Photo)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, August 9, 2011 – U.S. College Students for Ethiopia (USCSE), a project of the Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI), hosted a closing ceremony for its Youth Community Dialogue participants at the Embassy of the United States of America on Saturday, August 6.

The Youth Community Dialogue is a USCSE summer program that helps Addis Ababa high school students communicate effectively and creatively to their peers and community members about issues important to them in their local neighborhoods. Through this Dialogue, USCSE promotes a culture of volunteerism and community engagement among local youth, while developing their analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.

For five weeks, 20 participants engaged in stimulating discussions and prepared presentations on issues ranging from “Youth Self-Expression” to “Juvenile Delinquency,” under the guidance of U.S. and Addis Ababa University students. Participants had the opportunity to speak and interact with Diaspora professionals that returned to Ethiopia to contribute to the country’s development. 

View full press release and pictures here.

EGI Luncheon at Merkamo Ethiopian Bistro

Come learn about the Ethiopian Global Initiative's Midwives Scholarship Fund and a portion of your bill will fund the education of students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery at the Hamlin College of Midwives in Ethiopia.

Where: Merkamo Ethiopian Bistro, 7020 Commerce Street, Springfield, VA 22150

When: Sunday, August 21, 2011 at 1:00pm to 4:00pm

RSVP: msf@ethgi.org

Information: www.ethgi.org or +1-617-528-9434

Click here for facebook event page.