Sending Students to Ethiopia is Worthwhile and Meaningful

EGI hosted a reception at the United States Embassy
in Ethiopia for USCSE 2011 participants.

By: Ryan Olivieri

December 30, 2011

It’s hard to believe that EGI’s U.S. College Students for Ethiopia (USCSE) is only entering its second year. The success and excitement of last year’s pilot program was so inspiring that USCSE has become one of EGI’s most popular and well-known initiatives.

However, it’s not hard to see why. USCSE’s mission, "to tackle the shortage of a skilled workforce in Ethiopia, build a culture of volunteerism within Ethiopia, and to foster communication between Ethiopians and the Ethiopian diaspora," is both worthwhile and meaningful.

Last summer’s interns were able to help further these goals while also gaining valuable work experience in fields they are passionate about with Ethiopian-led organizations. USCSE is a truly unique program in the sense that it allows college students from the United States to be part of a greater good, while also catering to their own personal interests.

If you or someone you know is interested in being a part of Ethiopia's transformation, then we want to hear from you. Apply or learn more about USCSE today!

Ryan Olivieri is Director of Communication and Marketing of the Ethiopian Global Initiative. USCSE 2012 applications are due January 13, 2012.

Summer 2012 Ethiopia Internship: U.S. College Students for Ethiopia

2011 U.S. College Students for Ethiopia participants

Are you a college student in the United States interested spending your summer in Ethiopia in an exciting internship program with a community service component? The Ethiopian Global Initiative's Summer 2012 applications for U.S. College Students for Ethiopia are now available. 

Entering its second year, the EGI project aims to bridge the communication and access gap between U.S. college students and Ethiopian organizations, create a thriving environment for volunteerism and community engagement and raise the consciousness of service to Ethiopia.

Learn more and apply here! Summer 2012 applications due November 28, 2011.

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.

Summer 2011: Apply to Intern and Volunteer in Ethiopia

Be among the first to take part in the Ethiopian Global Initiative’s newest project, U.S. College Students for Ethiopia!

Join a cohort of 12-15 highly-motivated, passionate undergraduate and graduate students as an intern in your field of interest: the arts, banking and microfinance, education, the media, government, NGOs, or trade and sales.

Experience life in the vibrant, multicultural city of Addis Ababa and participate in weekend excursions throughout the entire country. 

To apply, click here. The application deadline is March 15, 2011. 

For more information, contact uscse@ethgi.org

Meet USCSE's Steering Committee

U.S. College Students for Ethiopia (USCSE), a project of the Ethiopian Global Initiative, formed its Steering Committee this weekend. The following members will be instrumental in launching the project in 2011. 

Ms. Yordanos Eyoel, 2010 a graduate of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, will lead as Project Manager. The Steering Committee is composed of members of various backgrounds and interests. 

Ms. Bethel D. Adefres
Student, B.A., Neuroscience
Wellesley College

Ms. Tsion D. Adefres
Student, B.A., Chemistry
Bryn Mawr College

Mr. Evan J. Anderson
Student, B.A., International Relations
American University

Ms. Rebecca Beauregard
Ethiopia Volunteer
United States Peace Corps

Ms. Yordanos Eyoel
M.P.P., Business and Government Policy
Harvard University, 2010

Ms. Nardos Ghebregziabher
Student, B.A, Economics, International Studies
University of Denver

Mr. Daniel Holobowicz
B.A., International Studies
University of North Texas, 2010

Mr. Bruck K. Kiros
Student, B.A., Economics, Black Studies
Amherst College

Ms. Danielle Nispel
Student, B.A., Political Science
American University

To join the Steering Committee, or for more information, please email action@ethgi.org.

Travel Abroad Opportunity for American Students in Ethiopia

Planning is underway at the Ethiopian Global Initiative, an international organization of students and young professionals, for a new project that aims to send college students from the United States to Ethiopia. The project, U.S. College Students for Ethiopia, plans to provide volunteer and intern opportunities for American college students. Initially, it will be a summer opportunity but in the coming years the Ethiopian Global Initiative intends on providing semester and full year travel opportunities to Ethiopia.

Working with the leading public and private sector organizations in Ethiopia, U.S. College Students for Ethiopia will give American college students the unique opportunity of gaining practical experience in their academic field of interest while in Ethiopia. Students majoring in English Literature might volunteer to teach English at a rural primary school while those majoring in Economics might want to intern at an agency like the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, headquartered in Addis Ababa.

The Initiative’s management is busy assembling the Project Steering Committee for U.S. College Students for Ethiopia. The Committee, led by a Project Manager, will be responsible for the management, planning and implementation of the project. In the coming weeks the Project Steering Committee will be finalizing agreements with partner and receiving organizations in the United States and Ethiopia. A group of about 10-15 American college students will be selected in the spring to travel to Ethiopia in 2011 as a pilot project test for the Initiative.

Get Involved!

You can join the Project Steering Committee if you want to be involved in managing and overseeing an important international project by emailing the EGI Department of Internal Affairs at internalaffairs@ethgi.org. Getting involved in the Project Steering Committee is an important way for students and young professionals to build their experience in regards to project planning and management, teamwork and communication skills.

The project is also looking for 10-15 students to participate in the pilot project test for the summer of 2011. A formal application process does exist and further information will go out in the spring but students interested should indicate their interest by emailing the EGI Department of Operations at operations@ethgi.org.

For further questions you may email info@ethgi.org.

EAYI: Engaging Myself Outside the Classroom

By: Maxwell MacCarthy

Monday, June 21, 2010

My name is Maxwell MacCarthy, and I recently joined EAYI as a Research Associate to help in the expansion and evolution of the organization this summer. With this being my first blog article, I would like to keep things simple and write about something I have thought a lot about recently: what EAYI means to me.

My freshman year at college was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. After transitioning from rural Vermont to the urban life at Boston University, I was overwhelmed by all the new resources and opportunities available right at my fingertips as part of my new life as a college student. For me, this meant reading any piece of writing I could get my hands on and being utterly engrossed by every class lecture I went to. The whole exotic notion of academia, scholarliness, and learning gripped me, and I felt like I had truly started living my life.

My spring 2009 semester, however, spent studying and working abroad in Niger as part of an international development studies program changed my perspective on what it meant to be a student. Going into the semester, I wanted to study abroad mostly as an excuse to travel, and the classes I would have to take there seemed mostly a formality – a break from academics and intellectual engagement if you will. And yet looking back, the entire 3 months was a learning experience, more so than any semester spent in Boston in fact. Working with a local microfinance organization and teaching basketball to young girls in Niger allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and not only learn so much about the country and the people but learn a lot about myself. Being in one of the poorest countries in the world also really makes you question a lot of your life views and values, and thus discussions with my fellow participants in the program allowed me to reevaluate a lot of things that I had taken for granted. It was an experience that cannot even compare to a semester spent at college.

Now after 4 years at Boston University and a few life experiences behind me, I have grown past this extreme notion of only connecting learning and academia. This summer, a time spent reflecting on the college experience as well as coinciding with my start at EAYI, I have finally begun to understand how much learning really occurs outside the classroom. Textbooks and articles are fine but limiting oneself to pages and computer screens misses the biggest picture. As crazy as it sounds, you do not need to lock yourself in a stale, air-conditioned library and pour over thousands of textbook pages to learn about some subject. Life is incredibly dynamic and diverse; all you need to do is engage it in a new way, like I did, to learn and foster personal growth.

For me then, this summer with EAYI is a lesson in applying myself outside the classroom. The Ethiopian American Youth Initiative allows me to not only engage the Boston-area community but also the wider Ethiopian community and EAYI members around the world as we work together toward common goals. EAYI means interacting with new people to expand my horizons; my first conversation with EAYI’s founder, Samuel Gebru, showed me the power of youth engagement and gave me a welcome reminder of how short life is. It is these life experiences that I hope to take away from my time at EAYI. As I transition out of college and into the real world, I hope to use EAYI as a way to move smoothly into the next chapter of my life and continue to expand beyond the walls of Boston University.

Maxwell MacCarthy is a graduate of Boston University and serves as a Research Associate of the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative.