Since December 2018, Nebiyu “Neba” Hailemariam has been volunteering as an IT support for People to People, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving healthcare and reducing the spread of diseases, particularly in Ethiopia and in the diaspora communities.
Neba helped People to People address their IT challenges so that their remote team works smoothly. He maintained their website and coordinated their digital communications, including their quarterly newsletter.
THE WORK
Neba's role at People to People was in line with his academic and professional background in computer science and engineering. He earned his bachelor of science in Computer Engineering at Olivet Nazarene University. He cut his teeth in the IT world as an enterprise services programmer at Olivet Nazarene. He worked his way up to become a higher ed integration specialist at AMSipkins & Associates, where he supports cloud-based integration for multiple applications such as Salesforce, Ellucian Colleague, Ellucian Recruit, and more.
THE RESULT
When Neba returned to Chicago, his heart was still in Addis Ababa. Inspired by the impact of People to People across Ethiopia, he decided to get more involved with the wider Ethiopian diaspora under the guidance of Dr. Enawgaw. The timing of his initiative perfectly coincided with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's call on the diaspora to be invested in the country's growth and development. In the months to come, he mobilized his friends and laid out the groundwork in collaboration with Dr. Enawgaw. After a year of research and planning, he launched Jegna together with a passionate group of volunteers. A signature program of People to People, Jegna designs projects that enable the diaspora to empower local organizations and individuals in Ethiopia using the power of technology and ingenuity.
THE PERK
"The organization's mission of helping others was something that attracted me to People to People. I worked very closely with Dr. Enawgaw Abebe, founder and president of People to People. I felt like I was given a chance to give back to my roots. In December of 2018, I flew to Ethiopia and assisted their team in Addis Ababa with the planning of the annual conference at the Intercontinental Addis Hotel. I met and worked with so many great individuals from many sectors, including Dr. Getahun Mekuria, former minister of innovation and technology. During my stay, I also met children who are HIV positive and great students that we supported. I went to Amanuel Gojam and met students from the boarding school People to People established. It was a joy to see how the organization is changing people's lives."
— Nebiyu Hailemariam
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