I was born in Haromay, a small village in eastern Ethiopia. I grew up there among four sisters and one brother. I was born into a family that, like many others, quietly hoped for more sons. From an early age, I learned discipline, strength, and self-worth in a world that did not always expect that from girls.
In seventh grade, a sudden fall took my eyesight and altered the rhythm of my life, carrying me far from home to hospitals in Italy in search of healing. Though I did not return unchanged, I returned learning, adapting, and slowly finding light again. Today, I live with a visual disability, yet I am deeply content. I am grateful for a life shaped not by what I lost, but by what I learned to see differently.
TRUE CHANGE MUST COME FROM US
Returning from Italy, I refused to let my visual impairment mark the end of my education. I continued my studies with renewed determination, knowing that survival alone was not enough. I wanted purpose. I entered law school, guided by one simple conviction: I saw injustice everywhere I turned, and I wanted justice.
I began to involve myself in clubs and social initiatives, stepping beyond lecture halls into the realities of everyday life. Studying law while living with a disability opened my eyes to the deep gap between policy and practice. Ethiopia has laws that promise inclusion and equality for persons with disabilities, yet the lived experiences often tell a different story. Public transportation is largely inaccessible, making every journey a challenge. Workplaces are rarely designed to accommodate diverse abilities. Many employers hesitate to hire people with disabilities, questioning their productivity and endurance.
Through all of this, I realized that advocacy done for us but without us cannot fully succeed. Non-disabled people may speak on our behalf, but they do not carry the weight of our struggles nor know the small daily battles we fight. True change must come from those who live the experience. It must come from our own voices demanding not just equality on paper [in theory] but equality in life.
RC CHANGED EVERYTHING
Seventeen years ago, as a second-year law student, I was invited by my friend and RC leader to join the RC Community. At that time, I carried with me the usual worries and self-doubt of a young person navigating life with a disability and the pressures of study. I was determined, yet I often found it difficult to listen fully, connect deeply, or trust my own decisions.
Joining RC changed everything. Through consistent Co-Counseling sessions and the practice of discharge, I learned to release accumulated distress, uncover my natural confidence, and reconnect with the warmth and clarity that had always been within me. I discovered that every person, including myself, holds inherent goodness and intelligence beneath the layers of hurt.
This awareness transformed how I approach life, teaching me patience, compassion, and trust in both family and community. As RC reshaped my inner world, it also influenced how I carried responsibility in every role of my life. Motherhood brings both joy and challenge as I balance being a mother, a wife, and a leader. RC has taught me to release the stress and overwhelm that build up, and to reconnect with myself and my family.
RC also reshaped my sense of leadership. I used to measure leadership by authority or achievement. Through practice, I learned that leadership is about connection, mutual support, modeling care, and trusting others’ intelligence.
Today, as the Area Reference Person for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I carry these lessons into every aspect of my work. I organize workshops, support groups, and trainings, creating spaces where every member feels heard and valued. I encourage Co-Counselors to step into leadership, share their experiences, and build strong Co-Counseling relationships that continue beyond moments of distress.
Over the years, the RC Community in Ethiopia has grown not only in numbers but in depth, diversity, and inclusion. People who once felt isolated now find language for their experiences, confidence in their leadership, and belonging within a shared community. More people have joined recently: differently-abled persons, young people, teen mothers, women in leadership, and spiritual leaders—all bringing unique voices and experiences.
BUILDING, GROWTH, AND TRANSFORMATION
Today, we have ten constituencies, each with elected leaders and active members. Collaborating with the East Africa RC Region, we have supported our constituencies to deepen their engagement, share experiences, and model inclusion and care.
The differently-abled constituency holds a special place in my heart, not only because of my own journey but because I understand firsthand [from experience] the challenges we face. In Ethiopia, we often encounter barriers in public life, workplaces, and social spaces. Yet within RC, we find support groups where we can release accumulated negative emotions, reconnect with our natural confidence, and envision meaningful contributions to society.
These support groups empower members to be productive, reclaim their voices, and impact our country in ways that ripple far beyond the Community itself. Being differently abled myself, I understand the courage it takes to lead, the strength it takes to be heard, and the transformation that is possible when people are guided by care, connection, and shared purpose.
I have been intentionally developing this constituency by holding national and Regional workshops that focus on capacity building, mutual support, and leadership development. Partnering with the RC Community in Uganda, we will be conducting Regional workshops in Ethiopia that will bring together differently-abled members from across borders to learn, share, and grow together.
My journey has taught me that healing creates vision and inclusion creates strength. When people are supported to see beyond pain and limitation, they do not only transform their own lives—they help reshape the world around them.