HOPE Field Staff: Our Muluneh, leading the charge!
Introduction
Muluneh is the Livelihoods Coordinator at HOPE Ethiopia's Field Office. He leads the implementation of the Self-Help Group (SHG) Program and the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WaSH) Program on the ground with the help of the Project Officers who report to him.
His job includes providing training directly to local communities, monitoring their progress and supporting them in several aspects, including in the setup of local committees in conjunction with the authorities.
Read more about our SHG Program »
Background
Muluneh brings with him his passion to serve that is evident through his many years of experience in the SNNP Region in the fields of Community Development as well as in Humanitarian Assistance, including a short stint as the mayor of a small municipality.
Born in a farming village and raised in Chano Dorga, a local community near Arba Minch, he is very familiar with the struggles that many remote communities face, and is especially sensitive to the needs of women and children.
Meeting HOPE
After graduating from a teacher's college, he worked as a high school teacher in South Omo. This was when he came into contact with an USAID school development project, where he served local communities in developing their school infrastructure and expanding educational opportunities for girls, to ensure the children receive a quality education.
Ever since then, he has worked at several NGOs where he honed his skills and developed his knowledge to serve local communities and support the most vulnerable, which eventually led him to the SHG program. It was while he was a Project Manager at another NPO in Ethiopia that he first met HOPE, who brought him in as a consultant to train the SHG groups at HOPE’s project sites, one of which included his very own community of Chano Dorga.
Working with HOPE
It has been five years since he joined HOPE. "What I found attractive about HOPE is their work in remote areas, and the life-saving work that they do for women and children", he said. "My passion is to serve, to transfer knowledge to those in need who can benefit from it."
Over the many years, he has seen changes in many communities, in people's lives, their livelihoods and in women. "Before HOPE goes into a community, it is like they are in the dark. The villagers' clothes are threadbare, their homes are unkempt. Our work is to train the community to get into the work habit, to encourage them to work, especially the women who have no means of income, and teach them to become economically independent. It is satisfying to see these women’s lives transformed through our program, to see them eventually be able to buy school uniforms for their children, upgrade their grass houses to iron-sheet roofs."
Challenges & Future
Muluneh's work in the field with local communities keeps him away from his family for a large part of the year, who are always in the back of his mind. "My family is very happy with my work," he beams with a smile. "I often share with them about the things I do." However, Muluneh is still keen to continue his work and is eager to see more communities develop and transform.
