Salam! My name is Zelalem and I’m incredibly excited to have been selected as an official VSO Digital Ambassador representing the volunteer movement right here in Ethiopia.
I hope that you follow me on my journey of championing change for our communities, both locally and worldwide. Make sure to keep an eye out on my page to see what activities I’ll be taking part in to raise awareness on the issues that matter to me most.
About me
All my life I’ve grown up in Addis Ababa, which if you didn’t know, is the capital of Ethiopia. I’m currently finishing my studies in social work at Addis Ababa University, which has been a lot of hard work but something I’ve really enjoyed.
You might be able to tell just from my choice of studies, but I’m incredibly passionate about giving back – especially to my community. This stems right back to my childhood, where I always found myself being part of school clubs and taking part in other community engagement activities with the local Scouts club. This really gave me a taste for volunteering and connecting with others.
Now as a 24-year-old, I feel like these experiences have made me more dedicated to creating change on a greater scale. I first joined VSO as a Youth Panellist on the Make Way project, which aims to break down the barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
Through this work, I’ve been regularly advocating for young people and persons with disabilities through social media to reach as many people as possible.
As well as this, I am currently the Chief of Party for the Network of Active Youth (NAY) working directly with VSO which now has over 200 members. I can’t wait to continue campaigning as a VSO Digital Ambassador!
Ask a question
I’d love to answer any questions that you might have about my work! My passions are around advocating for youth empowerment, sexual and reproductive health (SRHR), disability rights, and wider community development.
Make Way
Everybody, including those who are most marginalised, should be able to realise their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). SRHR are human rights, that allow people to make informed decisions about relationships, their bodies, family planning, sexuality, and wellbeing.
Our five-year programme (2021-2025) aims to break down barriers to SRHR by promoting a new way of looking at and organising SRHR issues, through an intersectional lens.