Summary of Volunteer Assessments Ethiopian Diaspora Volunteer Program

NEPID requests that each volunteer chosen for the program answer questions about the experience for the benefit and evaluation of the program and to ascertain any changes that might improve the program.

Of the first 8 respondents, all were born in Ethiopia except for one born in New York but who moved to Ethiopia at the age of 2, remaining there until age 16 when returning to the U.S. to pursue a University education. The duration of the volunteer assignments lasted from one month to one year. While some volunteers have lived only in Ethiopia and the United States, others also lived in Canada, France, Switzerland, UK, Bangladesh, Sudan, and Tanzania.

On a scale of 1-10 (Ten being the most difficult), each volunteer was asked to rate the smoothness of the transition to life in Ethiopia. The average assessment was a score of 3, thereby indicating that the transition was not a particularly difficult one. One respondent indicated that it was very easy for him but very hard for his family as they didn’t want to move.

On a scale of 1-10 (Ten being the most satisfied), each volunteer was asked to give an indication of their satisfaction with their placement in terms of how it matched up to their expectations before arrival. The average assessment rating is 9; thus, proving that the experience to be an overwhelmingly positive one. Interestingly, one respondent gave a rating of 11 indicating that he was expecting much better working facility and environment but that, in reality, it was much worse than he expected. He went on to state that “However, I enjoyed that fact because when I saw how bad the situation was, I wanted to help develop it. Anybody who has high expectations will be sure to fail or be disappointed.”

• Location in Ethiopia and the ability to come back to one’s own country and the amount of responsibility for capacity building to improve on the current system.
• The possibility to contribute.
• More respect was given as a volunteer being placed by the Twinning Center rather than hired directly by the agency in which he worked; coming from a reputable organization helped to make the adjustment smoother.
• The ability to work with a plethora of people. The fact that it is a volunteer placement means that there is room for innovation and creativity.
• The fact that the volunteer joined his project at the implementation stage was very interesting and challenging and she felt that she could really make an impact on the successful launch of operations. In addition, she enjoyed traveling to health centers and hospitals where she was able to have first hand experiences of the challenges and successes of fighting against HIV/AIDS.
• Being able to contribute to the Ethiopian people, knowing more about the country and people, gaining more work experience.
• The work the volunteer was doing because she felt that it will make a difference and it is one thing I have anted to do from the time I settled in a foreign country. The people in the host institution were very willing to help her.
• The volunteer experience was very interesting in that his assignment is related to his specific profession.

• Transportation to and from my home to the work place.
• One volunteer indicated that it was too early to tell as he hadn’t completed the assignment.
• There was little direction but the person is a self started and contributed in any way that he could even if it wasn’t necessarily in his scope of work.
• The bureaucracy in Ethiopia about HIV/AIDS and the slow internet connections hinders progress at work.
• Trying to get things done because of the bureaucracy involved in that it is difficult to get things done without government approval.
• Compensation, quality of facilities, bureaucracy

• Prepare yourself to tolerate a variety of things/problems/people. Don’t compare the system to the U.S. or any other country. There are many layers to any situation and issue and a lot of gray areas taking time to adjust.
• Make absolutely sure your placement institute is willing and able to facilitate the executive of the Scope of Work.
• Be patient with the bureaucracy. The culture is different so remember to be culturally appropriate. Being an Ethiopian in the Diaspora is different than being a Diaspora living in Ethiopia so be prepared to be treated as such.
• Interact with all people and don’t be arrogant. Embrace other opinions.
• Be open and reactive and try to establish a good rapport with staff who have a lot of experience to share. You must be a self starter and not expect a lot of direction. Have a positive approach and people will be positive too. You can’t change anything overnight but you can bring positive change and new energy and also learn from local staff.
• Understand and explore the working conditions of health facilities and the work environment in Ethiopia. Be aware of peoples’ culture, social values and religious differences.
• Have patience if things do not move as much as you expected – and don’t be discouraged.

• This is a program that should continue as it has a double advantage. It gives people in the Diaspora (those who plan to move or not) an opportunity to experience working in Ethiopia and evaluate for themselves what it means to come back and work here, the ups and downs, etc. without actually moving. Secondly, it helps to reverse the brain-drain as the work done on a voluntary basis is done by Ethiopians themselves who know the people, the culture, etc. and have the knowhow.
• The work is not easy; but, if it were, it would not have been necessary. So, keep at it!