We are excited to share with you about Woinshet (Weyni) Mekuria, the AJ Home Program Coordinator.
Helping others and advocating for the people in her community is her true passion. Empowering children, young girls and youth in general provides her enormous gratification, and her current role at AJ allows her the unique privilege to indulge in all the above.
Recently, our team sat down with her and asked her to share about her life and her role so you can get to know her.
Would you be willing to share about your family?
My Name is Weyni, and I live with my parents. Fasil is my brother.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and what led you to work with Addis Jemari?
My background is a bachelor’s in social anthropology, which I received at a university outside of Addis Ababa. Before I came to AJ, I used to work for the government of Ethiopia, almost in a similar position to the one I am now in. I joined AJ about three years ago.
What do you love about working for Addis Jemari?
There are so many things that I love about AJ. The first thing is that I don’t feel like I’m coming to work. AJ is like a home and a family. I feel like AJ is my second home because all the relationships we have with the staff and the beneficiaries are not like we have in a normal work environment. When you feel a work environment is just a work environment, you leave everything behind the moment you leave the gate.
What’s something you have noticed that has changed since working at AJ?
There are so many things that have changed. For example, the number of staff. Before, we did not have that many staff, but now we don’t have a shortage and have what we need in terms of staff. There are also changes in the number of beneficiaries that we serve. Throughout the years, we have been able to bring additional girls to the home. There is also growth in the number of services that we are providing. So, I feel good about all the changes.
How do you see your role impacting the community and the individuals you work with?
Impacting the girls, even with the behavior and the challenges they face, I feel like I am a good example to them both inside the house and outside the community. There are so many things that I share with them. When they go out into the environment or in the community, I stand for them. I stand not only for the AJ girls but also for all vulnerable kids out there in the community.
Outside of work, what are some of your interests or hobbies?
I enjoy reading books. When I have a hard day, I like going to the cinema alone, and I like to watch movies and always feel better.
What is one thing you want our AJ Family to know about Ethiopia?
Everyone from the US who comes here loves many things and leaves happy. They like the environment, the food, and the people who are so welcoming. Beyond that, however, there are a lot of people who need help, particularly children. As you may have observed, there are a lot of kids on the streets, so the need is much if someone wants to help. Yet, Ethiopians have a lot of things to be proud of and show around.
Your support and prayers make it possible for Weyni to serve in her role as AJ Home Coordinator, and we’re grateful you have the opportunity to get to know more about her and her passion for serving the girls who are in our care.