Firew Konjo Aba

Firew Konjo Aba has over seven years of experience in community-based tourism, including handicraft development. Currently, Firew is a founder and general manager for a local handicraft company. He preserves the culture of traditional weaving and protects natural forests through social enterprise. Firew Konjo Aba holds a bachelor’s degree in hotel management from Hawassa University in Ethiopia. He aims to grow his enterprise from a small scale business to a medium and large scale industry that will supply a large share of products for the export market and create employment for poor people in the region. Upon the completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Firew plans to continue his community work with a focus on promoting women’s entrepreneurship through training.