Wengel Tessmea Ayalew

Wengel Tessmea Ayalew is from Ethiopia and has a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages and Literature and a master’s degree in Media Ethics. Wengel is currently working with an international organization as a Program Coordinator in Migration for development. The topic of migration is important to Wengel and to her country. Ethiopia ranks among the top five refugee host countries in the world and many young Ethiopians migrate to different parts of the world in search of a better life. Many young people go through illegal paths to make their dreams a reality without having the right information about their migration route and their intended destination country. Wengel Tessmea Ayalew is currently in the process of establishing an NGO that works to raise awareness about the reality of irregular migration and its impact on migrants using media, specifically community radio. Wengel applied for the Mandela Washington Fellowship because she wanted to develop skills and knowledge that will be helpful in the establishment of her NGO and also to learn from US organizations and individuals as well as other Fellows who are involved in similar fields.