Kalkidan Getaneh Ayele

Kalkidan Ayele has over three years’ experience in disabled and deaf women’s empowerment and HIV/Aids prevention particularly. Currently, Kalkidan is a manager for the Ethiopian National Association of the Deaf where she focuses on promoting sign language and advocates for a better life for the deaf in Ethiopia. Kalkidan Getaneh Ayele manages different projects and monitors the overall work of the association. Kalkidan holds a master’s degree in Gender Studies from Addis Ababa University, where she focuses on gender and disability issues and their impact on the employment opportunities of deaf women and youth. Upon completion of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, Kalkidan plans to continue her work with the association by focusing on the challenges of the deaf in Ethiopian society. She aims to find solutions through different projects, advocacy works and networking with similar organizations for the better life of the deaf in Ethiopia.