Amsale Mulugeta (79) leads a life characterized by dedication and a deep determination to give something back to society. Today, the dual citizen lives in two worlds: In Switzerland with her family and in her home country of Ethiopia.
Amsale Mulugeta was allowed to attend school as a child. Around seventy years ago, this was a privilege that few girls in Ethiopia had. Her father, who worked at a school himself, had high hopes for her future: “One day you will work in the Ministry of Education and help all those who need it,” he once said to her. These words have shaped Amsale Mulugeta to this day.
Her education gave her a life of security and independence – a gift that she wants to pass on: “Ethiopian society made my education possible. Now I want to contribute to improving the lives of those who are less fortunate.”
After studying social work and community development and gaining her first professional experience in Ethiopia, Amsale Mulugeta led a successful professional life in Switzerland: she worked in international cooperation for over 25 years. One focus of her work was the intercultural field. She later became Program Officer for the Horn of Africa and then specifically for Ethiopia.
Together with her husband, with whom she came to Switzerland, she started a family many years ago. She is the mother of three children and now the grandmother of three grandchildren.
As a program manager in International Cooperation, Amsale Mulugeta regularly travelled to her home country, especially to the rural areas of Ethiopia. There she saw first-hand how difficult living conditions are for many people: “Back then, I swore to myself: I have to keep at it!” This decision was the beginning of a significant life’s work.
In 2007, the dual national moved back to Ethiopia – with a clear goal in mind: to create education and prospects for disadvantaged young people and women. Amsale Mulugeta founded the non-profit organization Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), an initiative that places education, women’s empowerment, environmental protection and community development at the heart of its work.
In Ethiopia, four to five million young people are looking for work every year. To counteract this, ESD provides young people with practical vocational training inspired by the Swiss model: 70 percent practical and 30 percent theoretical training. The training programs last three to nine months, depending on the profession. Every year, around 3,000 young people are given the chance to break out of the poverty spiral through vocational training.
One of ESD’s flagship projects is the Solar Learning Ethiopia project initiated jointly with Solafrica, which has already trained 500 young people as solar specialists over the past five years. “Ethiopia is often referred to as the ‘country with 13 months of sunshine’,” says Amsale Mulugeta, “but the sun is still not used enough.” This is set to change.
In the next phase of the project, a further 300 unemployed teenagers and young adults will be trained in solar technology and small-scale entrepreneurship over a period of three years. During the practical training, the trainees will install solar systems at eight vocational schools and eight public hospitals. “Through the installations, people see how well solar energy works and the young people learn a profession that offers them prospects,” says the founder of ESD.
The graduates then provide around 30,000 people in rural areas with access to energy. Amsale Mulugeta says with a smile: “I am always thrilled when I see young people installing solar panels. For me, there can be no better motivation than providing light to people in the dark.”
For Amsale Mulugeta, her work is much more than a profession – she lovingly describes her non-profit organization as her “fourth child”. With projects such as Solar Learning Ethiopia and her tireless commitment to education, equality and sustainability, she has given shape to her vision: She has changed the lives of countless people in Ethiopia and sown hope. The legacy she is creating with her work will live on and inspire generations to come.
“I want to see change – in the children, the young people, the mothers and society,” says Amsale Mulugeta emphatically. “That is my goal.”
