Medhanite Ashenafi, Our First Voice, My Father, & Ethiopia’s Defense

Many years ago, when I was a little boy living in Teaneck, New Jersey several Italian American kids in my neighborhood started bullying me. Later that evening, I told my father about the bullying after he returned home from work, I remember him sitting me on the living room sofa and telling me how Ethiopian forces years back had repeatedly repelled the Italian army who were attempting to invade Ethiopia.

At that young age, I really didn’t know who the Ethiopians were, but I did know they were brown people, and I certainly knew Italians weren’t brown. And I fully understood why my father told me about the successful Ethiopian resistance.

I can’t recall the outcome of my bullying experience; my family moved away from Teaneck, but I’ll never forget how much better I felt after my father told me about the Ethiopians.

From Ethiopia, a land that has never been conquered by a European colonial power, Medhanite Ashenafi has the distinct honor of being our first Voices Of Africa platform ‘Voice.’ She has also graciously allowed us to lend her image for our initial marketing efforts. I kid with Medhanite telling her, “She is the face of Voices Of Africa.”

Please welcome Medhanite to our family and wish her the best in her career pursuits as a researcher, photographer, and social activist! Medhanite’s biography appears below written in her own words. Without a doubt, there’s a great future in store for this dynamic young lady.

Medhanite Ashenafi is a skilled research coordinator and photographer with over a year of experience in both disciplines.

As a research coordinator, she is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing research projects, ensuring they run smoothly and are completed on time and on spec. Not only does Ms. Ashenafi have a proven track record of successfully coordinating research projects of varying sizes and complexities, but she is also skilled in leading diverse stakeholders.

Ms. Ashenafi has a deep research methodology, data analysis, and report writing understanding. She is also committed to producing high-quality deliverables that have a positive impact on society at large.

As a portrait photographer, Ms. Ashenafi brings her creative vision to life through stunning visual storytelling. She has an eye for detail and a unique ability to capture the soul of her subjects and their stories. Further, she is quite astute in putting her subjects at ease while shooting, which always results in a more natural and authentic photograph.

In addition to her research and photography work, Ms. Ashenafi is passionate about volunteering; she regularly donates time to the ‘Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health’ and ‘Hult Prize AAU’ where she serves as a team coordinator.

Ms. Ashenafi holds a BA in Social Work from Addis Ababa University and regularly takes professional development courses to stay current with research and photography topics.