Diaspora Forum

Newsletter 12

The Difference that the Diaspora Can Make

Ethiopian Diasporas can participate in many areas and fields of development endeavors. Among the most important areas of development, the education sector is a significant area. Diaspora Ethiopians can see the education and training of Ethiopians back home as a unique, attractive and lucrative investment destination. Education and training are backbones for investment, progress and prosperity; therefore, focusing more on this sector is vital to both the Ethiopian Diaspora and their country of origin. If Ethiopia is to become a major agricultural, industrial and manufacturing nation competitive not only with its neighbors but also internationally, tens of thousands and even millions of its citizens need to be better educated, better trained to meet international standards and be as a result more competitive in the international  or global market. The globalized market place requires an ever increasing number of knowledge workers.

          Therefore, Ethiopians must be educated and trained at all levels to the highest international standards.  Knowledgeable and trained worker is Ethiopia’s best asset, best investment and best import and export. Therefore, Diaspora’s contribution and collaboration in the education and training field is not only important but also paramount.

            Diaspora Ethiopians can help create business entrepreneurs, can ran professional training institutes.

            The government has done a very commendable job in the education sector and as a result primary school enrolment which was 29% fourteen years ago and has now won reached close to 70% nationally.  

               However, government, the private sector and especially Ethiopian Diasporas have to play a significant role in order to help this country in its effort to be self-reliant in all sectors. The government must encourage the Diaspora Ethiopians to establish more international standard colleges, universities and even basic schools in this country.  The government must also act like a facilitator to encourage the establishment of more world standard educational and training institutions in Ethiopia. Further, government must encourage competition and allow parents to choose the best schools for their children. This will foster competition and raise the quality of education being offered as well as the number of good educational and training institutions available for public use.

          Ethiopian Diasporas must learn to form companies and joint ventures with indigenous as well as international investors to help overcome some financial constraints. Diaspora Ethiopians must learn to share the ownership of the pie so that a bigger pie can be created, which in turn will give larger returns to them and their country of origin. It should be noted however that as investors, they have to have a long term vision in order to build and create wealth. 

             Ethiopian Diasporas in collaboration with the Ethiopian government, their country of origin, the private sector and indigenous as well as international NGOs can make or create wealth. There is a big opportunity for Diaspora Ethiopians in variety of sectors in Ethiopia be it in education, health and tourism industry.  Most importantly, the Diaspora can come home as investors temporarily or permanently or they can invest from where they are. They can come as teachers, trainers and investors in the education sector. They can come and see the whole area of education and training as a very lucrative investment opportunity and have the private sector take on a major portion of the responsibility to educate and train young people at every sector in Ethiopia’s education system.

           The reward for Diaspora Ethiopians can be substantial in financial terms and immeasurable in social and international terms. There are enough investment opportunities in Ethiopia in which Diaspora Ethiopians can make their wealth. In doing so, Diaspora Ethiopians can bring rapid progress in communication technology in Ethiopia with new opportunities for networking and enterprise; and perhaps above all, increasing the numbers of Ethiopians in the Diaspora reconnecting to their home land in imaginative new ways involving creative “peer to peer” development strategies.

          All these transformations are bearing fruits in the ways Ethiopian Diasporas nurture the relationships of accountability embodying practices of obligation, respect, responsibility and mutuality that underpin their connection to each other.

            Recently, Ethiopian Engineers in Washington DC held a meeting and discussed engineering sector capacity building program in Ethiopia. The Participants set up an ad-hoc committee that would facilitate networking among professionals to enable them engage in development endeavors at home.

          Likewise, Ethiopian Diasporas must combine their efforts to bring about a positive change in their country of origin.

           Thus, while they individually or through their community organizations still direct bulk of remittance money to Ethiopia, they can send the remittance through official channels and more collectively. There is a rise of remittance flows over the last few years from African Diasporas including Ethiopia. Generally, Ethiopian Diasporas show a lot of jubilation wherever they are when our great athletes win in athletic competitions; they put their political differences aside and enjoy the festivity together. In the same way, Diaspora Ethiopians must show their collaboration, dedication and commitment to help their country of origin together putting their political differences aside. The same way they enjoy and become very proud waving the Ethiopian national flag when our great athletes win, they can also be proud of contributing to poverty reduction and other development endeavors in their country of origin.