“I want to correct the image about Ethiopia and Africa.”
Name: Ayalew Kassahun
Profession: Researcher and Lecturer, Information Technology Group (INF), Wageningen University
Country of Origin: Ethiopia
Lived in the Netherlands since: 1993
After studying Engineering and Hydrology, Ayalew came to the Netherlands in 1993 where he studied environmental sciences and IT. After having worked for prominent IT companies, he started working at Wageningen University as a specialist in agri-food supply chains.
In 2018, he was sent by IOM on a three-week assignment to his native Ethiopia to provide training to staff and students at the request of Wollo University. “Knowing the language and culture makes it easy for me to introduce the very latest technological knowledge in the agri-food sector to Ethiopia. During my mission, I noticed that many of the university graduates could not find a job in the business world. Ethiopia has successful agri-food companies, but not enough. That is why I am now also trying to encourage Dutch companies to invest in the Ethiopian agricultural and food sector.”
“Ethiopia has a large agricultural sector, and the introduction of modern techniques can greatly increase the return on investment in for example potatoes. New investments will offer new opportunities for the younger Ethiopian generation who are very motivated to get involved.”
“For me, enabling this interaction between the Netherlands and Ethiopia is what Connecting Diaspora for Development is all about.”
photography by Kristie Wernink
Dossier Diaspora Inclusion – A Colourful Conclusion