Our newest intern and long time volunteer, Aden Abebe gives an account of her experience at this year’s Tsehai Conference in Washington D.C. Aden was chosen along with another YD volunteer (Samra Zeweldi) to accompany two YD staff to the conference, which was focused on Ethiopian youth in the diaspora:

Day 1:
10.20am we arrive in Washington DC with no more than 2 hrs of sleep and excited at the possibility now turned probability of reaching the conference in time for the 10.30 start of the youth panel, the only one that YD is featured. It all started off good, we caught a cab in 2 secs, seemed like luck was on our side, and our cabi whisks us off to George Washington Law School the 15 minute drive tolled $12 something and calls some total like $20 something, and I’m like ‘ these hustlers, you’ve got to be kidding me.’ Apparently there is something called extras; cause there’s 4 of us sharing a cab we have to pay for every extra person…….. Doesn’t that defeat the point of sharing a cab? Confused and feeling a bit ripped off we paid and made our way into the building wandering through the halls
…..FAST FOREWARD 10 MIN ……..
We realize we’re in the Law School Building of GeorgeTOWN University and not George WASHINGTON University, where we were now officially late for. 11.00am we walk to the main road very lost and disoriented by the gazillion elements to a single street location. Too tired to walk and even less energy to talk Samra staring straight into space, her head tilted a little back opens her mouth only once to say, “Do you know how easy it is for us to get robbed?” 4 young women 20-23 walking through the quiet streets of DC with their rolly polly luggage and Alpha’s jumbotron camera straddled around her shoulder, we couldn’t look anymore like tourists. We caught our 2nd cab, packed away our bags and rushed the driver, a Ghanaian who claimed to be Ethiopian Mr. Gondere took us to the right location. Standing at the curb our bags in hand Helena starts to feel heart palpitations, the special kind that only comes at the loss of your bag with your laptop documents, id, credit cards and passport. Completely stressed, our diasporic ‘Ethiopian’ brother hurriedly stashes her and Alpha in the car and drives back to the spot he originally found us. Waiting for them is a lady who found her bag, sitting on the curb calling every number on Helena’s cellphone she calls Alpha and she gets back ‘her life.’
Years later, reunited we entered trying to enter as quietly as possible we thoroughly managed to disrupt the proceedings; another victory for team YD.
Helena immediately takes to her seat on the panel as Elias gives us “sisters from Canada” a warm welcome and a strong introduction for our Executive Director. Spotlight oh Helena she explains and describes the basis behind YD; its creation, development, accomplishments and future prospects. That talk was looooong, and eye opening like you wouldn’t believe. All I knew of YD was Thursday’s afterschool program and summer camp but there’s a monstrous amount of things that happen behind the scenes. As I sat listening to her I grew increasingly prouder to be affiliated with it and yearning for more.
LUNCH BREAK
So we thought we’d be smart and despite our irrevocable hunger to delay gratification and take the time to check into the hotel, drop off our luggage and return refreshed. Out to the streets again, we hailed another taxi to 1731 New Hampshire Ave. To the desk clerk we go… she refuses to let us in. Again, having lost all chances of returning back on time apparently there were some legalities that weren’t processed on time and therefore allow us into our reserved rooms. No food, no shelter, no energy, and all sweaty our quality of life had been significantly reduced from Canada to America. We sat on the marble steps of the lobby for over 30min before it was negotiated for us to check in.
Lunch break well over we’re late again, hailed our last cab of the day back to the conference. Our 2nd attempt to tiptoe into the room, we found seats and in an effort to compensate for our horrid first impression we focused extra hard eyes locked on the speaker. 5 minutes later my eyelids are getting heavier, and I’m knocked out. I wake and look to Alpha whose head is bobbing back and forth she’s gone. Samra’s stomach is growling and its unanimous we need to go home. After lunch we walked home, all 13blocks. Longest and hardest walk of my life I strolled through a red light and subsequently yelled at by a cop, lost twice and
…..30 MINUTES LATER….
We’re home and in bed by 6.15pm.

Day2:
Dooms Day over, waffles and ice cream for breakfast, nothing could ruin that. Sunday’s conference was the best by far. Panel after panel it was nothing short of a mind blowing, an endless realm of educated discussions on real issues that aren’t brought up in day to day conversation; stimulating and engaging, listening to the topics and members of the panels really broadened my scope of vision giving me a new perspective of my own world and the possibilities in it. I couldn’t stop thinking of how awesome it is that I was here, that I had this opportunity to experience this conference, this city, and most importantly the amazing people turned friends that we were so fortunate to have met… you know who you are.

Perfect place for networking this was definitely the place to do it, it’s the whole purpose of the Tsehai Conference; where the conversation begins. Three people really stood out 1)Prof Andrew Lawrence 2)Dr. Tedla W. Giorogis, and 3)Mimi Alemayehou.

To describe Prof Lawrence he is simply the coolest guy; super tall, loud and the kind of funny where everyone is laughing but him; straight off the back he gives us his life story. His father, an international student from Ethiopia, mother came from an Irish white family. Boy meets girl, boy flies home, and girl discovers she’s pregnant. 1950’s being as it was, carrying a black love child wasn’t at the top of her family’s wish list and he was put for adoption. Flash-forward to now, he gives us a history lesson on the Ethiopian Italian war that would give my dad a run for his money.

2)Dr. Tedla W. Giorgis spoke on the American International Health Alliance, an organization that offers volunteers the opportunity to go back home and work in hospitals. Ideally recruiting medical professionals, I learned that positions are available even for students and youths who are looking to help. The best part is that they completely take care of you, room and board, cell phone, everything. If what you want is to help the people of your country and feel like you’re making a difference, they facilitate that. A wealth of opportunity.

3)Mimi Alemayehu a young immigrant to America she face all the challenges that us first generation (North American born Ethiopians) do with the constant battle with the future our parents see for us and where our passion leads us. She managed to prevail, working for the UN, and eventually on Capitol Hill. I was so awestruck I sat looking up at her, eyes widening, mouth open (not my finest moment) so happy to hear these struggles and successes that she’s gone through, I believe in the possibilities and potential we can posses.

We met Nahom Beyene that day my long lost distant good cusin-brother-nephew-uncle best friend from my mazers mazer side. Driving us to the restaurant all the youths from the conference met up filling the top level of the restaurant it was so cool to watch educated and socially conscience individuals in discourse trying to help the brother or sister they’ve just met the day before accomplish something simply because they can. 2 hrs later after dinner we check and realize it’s been 5 hrs since dinner. Homeward we went c/o Nahom who offered his transportation services to us for the entire duration of our trip, and we humbly and IMMEDIATELY accepted.

Day 3:
Monday was a fun day. Ms. Map Quest Samra Zeweldi and I went on a mission to buy groceries by following the marks on her special map. We literally walked in EVERY direction NORTH SOUTH EAST and WEST some directions twice until 1hr later a pedestrian looks at our map that’s missing an entire street, the one with the grocery store on it. We find shop and the cashier spits out the total, well over our budget she asks for some special membership card and ask her to take back our juice and magically our bill drops $10bucks we pay grab our bags and she gives me the juice, I give it back and she gives it to me again, so I just walk out like the woman in the IKEA commercial yelling “START THE CAR!” thinking I’ve stolen the juice but the guy behind us gave in his membership card for us when I was looking and as a result got special discounts totaling the $10 difference. OMG I can’t believe I’m gonna post this story on internet but you have to understand, that was the highlight to my day, and nothing could faze me because of that kind gesture that man did for us. Americans are nice, it was hard for me to accept but everyone I came across were extremely kind.
Fast forward to the more substantial part of the day I’d have to say the best part of the day was the workshop Helena and Alpha held for a small group of high school students and 2 college students who are leaders in their communities with big ideas. Working with these kids, we had the best time, shout out to everyone’s favorite chica Baiti a joker like no other. What was so cool about this wasn’t just that YD was working with youth in DC but the fact that they were there and somehow organized a workshop of the basics of developing a youth group because it means that YD has gotten to the point where they’re not longer new kids on the block but are growing into if not already reached the level of ‘seasoned professional.’ As fun as it was to be there, there was so much more joy that came with being able to watch some of what I can only assume are the numerous moments that contribute to the evolution of YD, and by YD I mean the crew behind the scenes.
After the workshop while chatting outside we witnessed a fight; a guy beating another dude to the ground and while hes down for like 5 minutes, our videographer buddy Markos caught it all on tape. The cops asked us if we saw anything

Day 4:
Sankofa + Aden = true love.
Sankofa is this amazing space, part bookstore, video store & rental, chill spot, meeting grounds, and café with a huge patio it’s unlike any habesha space I’ve ever seen. Best of all, it’s completely Afro centric in its design, style and products. It irks me because I don’t know of any way to give this place a description that will give it justice. Nonetheless we spent the day there in a meeting with some of our friends from the conference and Elias, Tsehai Conference Founder/organizer. We spent the whole day there, and got free soccer tickets for than night. Toronto vs. Maryland it was fated for us to attend, I cheered but it was hopeless 4:0 Toronto losses. Our heads hung low we made our way to the car and another day gone.

Day 5:
Helena and Alpha have an interview with Voice of America, an habesha radio station. The rest of us travelled the DC bus system, and discovered a little bit of consumer America by mid afternoon we all split paths. Nahom and I revisited Sankofa and stumbled into an amazing discussion on the relation of African Americans to Ethiopians, the definition behind these names that are so commonly thrown around and the weight behind these words in connection with the history attached to it. Leading the discussion stood Haile Gerima, filmmaker and owner of Sankofa, the rest of us sitting looking up to him as he speaks but more than able to interject, disagree and just speak as equals, it’s one of my favourite moments on my week. Later that night we went out and supported our new friends who happened to be performing. It was LIVE!

Day 6:
Our last day in DC we enjoyed being tourists, the pictures tell the story.
We ended the night at the soccer field, shopping and dance, it was cool day.

Day 7:
Fly Home.

Check out more info about the Tsehai Conference:
http://www.tsehaiconferences.com/2008/

Also, check out the Ethiopian Students Association International who hosted this year’s Tsehai Conference:
http://www.esai.org/myESAi/0