Elizabeth in Ethiopia

She’s 26 years old and she has already changed the world. Maybe not the WHOLE world, but she’s definitely had a transformative impact on her little part of it, and that’s pretty remarkable none-the-less.

Her name is Elizabeth and she lives in a tiny village in the Afar district of Ethiopia. When I met her, she was 24 and the world-changing was already underway.

She didn’t always live in the Afar region. She grew up in Addis Ababa, the large bustling capital city of Ethiopia.  A few years ago, much to her family’s dismay, she said good bye and moved 700 kilometres away to a remote village (that couldn’t even be called a village at the time) in the middle of the desert where she knew no-one and didn’t speak the local language.

The water diversion system

When she moved there, at the tender age of 22, Elizabeth took on the improbable task of leading a team of 70 skilled labourers (all but one are men) and hundreds of un-skilled villagers in the building of a major water diversion project. She had little experience in leadership and she’s introverted by nature, but she had a university degree in development and somebody saw something in her that made her (and them) believe she was capable of doing the job.

There were a lot of road bumps along the way, but a few years later, when I visited, it was evident that Elizabeth was just where she was meant to be.  Ask anyone around what impact she’s had on the region, and they won’t hesitate to expound on the wonders of the water-diversion project she lead her team to build.  An arid area now grows lush vegetables thanks to a canal system diverting water 5 kilometres from the river. 

New crop of onions

Local villagers have plenty to eat and enough to sell in the market.  People who once led a nomadic impoverished lifestyle because they had no choice but to follow their animals from one watering hole to the next now have regular access to water and have built a village close to the water source.  The village sports a tiny story where locals buy soap, fabrics, and other household goods.  An innovative entrepreneur has built a profitable business with a generator and television that he charges the neighbours to watch in the evening when the work is done.

One of the greatest transformations though is the school.  A tiny school that only saw 2 children come through its doors when Elizabeth first arrived now has 64 students, due in large part to the fact that their families no longer have to live nomadic lifestyles.  It was clear in the way the young school girls followed her around that Elizabeth was serving as a powerful role model for what their future could be.

Young girls in the village

Equaling the impact on young people is the impact Elizabeth’s leadership has had on the status of women in the region.  The locals had never allowed women to hold positions of leadership before, but after Elizabeth demonstrated what a woman is capable of, things began to shift and now 2 women sit on the water users’ committee, one of the most influential committees in the region.

When I asked Elizabeth why she stayed in such harsh circumstances, far from her home and family, in an area that is unforgiving in its heat and aridness, among people she didn’t know and with whom she had little in common (she’s one of the very few Christians in a largely Muslim region, and her western-style clothing shows how different her life has been to this point), she told me in her quiet way “When I first arrived, I met with the men in the region to explain how we could help their people get regular access to water. They told me in that first meeting ‘if it is run by a woman, it will never work. Women can’t think.’ When I heard those words, I knew I had to stay and prove them wrong. I often felt I was in over my head, but I believed I was doing the right thing.”

Elizabeth

“I love my country,” Elizabeth told me, when I asked why she’d pursued a career in development. “I know we are capable of great things. But we must first ensure that our people have enough to eat. If Ethiopia has any hope for the future, it has to be in its own people.”

It’s been a couple of years since I met Elizabeth, but her story frequently comes up when I tell stories about people who have found something they’re passionate about and gifted in and are willing to make sacrifices to follow their calling.  We can all learn a lot from Elizabeth.

First, the bad news:

- Following your calling can be lonely and isolating. Elizabeth now has one young female friend at the work site who has become her confidant, but for years, she kept mostly to herself.

- Announce to them that you are taking radical steps to follow your calling, and there’s a good chance your family will think you’re crazy and try to stop you.

The complex where Elizabeth & her team live

- Sometimes, you will have to make great sacrifices (live in harsh circumstances, leave your family behind, and give up a lot of what’s been important to you) to pursue what you are passionate about.

- Despite your belief in the value of what you’re doing, the people you long to help may not welcome you with open arms. They might even intentionally throw roadblocks in your way.

- You may not feel at all ready to take on a task, but someone who believes in you may push you further than you ever dreamed you’d go.

But there is some good news:

- Even if you’re young and inexperienced, you can make a significant difference in the world.

- If you persevere and demonstrate value in what you bring, the naysayers may eventually be your greatest converts.

- While you think you’re just bringing water to a village, you may be changing the whole fibre of the region, elevating the value of education and raising the status of women.

- You don’t have to reach the status of “expert” to make a difference – just start giving what you have and the rest will follow.

- People may tell you that your gender, your religion, or your age will keep you from doing what you set out to do, but there’s a good chance they’re wrong. You may manage to shift their belief system if you’re stubborn enough.

Sometimes, when I get discouraged and think that what I’m doing can’t possibly make any difference and there are way too many obstacles and naysayers in the way, I remember Elizabeth and I renew my resolve.

Tweet This Post