Education:
I obtained my B.A. degree from Addis Ababa University and my Advanced Diploma in International Law from The Institute of Social Studies in The Hague City, Holland.

Country of return:
Holland

Years abroad:
7 Years

Date of return to Ethiopia:
Late 1995

Why did you return to Ethiopia?
I always wanted to return to Ethiopia. An advertisement for the Return of Qualified African Nationals (RQAN) program I saw in the Economist magazine increased my desire to return.

Are you satisfied with your decision?
Yes I am because it was a well thought move. With or without the RQAN program I would have returned to Ethiopia.

How do you like your stay in Ethiopia?
Because I had experience working in Ethiopia before I left the country, it was easier for me to settle in.

What constraints do Ethiopians face when trying to return home?
When Ethiopians return from abroad they expect to be accommodated at a somehow comfortable level. And salaries in the country are too low to afford an expensive life style. For those who want to invest the not conducive investment atmosphere discourages them to return. Therefore they need some kind of incentive to overcome such problems.

How was your return to Ethiopia facilitated?
IOM paid for my transportation, found me a rental house which I’m still residing in, gave me allowance, found me a job with a private law office, and lent me money to open my current legal firm in partnership with other lawyers.

Current place of employment:
Private legal firm

Current position:
Lawyer

Major accomplishments since returning to Ethiopia:
I’m working on projects that will soon be active.

Do you have any plan to go back abroad?
No I don’t plan to go back. Because, while living abroad despite the material gain, most of us feel psychologically empty.

What do you recommend to Ethiopians who want to come home?
I think it is better to move back home and settle down while young rather than returning back when we get too old to struggle.

How helpful, do you say, a website will be in the decision making of Ethiopians when planning to return home?
A website might be helpful in sharing information. But, a website alone wouldn’t tempt Ethiopians to come back home. The decision has to come from inside and they must be presented with incentives to help with their decision.

Do you have any suggestion for the website?
The website should be able to encourage the diaspora on how they could be helped if they get back. They should be informed on opportunities and incentives to encourage their work spirit.

Any additional comments:
As I said before, hearing testaments from former returnees or information provided to them will not urge individuals to return. Personality and encouraging situations play a big role in the decision-making. There are many Ethiopians abroad who are ready to return back home and all they need is encouragement.

Education:

• BS in Pharmacy from Addis Ababa University
• MSc and PhD in Food Science and Nutrition from Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
  
  Country of return:
• Sweden
  
  Years abroad:
• 6 years
  
  Year of return to Ethiopia:
• 2000
  
  Why did you return to Ethiopia?
• I wanted to use the knowledge I gained abroad towards the development of Ethiopia
  
  Are you satisfied with your decision?
• Despite the obvious decrease in the life standard (such as lower income) and the obstacles I faced when changing environment, I am here to contribute towards the development of Ethiopia.
  
  What constraints do Ethiopians face when trying to return home?
• Lack of financial resource and/or of the right connections in Ethiopia to get employment discourages them to return back home. The situation on the ground is not conductive to implement the knowledge gathered abroad.
  
  How was your return to Ethiopia facilitated?
• IOM helped me financially by covering my transportation and a 3 months allowance to help me settle down. IOM also helped me technically by contacting the Ethiopian Science and Technology Commission, the Ministry of Economic Development and Cooperation (MEDaC), and the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI) to guarantee me an employment.
  
  Current place of employment:
• The Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute
  
  Current position: 
• Head of the Food Science and Nutrition Department
• Nutrition lecturer in the Department of Community Health at Addis Ababa University
  
  Major accomplishments since returning to Ethiopia:
• Helped in the preparation of a 42 Million Birr capital proposal for the Institute
• Served as chairperson of the Research and Ethical Clearance Committee, EHNRI
• Organized as a chairperson a workshop dealing with the research activities of the institute for the last five years
• Founding member of the Food Science and Nutrition Network for Africa (FOSNNA), which encompasses 4 sub-regional coordinating offices in Morocco, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, and Kenya
• Elected as Regional Coordinator of FOSNNA at the Tanzania Nutrition and Food Center regional conference held in Tanzania
• Member of Quality Protein Maize Project Management Committee for Eastern, Central and Southern Africa
• Served as chairperson of the 24th African Health Sciences Congress that took place in Addis Ababa
• Organizing as chairperson a Conference  dealing with the 2nd African Food Science and Nutrition Conference that will take place in Addis from Nov 28 to Dec 2, 2004.

Research works:

• Conducted a research on Quality Protein Maize (QPM) for human consumption, the first in its kind in Ethiopia. An initial experimentation was performed on animals after which the maize was introduced to farmers in the highest maize consumption area. 180 farmers in this area are cultivating and consuming this variety of maize. The study focused on monitoring growth of the children who have consumed this maize
• Conducted a research dealing with the nutritional adequacy of relief foods in drought affected areas of Ethiopia
• Conducted a research on the association of malarial with nutritional status in Metehara
• Conducting a research to develop suitable process technology to prepare high quality injera and bread from QPM
  
  How helpful, do you say, a website will be in the decision making of Ethiopians when planning to return home?
• The use of a website to disseminate information to Ethiopians living abroad is a good idea. And the creation and use of a skills database will be very helpful in identifying Ethiopian skills abroad
• One of FOSNNA’s proposed activities is actually a database preparation of research institutes, higher learning institutions and researchers, food processing and related industries. Such data will assist them to a certain extent to know what is going on currently
  
  Do you any suggestion for the website?
• To avoid the communication of unreliable and outdated information to the Diaspora, it is necessary the website be kept up-to-date

Education:
BSc and MSc in Mechanical Engineering and PhD in Physics

Country of return:
USA

Years abroad:
23

Date of return to Ethiopia:
July 1996

Why did you return to Ethiopia?
I felt I am needed here more.

Are you satisfied with your decision?
Yes

How do you like your stay in Ethiopia?
Very much.

What dconstraints do Ethiopians face when trying to return home?
Housing, dealing with the bureaucracy such as custom. 

How was your return to Ethiopia facilitated?
Over all mine had less complication than others since the University was cooperative in dealing with most of the problems.

Current place of employment:
Addis Ababa University

Current position:
Associate Professor

Major accomplishments since returning to Ethiopia:
I gave seven years of service to the University and I have trained students in my area of expertise.

Do you have any plan to go back abroad?
Yes.

If yes, why?
For short-term research visits.

What do you recommend to Ethiopians who want to come home? Before they move they should have their own place. Should identify and secure employment or business. If those with, children they should secure school. They should be prepared to face at least one-year adjustment period.

How helpful, do you say, a website will be in the decision making of Ethiopians when planning to return home?
It will help a lot.

Do you have any suggestion for the website?
No.