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YEP, The Case for Bigger and Unified Networking Platform Featured

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Over the years, a large number of Ethiopians have been able to successfully integrate into American society. Today, they are making important contributions to the American economy, culture, and history.  However, every success story is not without its challenges. 

Almost every person who came to this country at any age went through some type of culture shock and faced difficulties in settling down and establishing, progressing or changing a career. Indeed, it is very difficult to navigate through the multilayer and complex system of the United States without the right exposure to useful information, connections, and resources.

To overcome these challenges that our community faces, a variety of professional groups, non-profit organizations, and student associations have been working on creating opportunities and connections so that their members in specific trades or interests have access to professionals, useful information, and resources. 

Yet there is still a gap for a broader platform for the Ethiopian diaspora across all professions to connect, share experiences, learn from one another, share valuable resources and pursue community development initiatives.

Here is where Young Ethiopian Professionals (YEP) comes in. YEP was created in 2009 to fill this gap by bringing the Ethiopian diaspora in one networking shell and creating opportunities that makes it easy to have access to each other. Since YEP came into existence, it has taken a number of steps to fill the gap that existed between aspiring mentors and young professionals, among professionals in different fields, and between professionals and  new comers,  the business society, and the larger Ethiopian community. 

First, YEP has created a successful networking platform among diverse professionals of the diaspora in the Washington metropolitan area. In the past year and half, YEP has organized over 20 events, which include inviting successful Ethiopians from diverse background as guest speakers who could be models to aspiring professionals, facilitating panel discussions, sharing resources, and organized learning excursions and recreational events. Second, YEP has collaborated with established groups and organizations to strengthen each other’s work and connect our members who seek to participate in volunteering and a variety of community initiatives with these groups and organizations. Third, YEP has engaged its members through social media such as meetup, Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn and YEP’s website.

The next step is to expand YEP’s networking platform beyond the Washington metropolitan area. Once we are able to effectively mobilize our community to take advantage of its resources, YEP envisions a community that fosters success and growth to ultimately support Ethiopians whether they live abroad or in Ethiopia.

We are determined to create a community with the strongest possible networking platform that helps us to be visible as a people abroad and also as a community that makes a substantive difference to our people back home. That’s our vision and we invite you to join us. YEP, Let’s Do it Together! 

Mesfin Getaneh

Founder and President of YEP

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Last modified on Saturday, 29 December 2012 20:28

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