{"id":74662,"date":"2026-10-15T22:55:56","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T19:55:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fawe.org\/?p=74662"},"modified":"2026-10-16T10:21:34","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T07:21:34","slug":"from-hawassa-to-harare-meet-agernesh-mekonnen-the-young-ethiopian-woman-turning-skills-into-safe-water-and-sanitation-for-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fawe.org\/en\/from-hawassa-to-harare-meet-agernesh-mekonnen-the-young-ethiopian-woman-turning-skills-into-safe-water-and-sanitation-for-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"From Hawassa to Harare: Meet Agernesh Mekonnen, the Young Ethiopian Woman Turning Skills Into Safe Water and Sanitation for Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At the 3rd Africa Skills Week 2026 in Harare, Zimbabwe, one young woman’s quiet determination spoke louder than any speech.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In a world where young women are too often told to wait their turn, Agernesh Mekonnen decided to take hers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A student of Water Supply and Sanitation at Hawassa Polytechnic College and a proud participant in the \ud835\udc05\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc16\ud835\udc04\/\ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc12\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc03 \ud835\udc05\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc14\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc03\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc0d \ud835\udc12\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc03 \ud835\udc02\ud835\udc07\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc04 \ud835\udc0f\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc07\ud835\udc16\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc18\ud835\udc12 \ud835\udc05\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc11 \ud835\udc08\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc12\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc03 \ud835\udc00\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc12\ud835\udc12 \ud835\udc13\ud835\udc0e \ud835\udc13\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc18 \ud835\udc04\ud835\udc03\ud835\udc14\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc0d \ud835\udc05\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc11 \ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc06\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc0b\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc19\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc03 \ud835\udc18\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc14\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc06 \ud835\udc16\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc0d \ud835\udc00\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc03 \ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc0d \ud835\udc0f\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc06\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc0c, Agernesh arrived at the 3rd Africa Skills Week 2026 in Harare, Zimbabwe, with a simple but powerful purpose: to learn, to share, and to connect. What she found there would change the way she sees herself \u2014 and her role in Africa’s future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My experience at the 3rd Africa Skills Week 2026 was inspiring, insightful, and enriching,” she says, her voice carrying the warmth of someone who has just discovered a continent of kindred spirits. “I had the opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from different perspectives, and understand the importance of equipping young people with relevant skills to meet the changing demands of the job market.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 3rd Africa Skills Week brought together young people, professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders from across the continent \u2014 all united by a shared conviction: Africa’s future depends on its ability to develop, nurture, and unleash the skills of its youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Agernesh, the event was more than a conference. It was a mirror. A window. A doorway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It broadened my understanding of the role of skills development in promoting employment, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic growth across Africa,” she reflects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it was also deeply personal. As a young woman studying water supply and sanitation \u2014 a field critical to public health, dignity, and development \u2014 Agernesh knows firsthand that skills are not abstract. They are the difference between sickness and health. Between struggle and dignity. Between a community that survives and a community that thrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout her time in Harare, Agernesh distilled several key insights that will guide her path forward:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Skills must go beyond theory.<\/strong> “Skills development should go beyond theoretical knowledge and focus on practical skills, innovation, problem-solving, and lifelong learning,” she says. It’s a lesson she carries back to every classroom, every project, every community she serves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Collaboration is essential.<\/strong> “Collaboration among governments, educational institutions, the private sector, and young people is essential for creating sustainable solutions to unemployment and skills gaps.” No single actor can solve Africa’s challenges alone. It takes all of us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Digital transformation and entrepreneurship are pathways to opportunity.<\/strong> In a rapidly changing world, embracing technology and entrepreneurial thinking is not optional \u2014 it is essential for creating livelihoods and improving lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Learning never stops.<\/strong> “The experience enhanced my understanding of the importance of continuous learning, digital skills, innovation, and adaptability in today’s rapidly changing world.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agernesh is not content to simply absorb knowledge. She is determined to share it, to apply it, and to multiply its impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I plan to apply these lessons by continuously upgrading my skills, sharing the knowledge and insights I gained with others, and seeking opportunities to participate in initiatives that promote skills development, youth empowerment, and entrepreneurship,” she explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her future work, she hopes to encourage practical learning, collaboration, and innovation \u2014 helping young people identify and develop skills that respond to real-world challenges. Ultimately, she wants to use her experience to contribute positively to her community and support broader efforts to build a skilled, innovative, and empowered African workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I hope to use the experience and knowledge gained from Africa Skills Week 2026 to contribute positively to my community and support broader efforts to build a skilled, innovative, and empowered African workforce,” she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Voice for Young Women in Skills Development<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Agernesh’s story is particularly significant in a continent where young women often face barriers to education, training, and leadership. As a participant of FAWE Ethiopia \u2014 an organisation dedicated to promoting gender equity and equality in education \u2014 she embodies the belief that investing in girls and young women is not just the right thing to do. It is the smart thing to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When young women like Agernesh are given access to skills, mentorship, and opportunity, they don’t just transform their own lives. They transform families. Communities. Nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I am very happy to be here to learn, share experiences, and connect with people from different African countries,” she said upon arriving in Harare. And that openness \u2014 that willingness to learn from others, to build bridges, to see herself as part of a larger continental community \u2014 is exactly what Africa needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Takeaway: Skills, Water, and the Future of a Continent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Agernesh Mekonnen’s journey is a reminder that Africa’s development will not be built by policies alone. It will be built by people \u2014 skilled, determined, collaborative people \u2014 who see challenges and respond with solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Agernesh, that means bringing safe water and sanitation to communities that need it most. It means using her skills not just to build a career, but to build dignity. It means sharing what she learns so that others can rise with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And it means believing \u2014 with every fibre of her being \u2014 that young African women are not just participants in Africa’s future. They are its architects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As she returns to Ethiopia, Agernesh carries with her more than new knowledge. She carries a renewed sense of purpose. A commitment to lifelong learning. A vision of a continent where every young person has the skills to build a better life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 3rd Africa Skills Week 2026 may be over. But for Agernesh Mekonnen, the real work \u2014 and the real impact \u2014 is just beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agernesh Mekonnen is a student of Water Supply and Sanitation at Hawassa Polytechnic College (Ethiopia) and a participant in the \ud835\udc05\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc16\ud835\udc04\/\ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc12\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc03 \ud835\udc05\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc14\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc03\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc0d \ud835\udc12\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc03 \ud835\udc02\ud835\udc07\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc04 \ud835\udc0f\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc07\ud835\udc16\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc18\ud835\udc12 \ud835\udc05\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc11 \ud835\udc08\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc12\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc03 \ud835\udc00\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc12\ud835\udc12 \ud835\udc13\ud835\udc0e \ud835\udc13\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc18 \ud835\udc04\ud835\udc03\ud835\udc14\ud835\udc02\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc13\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc0d \ud835\udc05\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc11 \ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc06\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc0b\ud835\udc08\ud835\udc19\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc03 \ud835\udc18\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc14\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc06 \ud835\udc16\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc0d \ud835\udc00\ud835\udc0d\ud835\udc03 \ud835\udc0c\ud835\udc04\ud835\udc0d \ud835\udc0f\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc0e\ud835\udc06\ud835\udc11\ud835\udc00\ud835\udc0c. She is passionate about skills development, community health, and youth empowerment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is part of our series spotlighting young African changemakers participating in the 3rd Africa Skills Week 2026. Follow us for more stories of skills, innovation, and transformation across the continent.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

\n\n\t\t\n
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