Help Me Build the Bridge Home: Ethiopia Repatriation Initiative

I’m traveling to Ethiopia this October but getting there is only the beginning. I’m raising support to stay on the ground for 2–3 months to build relationships, identify real opportunities, and help create a pathway for members of our diaspora who want to establish a meaningful connection with Africa.

My name is Empress Makalani, and I serve as the Interim Recording Corresponding Secretary of The Ethiopian World Federation, Inc. Local 49 (Mehal Sefari).

This October, I will travel to Ethiopia as part of the Ethiopian Pioneer Project led by SABLE, representing Local 49 as part of our broader repatriation initiative.

I will be spending time in Addis Ababa and Shashamane, connecting with members of our community and exploring the realities and possibilities of building a stronger bridge between our people in the diaspora and Ethiopia.

THIS IS MORE THAN A TRIP.

The purpose is not simply to visit Ethiopia.

The purpose is to learn, connect, document, and build.

While there, I intend to:

• Build relationships with community members and organizations

• Connect with our EWF family and other people already established in Ethiopia

• Research communities, land, agriculture, housing, business, and investment opportunities

• Explore practical pathways for people interested in repatriation or establishing themselves in Africa

• Identify potential partnerships and resources

• Learn directly from people already doing the work on the ground

• Document what we discover; including the opportunities, challenges, costs, and realities

• Bring that information back to our community so future efforts can be based on knowledge rather than assumptions.

We cannot build a bridge to somewhere we have never taken the time to understand.

That is why time on the ground matters.

A short visit can show you a place.

Several months can allow you to build relationships.

WHY I'M ASKING FOR HELP

My goal is to remain in Ethiopia for approximately 2–3 months, depending on available resources and the needs of the initiative.

The challenge is simple: I need to be able to sustain myself while I am there.

Housing, food, transportation, communications, research-related travel, documentation, and unexpected expenses all become part of the cost of remaining on the ground internationally for an extended period.

Every dollar raised helps remove one more financial barrier between me and the work.

Your contribution may help cover:

• Housing and accommodations

• Food and basic living expenses

• Transportation within Ethiopia

• Phone and internet access

• Travel connected to meetings, research, and relationship building

• Documentation and communication about the initiative

• Unexpected or emergency expenses

• Continuing necessary financial obligations in the United States while I am away

These aren't the destination. They're what make the work possible.

WHY THIS MATTERS

There are many people in the diaspora who talk about returning to Africa.

Some want to visit.

Some want to invest.

Some want to relocate.

Some want to build businesses.

Some want land.

Some want community.

And some simply want to know whether there is actually a viable place for them to begin again.

But before we can tell people "come home," we need people willing to go there, learn, ask questions, build relationships, investigate possibilities, and report back honestly.

That is what I am going to do.

I don't want to sell anyone a fantasy about Africa.

I want to help uncover what is actually possible.

If an opportunity is real, I want our community to know about it.

If there are obstacles, I want us to know about those too.

If something doesn't work, I want to understand why.

And if we discover people, organizations, businesses, agricultural projects, communities, or resources that can help us build something lasting, I want to establish those connections.

THIS JOURNEY IS BIGGER THAN ME

I may be one person traveling to Ethiopia, but I am not going for myself alone.

I am going as a representative of a larger vision:

Building stronger relationships between the African diaspora and the continent.

Creating practical pathways toward repatriation.

Exploring economic and community development opportunities.

Connecting people who are already doing the work with people who want to become part of it.

And documenting the process so others don't have to start completely from zero.

The ultimate goal is not for one person to make a successful trip.

The goal is to help create a foundation that makes it easier for many more people to follow.

HELP KEEP ME ON THE GROUND

If you believe in this mission, I'm asking you to become part of it.

You don't have to give a large amount.

$10 helps.

$25 helps.

$50 helps.

$100 helps.

If you cannot donate, sharing this campaign is also valuable.

And if you are able to sponsor a specific expense; such as housing, transportation, communications, research travel, or documentation, that support can directly help keep the work moving.

I will also be sharing updates from the journey so supporters can follow what is being discovered, who is being connected, what opportunities are being explored, and what it actually takes to begin building this bridge.

ONE PERSON CAN START A JOURNEY. A COMMUNITY CAN BUILD A PATHWAY.

This October, I am taking the first step.

I'm going to Ethiopia to learn, connect, investigate, document, and build relationships that can outlast the trip itself.

If you believe our people should have stronger connections to Africa…

If you believe repatriation should involve more than conversation…

If you believe economic cooperation and community development can create real opportunities…

If you believe someone has to be willing to go first…

I’m asking you to help me go, and help me stay long enough to do the work.

Help me stay.

Help us build.

Help us build the bridge home.

With appreciation,

Empress Makalani

Interim Recording Corresponding Secretary of The Ethiopian World Federation, Inc. Local 49 (Mehal Sefari)

SABLE

Ethiopian Pioneer Project / Repatriation Initiative