04/04/2025
As Dr.Enatnesh Alemu has written it
My Journey from a Remote Village to Becoming a Medical Doctor
I was born as the ninth and last child of my family in a remote village in Ethiopia, where education was a privilege reserved for boys. In our deeply rooted cultural setting, girls were expected to stay home, help with household chores, and prepare for marriage rather than attend school. The idea of a girl holding a book instead of a cooking pot was not just frowned upon—it was unheard of.
But I was different. Or perhaps, destiny had chosen a different path for me.
The First Steps into Education
My fascination with learning began when I watched my brothers and other boys go to school while I stayed behind. Something inside me yearned to be part of that world. I wanted to read, to write, to understand the world beyond the narrow boundaries of my village. I knew education was my only way out.
Defying all odds, I managed to convince my family—or rather, I persisted until they had no choice but to allow me to attend school. I became the first girl in my family to receive a modern education. Walking miles barefoot, sometimes hungry, often discouraged, I never let the hardships dim my resolve.
Attending school as a girl was a constant battle. I faced ridicule, discouragement, and even threats. Some elders believed I was bringing shame to my family. Yet, I pressed on. With every lesson I learned, with every book I read, I felt closer to my dream.
Despite the challenges, I excelled in my studies. I knew that if I wanted to change my fate—and perhaps inspire others—I had to work harder than anyone else. And so, I did.
After completing high school with outstanding results, I set my sights on the most ambitious dream of all: becoming a medical doctor. The road was not easy. It required years of dedication, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment. There were times I felt exhausted, moments of doubt, but I never let them consume me.
After 17 years of education, I finally achieved what once seemed impossible. I became Alemu Ayele, a . The little girl from a forgotten village, the one who wasn’t even supposed to go to school, was now a physician—a healer, a symbol of change.
My journey is not just about me. It’s about the countless girls still trapped in the same cycle I broke free from. It’s about proving that education is not a privilege for a few but a right for all. Today, as a doctor, I carry the responsibility not only to heal but to inspire—to be a voice for those who are silenced, to be a beacon of hope for the next girl who dares to dream.
Because if I could do it, so can she.
