Eyerusalem Negash is the first captain of the Ethiopian Women National Team. She is also the founder and Executive Director of Enquwa Tabra Women Empowerment, local nongovernmental organization (NGO). She has served as an Assistant Coach of the Ethiopian Women National Team (Lucy).
She was born and raised in an area named Le Gare, Addis Ababa. She has earned her first degree in counseling. She is married and a mother of two.
Eyerusalem is known for her boldness and firm stance to achieve the goals that she aspired for. She never slides any opportunity that leads her to her dreams.
As a quick learner as she had been while she was growing up, she used to enjoy playing football, studying and supporting her families.
Though she was privileged to be the last and spoiled girl in her extended family and enjoyed a better opportunities compared with her older siblings, she was not fortunate to follow her passion and do what she had aspired.
Given society’s blurred perception towards football profession, her families were more interested if she had chosen to become doctor or engineer rather than a football player. Thus, she was not allowed to join any football team in her surroundings.
Nonetheless, almost her entire childhood memories were filled with football. She fell in love with the career even before football was not more popular among her peers.
Unfortunately, the road to her childhood dream was not a bed of roses. She had to encounter so many challenges to join the national football team. If she had taken the path that her peers chosen, she would not have faced such challenges.
Her passion for football had never impressed let alone her families but also the people around her. However, instead of focusing on those pulling factors, she used her desire as well as her ability as a drive to push her to her dreams.
Since football is considered as male profession and there were no women who used to take trainings, she has sacrificed a lot. Though being the only women available on the training field felt special, she said that it has undesirable aspects as well.
At that time, people would assume that female football players should look and act manly. Due to this, she was forced to wear men clothes. Not only this, but Eyerusalem had to cut her hair and performed as how masculine act.
It is through such and beyond sacrifices that she became the first Women National Football Team Captain at the age of 17.
Going through all the difficulties by herself and becoming the team’s captain was the hardest but the proudest journey of her entire life, as to her. The success did not come by opportunity; she reached that point in her life and her career through hard work.
Though, she had been chosen as best football player and goal scorer for three consecutive years, her teachers were concerned that it would influence her academic performance in the long term.
Unfortunately, the concern of her teachers was not in vain. Since Eyerusalem gave her all to her success in football, she fell short on her academic performance and she could not score the pass mark in the entrance exam to University.
To the worst of the situation, she got badly injured while playing for Ethiopian Coffee Sport Club. Sadly, she had to say good bye to her childhood dream during the Ethiopian Millennium.
Leading her life that was only surrounded by football coupled with her masculine characteristics influenced her communication with her female friends and gets her problems off her chest. The 19 year-old Eyerusalem finally faced with the world where she could not hide herself behind football. She felt as if the world was crumbling in front of her; and felt lonely.
Though it was not too late, she regretted not giving equal priority to her education. She finally learnt how she was left out of other social lives and realized she could have led both her passion and education at the same time.
After she quit football, she made a habit of going to religious places. That is where she met the love of her life and the father of her two children. He was a pastor in the church she used to attend. After long time of companionship, they were able to get married for 12 years.
She said her marriage has brought incredible things to her life. One of such things; she was able to achieve the thing that she could not do in the past. Eyerusalem were able to retake the national exam and passed.
Being committed to her education, she also earned her first degree in counseling field and became the third year student of Evangelical Theology College. The fact that her husband believed in her, helped her to accomplish her education, she said.
As to her, her marriage is a blessing that showers her with plenty of marvelous things. She said those 12 years of her marriage takes the lion’s share for the success she has achieved today.
Eyerusalem used to watch a crime investigation stories on local media, accidentally, she was deeply touched by one of the stories that was broadcasted. Aside from her spirit of struggle and courageous character that she developed through her football profession, the saddening story she saw, laid a foundation for the establishment of Enquwa Tabra Women Empowerment organization.
Though she understands how women are mistreated in her country, especially compared with the rest of the world, she believes that she can do something about the problem. What she learned from her experience that would unveil the obstacles that most women go through was making male part of the solution as well as empowering women to follow their passion.
While Enquwa Tabra: ‘let the pearl shine’ has two meanings, in which the first meaning is taken to signify allowing women to follow their dreams and life call, the other meaning is to indicate women to empower themselves and become a ladder for other women.
At Enquwa Tabra, number of trainings is provided on social, gender and other essential issues. Under the program entitled ‘let us be a relative for Enquwa’, various programs would also be hosted to support economically weak women on special events such as holidays, she noted.
According to her, there is also another program called ‘Night of Enquwa’ which strong and constructive discussion that aims to identify challenges and provide sound recommendations is carried out. Moreover, talks are also hold as to how to engage their male counterparts in the process.
Enquwa Tabra prioritizes national issues and challenges of Ethiopian women and strives to address the existing challenges. “We boldly oppose those unrealistic extreme feminism stands and try to alleviate the hurdles of women.”
She went on saying: “Though most of us are made to believe establishing a family is a final destination in life, women should not restrict themselves from following their dreams whether they get married or not.”
She said she believes that fighting for the things that one believes in, educating oneself, not being afraid of failure and following passion are the best life principles that can shape and change one’s life for the better.
Her dream is creating visionary women who follow their passion and beam a ray hope for other women. By establishing Enquwa Tabra Women Empowerment, she has made her first moves towards it.
Though addressing 50 million women is her set plan, she has started her journey by empowering the women around her and those who take part in the company.
Finally, she expressed her appreciation for the people who have a great contribution to where she is today. More importantly, she expressed her deepest and heartfelt gratitude for her life partner for the unwavering support and encouragement he gave her to this day.
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 APRIL 2022
