Saba Alemayehu is a relevantly new RPCV, returned in April 18’, and a new native to Atlanta. Although originally from Pennsylvania, she is accustomed to living in the South as a she received her undergraduate degree, in Biology, from Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. Shortly after, she transitioned back up to her Yankee roots and taught middle school and high school science. Feeling the need for a colder winter, she moved to Ithaca, NY to pursue her graduate degree at Cornell University. At the end of the her Fall 15’ semester, Saba left gorgeous Ithaca to become a Resilient Environment, Agriculture and Livelihood (REAL) Peace Corps volunteer in Amhara, Ethiopia.
During her Peace Corps service, she conducted assessments of the current gardening practices and techniques and created action plans to improve current gardening practices of the female farmer. Although officially assigned as a R.E.A.L volunteer, Saba has a passion for Gender Equality, as she held the National Coordinator position on the Gender and Development committee for 1.5 years and facilitated several gendered focused secondary projects. Including a collaboration with Wollo University's Gender Department, which she developed and facilitated a Life Skills workshop to first-year female students, with the objective to impart students with healthy decision-making skills to retain female freshmen. In her community, she also improved the condition of Menstrual Hygiene Management in the school system and at the district level through training and policy changes and also built new female latrines and dignity rooms at her local high school.
After her Peace Corps service, Saba returned to Cornell and graduated with her Masters in International Development, with a focus on Gender and Youth Empowerment. In September, Saba and her fiancé, another Ethiopia RPCV, moved to Atlanta. She is currently serving as a Youth Development Program Coordinator with GUIDE Inc. and oversees and coordinates youth development initiatives, strategic planning, management, and maintenance of ASYD Quality Standards and deliverables.