Name: Dejene Gemberu YigruCountry of origin: Ethiopia
In Ukraine since 1988
Profession: economist
Residence city: Kyiv
— Ethiopia is my motherland, Ukraine is my home. I have spent half of my life in this country. I have a family and a child here. I want my child to be happy here. I am pleased to live in Ukraine. Of course, I am facing a lot of challenges, but the most important thing is the ability to overcome them. One simply needs time and patience to do it.
Dejene came to Ukraine in the Soviet times on an exchange program to study at the National Economic University, from which he graduated in 1993 with a degree in Economics. At that time, Ethiopia went through a change of power, and it was dangerous for him to return. So, he decided to stay in Kyiv, where he, together with his wife, went into business. Eventually, due to certain difficulties, they had to close their store. Precisely at that time Dejene, as a true Ethiopian, decided to launch an Ethiopian coffee project. At first, he worked as an overseer in a coffee roasting department, but gradually he realized that he wanted not only to control a part of the process, but to do everything independently. In order to fulfill his dream, Dejene approached UNHCR, where he received a grant to procure the necessary equipment. At the end of 2011, he and several other workers founded their own, albeit small, company. Despite the fact that a lot of time is needed for the enterprise to start working at its full capacity, Dejene believes in success and does not regret about his decision to settle in Ukraine.
In the future, he plans to expand his enterprise and hire his compatriots and other refugees to help them settle in a new country and regain faith in themselves.