Born and raised in the town of Dilla, southern Ethiopia, Misrak grew up as the sixth of eleven siblings in a home that was always open for children. She was a shy and quiet child, one who never voiced her needs or feelings. Her academic performance was the only thing that set her apart and quietly earned her space and time to study. Her family ran a small shop, which she helped manage. She recalls how her silence worked against her – she couldn’t find the courage to ask her school friends to settle their debts for items they took from the shop. It was then she learnt the cost of holding back and that her silence should not last long.

Misrak completed her primary and secondary education in Dilla and went on to study Home Science and Technology at Hawassa University. At the university her world began to expand. She built friendships, gained confidence, and saw a glimpse of the potential she possesses. She quickly became one of the top-performing students, and upon graduation, was recommended for a role with Self Help Development International. She was soon hired as a Women’s Program Coordinator.

Misrak began working directly with rural women on economic empowerment initiatives. As she learned more about the work, she could relate to many of the challenges the women face. For the first time, she could apply both her lived experience and academic knowledge in service of others. She also found a mentor in her supervisor, who guided her growth as a professional and leader. It was also during this time that she married and embraced motherhood adding on another layer of responsibility.

During her decade long service at Self Help, Misrak earned a BA in Economics from Unity University while also raising a child. The demands were intense, but she emerged stronger, more focused, and deeply aware of her own resilience. At work, she saw many women gain their independence through the project but she also noticed a troubling pattern – despite receiving training and support, some women would revert to old patterns, unable to sustain their newfound independence. This ignited in her a desire to create a meaningful lasting impact.

With that desire she moved forward and joined the Italian Cooperation as an Income Generating Activity Officer in Addis Ababa. Surrounded by professionals who were confident in their communication, Misrak initially felt outshone. But she rose to the challenge, refined her skills, picked their technological skills, and gradually found her voice. “I used to be easily influenced by others,” she reflects, “but I learned to assert myself, speak up, and hold my ground.” Debate, once a source of anxiety, became an opportunity for growth.

Her next chapter took her to the Organization of Women in Self Employment (WISE), a leading force in women’s economic empowerment in Ethiopia. It was there Misrak stepped into her first formal leadership role, a brief but transformative experience that reshaped her view of leadership. Soon after, she joined Sasakawa Global 2000 as a Program Officer where she had the opportunity to work with experienced professionals across the country. With the support of her husband in raising their children, Misrak also pursued her Master’s in Social Work at Addis Ababa University and graduated in 2017.

In 2019, Misrak joined her current organization, The Hunger Project Ethiopia as a Project Officer and is now the Project Manager of the “Right2Grow” initiative. The initiative involves a consortium of eight organizations focused on advocacy work to end undernutrition. Misrak is the only female representative in the consortium at the national level. She is responsible for coordinating between grassroots partners, regional governments, federal ministries, and community leaders. She wears many hats: implementer, advocate, and liaison. In doing so, the once quiet girl from Dilla became a powerful voice in national policy conversations.

Misrak’s leadership contributed to bringing the issue of undernutrition to the forefront of duty bearers and regional agendas. “Undernutrition is not just a health issue,” she says. “It’s an administrative and structural one.” She believes creating a conducive environment for multi-sectoral collaboration is the only way to alleviating undernutrition by 2030.

Misrak’s greatest challenges came during a time of national conflict when resources were running low and time was of the essence. Misrak didn’t back down. She travelled tirelessly across the country, meeting with high-level officials and advocating to keep the Right2Grow project alive. “Of course, fear may be present,” she admits. “But I work despite it.”

Through every stage of her journey, Misrak has remained a continuous learner. She spends her spare time upgrading her skills through workshops and trainings. Her experience in the Haset Leadership Program—an initiative by the Packard Foundation, developed by Emerge Plc, and implemented by AWiB—marked another transformative milestone. It helped her master the art of giving and receiving feedback, setting clear priorities, and finally letting go of the pressure to fulfill every social expectation. “Learning to say no was powerful,” she shares. “It gave me back my peace.”

Misrak’s greatest accomplishment lies not in titles or achievements, but in the transformation of the women she has empowered. Her eyes light up when she speaks of the rural women who are now financially independent, socially confident, and even politically active in their communities. She celebrates their journey as deeply as her own.

Today, Misrak stands as a leader & role model. She believes leadership is about lifting others up, creating space for different voices, and transferring power by encouraging shared decision-making. She’s a mother of three, and her eldest daughter, a bright student recently received a scholarship abroad, already setting an example for her younger siblings.

“Don’t give up in the face of obstacles. Learn, redirect, and keep moving” Misrak advices the youth. She also urges young women to shed limiting beliefs, take risks, and speak up because it was only when she did that, she began to make an impact.

Misrak is grateful for having crossed paths with the AWiB community and she asserts that there are thousands of women like her searching for such a space – “Keep going!”

AWiB thanks Misrak for carving out time for this interview.

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