By May
My name is May which means Dew in Arabic. My name is in Arabic because one of my grandfathers is Arab, specifically from Yemen. I live in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I am a Human Resources Assistant at Includovate. I value my work because it serves a bigger purpose to society.
I started working at Includovate as an Administration Support Officer. Within six months, I requested to move in Human Resources. I wanted to get into Human Resources because it gives me an opportunity to impact various parts of the organisation, and assist the improvement of our employees workspace, and to have an influence in various key business decisions.
I think reading is very important for the mind and is underestimated especially in our generation which is very focused on social media. I try to encourage my friends to read books. I discuss the books I have read with them and my perspective on different topics. I am very interested in feminism, justice and equality. My favourite book this year is The Four Agreements by Miguel Don Ruiz because it is written so simply. It advises readers to Be Impeccable With Your Word; Don’t Take Anything Personally; Don’t Make Assumptions and Always Do Your Best. These guidelines appeal to me as does this quote: Anything you lose from being honest, you never really had to begin with”.
Mental health concerns are wide running, and some are more manageable than others. Regardless of whether somebody is dealing with anxiety, depression, etc. When an individual goes through this, they need support from their leaders and colleagues. Accordingly, mental health awareness is significant in an inclusive workforce, particularly in light of the fact that there is a stigma around this topic and individuals don’t have a sense of security opening up. I think it is fundamental to give individuals a safe place to be open and vulnerable about their struggles. I have experienced depression several times in my life; as a teenager and an adult. Every day was another day that I had to drag myself out of bed. Nothing made me feel excited or happy. I would go to sleep to escape from life and not to actually rest. As a teenager I did not know it was depression. When I got older I realised clearly what I was going through. Most times I did not want to wake up the next day. Now, when I go through rough times I remind myself that everything is temporary. Nothing is forever in this life; so I embrace everything — the good and the bad.
My aim in life is to be genuinely happy and seek to improve myself spiritually, financially and mentally. Nobody but myself motivates me to achieve this. I think the main challenge I face to being happy is getting caught up with life so much that I become overwhelmed. I try to prevent this by taking a break, redirecting my thoughts and talking to my close friend.
My work has extended my thoughts on gender equality. I have learnt that there needs to be so much more work done for women especially in Ethiopia. Women are vital to the economic development of Ethiopia. By empowering women through more access to educational opportunities and finances, this results in better economic development for the country. As women with economic resources and power over significant decisions tend not exclusively to profit themselves yet in addition to their families and communities. I enjoy learning and growing, and Includovate gives me this opportunity.
About the Author
May is an independent and self-motivated business graduate with experience in data analysis, extended essay writing, communication, and management. She is seeking to apply to her skill set while she furthers develop her business acumen and knowledge to new and exciting challenges in the business industry
Includovate is a feminist research incubator that “walks the talk”. Includovate is an Australian social enterprise consisting of a consulting firm and research incubator that designs solutions for gender equality and social inclusion. Its mission is to incubate transformative and inclusive solutions for measuring, studying, and changing discriminatory norms that lead to poverty, inequality, and injustice. To know more about us at Includovate, follow our social media: @includovate, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram.