About Us
Our Goal
To provide direct care, rescue women and children in crisis. The IWCWC will provide housing, standard education and a skill training center. In addition to their basic needs, the center will provide psychological, physical and spiritual interventions.
The initial goal is to accept 100 women with or without children who are victims of unforeseen circumstances. We aspire to accept women from different regions of Ethiopia and in the future, the center will accept 10-15 women globally.
The residential setting will allow restoration of the women’s wellbeing by engaging them with in depth psychotherapy, skills training and academic training. We expect that most will finish high school while in the center.
The IWCWC will have the ability to incorporate therapists, motivators, and skillful professional into the center to speak from all over the world to encourage and motivate. We will establish strong connections to local and regional governmental organizations to help support the needs of the community.
The center will have a state of the art center in the city of Bahir Dar which is 305 miles from Ababa. The architectural plan has already been devised and will fill up to 20 hectares of land.
Meet the team
Kidest Babi
PRESIDENT
Kidest was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She came to the United States hoping to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. Due to financial difficulty, it was not possible for her to pursue a doctoral degree at the time. Nursing was her next choice, so she obtained a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Cal State University in Los Angeles. After practicing nursing for a year, she continued her education at UCLA and earned a Masters’ Degree in Nursing. Kidest then worked at LAC+USC medical center as a Geriatrics Nurse Practitioner. After few years of practice, she continued her education and received her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from Azusa Pacific University.
Kidest has worked for the County of Los Angeles, LAC+USC Medical Center, since 2001. As a Geriatrics Nurse Practitioner, she has specialized in Chronic Disease Management and Elder Abuse related issues. She is trained in the field of violence intervention and has testified in court cases on behalf of abuse victims.
Kidest will utilize her years of experience and expertise to help develop the programs at IWCWC.
Dagmawit Atnafseged
BOARD SECRETARY
I am a mother of three, working at an elementary school as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant. I work with students from preschool to fifth grade to facilitate communication under various, and sometimes challenging situations. I specialize in the use of communication devices with nonverbal students. I strive to create more equitable access to resources for students with disabilities and their families
Abiy Fikre Selassie
VICE CHAIR
Abiy has a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and a Masters Degree in Business Administration. His mission in life is dedicated to help those who are struggling In the community. Having served in the financial/banking sector for 24 years with expertise in process management/strategic and organizational planning he is the perfect fit this position. As Vice Chairman for IWCWC his professional skills and personal goals will be realized in giving back to Ethiopia
Nishan Tesfaye
BOARD OF DIRECTOR FOR DESTASH
Nishan is a healthcare practitioner specializing in respiratory care for over 16 years. She will lead the Destash Program for IWCWC which means Your Happiness. As a healthcare provider and mother of two girls she understands the physiological needs for female hygiene. Her creation of a re-usable cloth sanitary pad for girls and women in Ethiopia will help to expand their well-being and stay in school. This will also create marketable work skills marketable work skills for a girls future.
Seon Tadesse
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Seon graduated with a Business Marketing Degree from The University of California Riverside. Her experience and desire is to help women and children to thrive and become successful in life. The IWCWC has given her the opportunity and passion to join the organization in accomplishing her goal. Her academic background training and the numerous resources will be tools in teaching mothers and children to become the future entrepreneurs in Ethiopia.
Janet Lange Walusko
BOARD MEMBER
40 plus years professional interior designer specializing in commercial and high end residential design.
Projects located domestically and internationally including Mexico, India, Middle East, Caribbean, Hawaii, South Korea and USA
Jobs include hotels, casinos, retail, resorts, water parks, convention facilities, restaurants, yachts, educational facilities, corporate, health spa, high end residential
American Cancer Society Volunteer english and spanish
Numerous published works, awards received
Michael Walusko
Michael Walusco is a visionary designer. He worked on diverse U.S. and International projects in Space Planning, Codes / Regulations, and Construction documentation for 35+ years. Michael worked on High End Residential and Commercial projects, Resort Hotel and Casinos, to Restaurants, Spas, Entertainment Clubs, Convention Centers, Offices, and High End Residences. Michael is passionate to help others and excited to be part of this team. He is the main visionary behind the design of IWCWC-Ethiopia property.