Meron Menwyelet (Uganda)

Meron Menwyelet (Kinawataka Women's Initiatives - KIWOI): Meron was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and grew up in Colorado. She graduated cum laude from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and studied abroad in Amman, Jordan. Prior to graduate school Meron worked in the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization at the U.S. Department of State. At the time of her AP fellowship, Meron was pursuing a Master of Science in Foreign Service at Georgetown University, with a concentration in international development. She also served as president of the Africa Forum at Georgetown. After her fellowship, Meron wrote: "The field experience I gained was very valuable and relevant to my academic focus on women's empowerment; economic empowerment; and civil society capacity-building in sub-Saharan Africa. I saw first-hand the challenges of operating a local NGO in a developing country and was inspired by the persistence and dedication of my host organization to achieve their goals. I definitely learned a lot about myself."