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Biography of Dr. Diriba Gonfa “ Dirribaa Gonfaa”

Introduction Dr. Gonfa's biography is a well-crafted narrative of his life journey. It highlights his achievements, struggles, and contributions to society. This biography is a testament to his determination, hard work, and resilience. It showcases the different phases of his life, from his childhood to his academic pursuits, professional career, and involvement in community service. Dr. Gonfa’s biography is a remarkable account of his dedication to making a difference in the world. Dr. Gonfa is a father of four wonderful children, and a skilled Disease Surveillance Investigator II, and a US Army Veteran with over 8 years of experience in civil service. He provides expert scientific support in the field of public health and has a proven track record of working efficiently both independently and in a team. He is a dedicated social servant and an active member of the local community. He has worked in various paid and volunteer roles to support underserved populations, providing access, social support, and overall success. Dr. Gonfa has a doctorate in Health Science with a global health concentration from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University in Boston, MA, and a Master of Science in Applied Molecular Science or Biotechnology from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. Achievements

Dr. Gonfa believes in the principle of gradual progress through consistent achievements. He defines achievement as obtaining something you have never possessed before. Therefore, everyone's achievement is unique and distinct. Dr. Gonfa also argues that what one person considers an achievement may not be the same for others since everyone's starting point in life is different. He describes his achievements simply and chronologically. Having been born in a poor rural area of Oromia, obtaining a successful education has been a game-changer and a key factor in his transformation. Diriba is immensely grateful to his parents for making sacrifices and working hard to provide him and his siblings with the opportunities that they have today. His parents did not receive a formal education, but his father is well-versed in reading, writing, and speaking of Ethiopian national language known as Amharic. Owing to his natural abilities, Dr. Gonfa's father Shobe Gonfa was the leader or chair of his kebele for 12 years during the Mengistu Haile Mariam regime. Dr. Gonfa admires his father’s vast knowledge and intelligence, despite not having had the chance to attend school himself.

Struggles

Like other rural Oromia children, early life was extremely difficult and full of uncertainty. It is important to understand the background of a person's name and how it relates to a person's culture, achievements, and struggles. Dr. Gonfa is the fifth child of his mother Bokashe Gonfa, and the seventh child of his father who had two children from a previous marriage. He was born and raised in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, in the East Wollege Zone of the Horo Guduru district, in the rural kebele of Dacha Chabir. As a child, he worked on farming to support his parents. He then attended Sekela Elementary School, walking barefoot every day from his family's residence to the school, and completed his 1-8 education at this school. Dr. Gonfa describes his life as ordinary and there are mixed feelings about his childhood. He finds it challenging to talk about his childhood years in grades one to eight truthfully, as they were not the happiest times. However, due to his father's love and appreciation for education, he made it his life's mission to send all of his children to school, even though his eldest sister had to drop out because of their mother's passing. Literarily, Dr. Gonfa emphasizes that society often places a higher value on education without being aware of what it takes to succeed Growing up in his community, education was highly valued for its potential to shape one's future. However, learning was often limited to attending school and returning home to participate in farming duties. Despite this, the memories of his experiences in elementary school remain vivid for him. One memory, in particular, stands out - a vast, abandoned field.

Early Life and Positive Contributions

Dr. Diriba Gonfa was born to Shobe Gonfa and Bokashe Gonfa, his father and mother respectively, in the Horu Guduru district of the east Wollega Zone. He attended elementary school in Sekela from grades 1 to 8 before moving on to Shambu Senior Secondary School for high school from grades 9 to 12. During Dr. Gonfa's time in school, there were limited high schools in the East Wollege zone. As a result, Shambu High School acted as the primary school for all neighboring local districts, including Jaret Jardaga, Guduru, Fichaha, Abay Choman, Dongoro, Gutin, and more. Dr. Gonfa found his last year in school to be overwhelming. A total of 1,564 regular students sat for the Ethiopian Schools Leaving Certificate Exam (ESLCS), but only a few, 102 to be precise (including students with diplomas and degrees), received high entrance grades for higher education at that time. Dr. Gonfa graduated with distinction from Shambu High School and enrolled at Mekelle University Faculty of Business and Economics in 2002, where he earned his undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Arts in Economics, in 2006. Dr. Gonfa won a diversity visa (DV) Lottery in 2006, which granted him a visa to immigrate to the USA. Before moving to the USA, he lived with a role model and worked hard to bring about ideological changes that transformed his community’s youths. He fully supported his family by engaging in agriculture-related activities and community youth coordination for economic growth. Dr. Gonfa also served in various student leadership roles, including as the chair of the English and Afan Oromo club, Biology department club, polio vaccination coordinator, Dacha Chair Student Association chair while in Shambu High School, and the Oromo Student Movement chair for the Faculty of Business and Economics at Mekelle University.

Life in America

Dr. Gonfa is deeply grateful for the life he leads in America. He has no complaints about his experience living in the USA. He believes that if you are healthy, you have the potential to achieve great success in America. Life here is based on the principle of the free market, so it is up to you to determine the extent of your abilities and drive. Dr. Gonfa is honest in acknowledging that life is not always easy, but with determination and a constant willingness to learn, someone who is healthy can achieve the American dream. Like many immigrants, arriving in the USA without a solid understanding of the English language can be challenging, but with resilience and determination, anyone can fulfill their true potential. Achievement or success in life varies from person to person. For a farmer who was born and raised in rural Ethiopia, life in Amharic is the perfect place. He is grateful and content with the success he has achieved. In his first year of arrival in America, he centered his attention on himself and his family. He prioritized supporting his siblings and relatives who needed help by investing heavily in his father's life and his sibling's education. After one year, Dr. Gonfa began his trajectory toward his future career. He believes that life is about getting the right advice from the right people. Although all the information you receive may not directly help you achieve your dream destiny, it instills hope and aspiration to reach there. Dr. Gonfa also found that most people he met during his initial days in America were few, and their information was reserved, general, and often fear-driven, which hindered them from acting. The diaspora’s Oromo community organization in Pennsylvania was not strong enough to provide community services due to the unstable geopolitical atmosphere in the native land. As a result, most Oromo diaspora were preoccupied with their concerns and were unable to provide useful information to newcomers looking to improve their lives. The absence of a robust community organization in Philadelphia has negatively impacted newcomers like Dr. Gonfa. In response, he has devoted his time to community organizing and volunteering to enhance the visibility of Oromo immigrants to local resources and authorities. He actively participates in community engagement and panel discussions to empower the Oromo community organization of Pennsylvania. For five years, he served as the vice president and later as the president of the Oromo Community Organization of Pennsylvania (OCOP).