ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2025
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. This year, 60,000+ young leaders applied to join the Class of 2025 on 7,000+ campuses across 170 nations. 290+ campuses worldwide (less than 5%) were selected to host the 4,500+ Millennium Fellows.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT HAWI TEKALIGN GENETI, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2025.
Haramaya University | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Advancing SDG 17, SDG 4 & UNAI 2
" Learning new things fascinates me. Meeting new people and learning from their experiences is an opportunity I always value. The Millennium Fellowship not only offers the two but also extends to a global level where I could learn from young bright minds across nations. I'll be acquiring skills, collaborating with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, and contributing to the development of the United Nations Sustainable Goals. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: The Light House Project
This project provides short-term training for health students at Haramaya University, equipping them with skills to conduct reliable community-based research on mental health. Through a strong focus on experiential learning, students will gain both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience by identifying local mental health issues, assessing barriers to care, and proposing actionable solutions. Collaborations with stakeholders will support meaningful interventions, while trained students will act as peer trainers and join ongoing university research, promoting sustainability and a culture of evidence-based action.
Measurable Goals (Aug–Dec 2025):
1. Train 30+ health students in research skills.
2. Guide participants in conducting community-based mental health studies.
3. Identify barriers to mental health care in Harar and propose interventions.
4. Collaborate with local health institutions to implement interventions.
5. Establish a peer network to expand research training.
6. Connect trained participants with Haramaya University research projects as assistants.
About the Millennium Fellow
Hawi Tekalign is a young dedicated medical student passionate about making a difference in global health.
She was born in December 2001 in the western part of Ethiopia as the first child to her family. She then moved to the capital city of the country from where she went to the eastern region for her university degree in medicine.
Her academic journey since middle school has been highlighted by active engagements in leadership, volunteering in community services, and promoting health awareness.
She's made a lot of connections with people, exchanged a lot of ideas, and has learned the value of giving back and having a strong community through firsthand experience.
She plans to learn further about her community and give back as much as she can and more as a professional in the future. She aspires to be in a nurturing environment where she can learn a lot from others and also contribute her share to the development of the United Nations' sustainable goals.
