Meet Dr Ermias Habte, The Pharo Foundation Ethiopia Representative

Dr Ermias Habte has been working as a Country Representative of the Pharo Foundation in Ethiopia for 6 and a half years. He has two decades of experience in international development, including 12 years of experience as country head at another two international organisations. His key areas of expertise are project/program management, fundraising, partnership development and thematic lead in rural development, agriculture, social development, small and micro enterprises development, microfinance, emergency response and food security, health, and urban development. Dr Ermias likes doing things for which he has a passion and calling, including creating and leading cohesive teams by bringing out the best in them.

Who is Dr Ermias Habte ? 

I was born and raised in Ethiopia. I spent my childhood and young age in Jimma and Addis Ababa cities. Before turning 22, I had already seen more or less all the country's regions. I grew up playing judge and referee in the games I was involved in. Even though I had my wicked days out in the neighbourhood, my peers viewed me as a problem solver with a balanced view of everything. I studied Economics and Development in Ethiopia and Germany. I cherished my time in Europe but never hesitated to return home upon completing my PhD. The only way I could feel valuable was by being a bridge between those who have plenty of resources and those who need them the most. I live in Addis with my wife and my two children. 

How did you come to love development? 

At a young age, I had a solid aspiration to become a lawyer. After travelling in the countryside to different communities, I wanted to address the enormous injustice I saw there. It was mind-boggling to me that some people had so little while others had plenty. The timing of my awakening to poverty coincided with the great Ethiopian famine in the mid-80s, the ramifications of which I saw with my own eyes as thousands of starving people were transported from north to south. From then on, the economic injustice of this world has lingered in my mind. Even though the desire to become a lawyer stuck with me up to my college days, reality and some family members eventually caused me to take an economics degree and study poverty in depth. 

My career path started in a World Bank-funded infrastructure upgrading project in poor neighbourhoods in Addis Ababa. I realized that local economic challenges were enormous and that our project would come nowhere near solving them. I considered joining politics for a more significant impact but could not find any African politician I could look up to. I read Mandela’s “Long way to Freedom”, but it did not help, so I went back to school partly to hide until I figured out my path. Eventually, I realized that working in international development helped me serve the purpose of a bridge which channels resources to those who need them the most, fulfilling my long-cherished passion for dealing with inequalities. Before my current role, I worked as Programme and Country Director at ADRA and Caritas, where I developed project management, monitoring, evaluation and program design skills. I started working for the Foundation nearly 7 years ago, focusing on using human/physical capital development to unlock potential. 

How long have you worked/been in the region? 

I have worked in various parts of Ethiopia for the longest part of my career. I also worked in Mozambique for a couple of years. As part of my work, I travelled to dozens of African countries, concluding that most of our problems are similar and man-made. My in-country experience has taken me to all regions of Ethiopia.

What does your everyday look like?

Apart from looking for the best talent for our Ethiopian operations, I lead the implementation of active projects with direct hands-on input into regular planning, implementation and monitoring of projects, along with the responsibility to safeguard the Foundation’s essential resources. My daily focus is to ensure that the teams in all business units are working to the best of their potential and in line with our values.

Doing this involves routine decision-making, troubleshooting, controlling and liaising with the government. I fly back and forth between the country and field offices monthly. I cherish going to the field and meeting with our program participants and frontline staff, such as teachers, community workers, and lab technicians. From such visits, I get the motivation to keep going and find the balance between office and field life. Finally, I have also been spending a lot of time lately brainstorming with colleagues based in Nairobi and London. 

What would you like to achieve in this role? 

I want to be part of a team that can design and implement cutting-edge projects in various parts of Ethiopia. I want to help create and nurture teams that take full responsibility with passion.

I want our schools, hospitals, training centres etc... to be places of excellence from which graduates are produced in great numbers and of the highest quality.

I want to see the Foundation’s mission of creating an economically vibrant Africa fulfilled through our projects. I want to make sure the lessons of these projects are used by many others to replicate our success in a broader geographical area, and I want to attract the best available talent. Most notably, I want our projects to be long-lasting and innovative.

This will require setting up enterprising projects that will bring maximum impact with minimum cost. The job and business opportunities created through these projects will help rectify economic injustice daily. 

How will the Pharo Foundation allow you to accomplish this?

The Foundation has provided generous financial resources for a great cause without pre-conditions. The resources are not tied to any vested interest, except that we have to convince our Board that resources are being allocated to the most efficient and impactful projects. In addition, the Foundation has built and continues to create a vibrant pool of professionals entrusted with enriching its strategies, approaches and programmes. I will undoubtedly benefit from the conducive work environment it has developed and will maintain.