Ethiopian engineering graduate wey dey clean shoe for a living

Chekole Menberu, now 27, get high hopes wen e graduate wit degree in chemical engineering two years ago for Ethiopia.

Na moment wey im dey happy about, considering di years of toil and di difficulties wey im experience to reach dis moment.

For years, e don clean shoes for streets in order to pay for im upkeep.

From early age, Chekole look for work for streets.

Im papa die wen e bin still dey young, and e bin dey stay wit e grandparents for Fogera for di Amhara region. Im mama later remarry.

'I really worry to go school'

Chekole really want go school but e grandparents no fit afford di fee and oda expenses.

So im travel go stay wit e uncle house and begin to work as shepherd. But e still continue to hope say e grandparents go help am out.

"I worry my grandparents to send me to school," na so e tell BBC.

Eventually, e grandfather agree to im request and register am for elementary school for one town wey di name na Woreta.

But e grandfather help stop wen im dey second grade for school.

"I move out to find way to help myself," im tok.

Wit help from one friend wey be shoe-shiner, e start to clean shoes.

From third grade until di time e enrol for university, e support imself wit di money wey e earn from cleaning shoes afta school.

"I reason say cleaning shoes na job wey go help me. I spend half a day working, and di other half studying," im tok.

"Life bin hard. But stories of pipo wey tink like me but later become doctors and engineers encourage me."

'I bin dey desperate'

Every academic year bring stress for am becos im gats buy school uniform, which e dey only manage to afford.

"Education cost me a lot," im tok.

"I go through many difficult times, but I no go ever forget how desperate I bin dey, di years I move to grades eight and 10 and di year I join university."

Despite all di difficulties e face, for 2013 e manage to join University of Bahir Dar, for di Amhara state capital, wia e study chemical engineering.

"Rumour bin dey say di kontri need many engineers for industries, and dat na why I decide to study engineering. I hope dem go hire me as soon as I graduate," na so im tok.

Im five-year stay for university bin no dey difficult as before. Wit letter from e home town wey state say e no get anyone to support am, di university come dey pay am 200 birr (about $10; £8) per month.

"I also bin dey get help from my friends and dorm-mates for campus. [But] as di day of my graduation come dey near, my anxiety increase, I come dey tink wetin I go do afta graduation.

"I come dey worry say I go dey unemployed," im tok.

'I no dey lucky'

For 2017, Chekole graduate wit BSc in Chemical Engineering, and e immediate task na to find job.

But e neva dey successful yet.

"I spend three months dey look for job for [Ethiopian capital] Addis Ababa. I walk from one industrial park to anoda for di city looking for jobs, but I no dey lucky."

E travel to different towns, even as far as Woldia, about 520km north of Addis Ababa, in search of employment.

"I even apply for jobs wey require no degrees. But repeatedly employers reject my application as dem tink say I fit demand promotion."

E start to work for factory for 29 birr ($1) per day, but e leave soon becos e no dey enough to survive.

Im no dey alone.

Despite Ethiopia recent economic progress, about a quarter of young pipo (aged 15-29) for urban areas dey unemployed for 2018, up from 22% for 2016, according to di kontri Central Statistical Agency.

So Chekole join oda unemployed graduates to seek help from di state. But di goment say funds no dey for chemical engineering graduates.

Back to university

Afta months of searching and wit nothing to show for e education, im return to Bahir Dar - to di job im no tink say e go go back to.

"Wen I no get any option, I decide to go back to clean shoes."

On weda e regret going to school, e say e no go dey dis angry if e no dey educated.

"Dis education cost me a lot, and I no get any reward from am," im tok. "I no for sacrifice dat much for am."

Chekole complain say Ethiopia goment focus a lot on politics and security issues, rather dan creating jobs for di unemployed.

"My teachers wey know me from university dey shocked. But some of dem encourage me and give me some money."

"My campus friends often come to clean dia shoes even when e already dey clean, just to give me some money."

Chekole dey hopeful, despite everything, say im go find job wey fit am. "I still go to notice boards wia dem dey advertise jobs," im tok.