Henok Getachew Mulugeta ’26, Computer Science Major, shares about their internship at Tesfaye Gebrehiwot water work construction general contractor(TGWWCG) Building a Website for the company
“TGWWCG is a private construction company that builds water irrigation, water line systems, and also bathroom systems in the rural part of Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, most of the construction is done by big corporations that are outside of the country and are paid using foreign currency that the country doesn’t have enough. TWWWCG has a good starting point of replacing or competing those foreign companies with locally established and organized teams of engineers. This in the long run saves the country from dependence on foreign companies and also using foreign currency. Moreover, Tesfaye coming from low economic backgrounds and also from rural part of Ethiopia can be a great example for the youth to take risks and start their own business. I believe that entrepreneurship can solve different problems that the country is facing right now economically and politically by getting the unemployed youth a job. I learnt that this small company that Tesfaye leads doesn’t have a website and is looking for someone to build them a small website. I approached him and got the job secured with the help of Whitman Internship Grant.
I didn’t know how to make a website at all and communicated that with Mr Tesfaye and he was impressed with my boldness and also passion for computers. I explained to him that I can learn for two months and build him the website which he agreed to. For the last two months I learned HTML, CSS and bootstrap from a class organized by Dr. Angela on Udemy. I recommend that to anyone who wants to learn about making websites. Right now, I finished the course, and I am in the process of making a website for the company in which I will finish the website in a couple of weeks and put it here in this blog.
I had weekly meetings with Mr Tesfaye in which we discussed my progress and also the current political and also economical situation of the country and how that’s affecting entrepreneurship. In which, Mr Tesfaye mentioned to me how the current political instability and also corruption in the country is discouraging so many entrepreneurs like him to quit and leave the country. That’s worsening the current dire problems that Ethiopia has. In the meantime, I argued with Mr Tesfaye that if we have many entrepreneurs with money and also fame:
- The youth (more that 50% of the population) can find jobs and start their own families which will induce stability in the country.
- Those famous and rich self-made entrepreneurs can stand up to against or make corrupt government officials accountable to their actions.
Despite Mr Tesfaye and I having opposing points of view, we have so many interesting conversations like this. He taught me so much important knowledge that only failure can teach from his 20 years of experience in the Ethiopian system.
This picture shows one of our weekly meetings Mr Tesfaye and I had. 
I hope one day to be back to Ethiopia and start a company, a big one mark my words :), like Mr Tesfaye, that will become a giant in Ethiopia and also Africa. I am a computer science major and hope to learn and apply that in the business world and generate money which encourages welling and stability to society. Finally, I would like to say Thank you to Mr Tesfaye and also Whitman college for giving me this wonderful opportunity for getting me this internship. This internship gave me direction on what I should be doing in the years to come. Thank you!!”