« She was kind, empathetic and very considerate »

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These are the words used by her colleagues to describe Alem Mulugeta Getahun, our friend who died in terrible circumstances last November.

Alem has been unanimously described as a brave person who was dedicated to her work and who was not afraid of complex missions. She was discreet, generous and considerate with people, she always had a kind word to say, even in the most difficult circumstances.

Alem was from Ethiopia, she had a degree in Business Management, two qualifications in Strategic Management and was close to getting her master’s degree in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. She was an expert in HR management, having worked on such matters for over 10 years. She first worked for a gardening company before her humanitarian beliefs really began to bloom. She then moved on to Save The Children in Ethiopia and in the UK before working for Research Triangle Institute International. Alem knew Nigeria well – before working for MdM in the country she had worked for Première Urgence Internationale and Terre des Hommes in Nigeria. She had been working for MdM for just over 6 months. When her mission in Maiduguri was renewed for an extra year Alem was overjoyed.

She was married and had a little boy. She was compassionate, empathetic and her smile made her a favourite amongst her colleagues and amongst all those who crossed her path.

Alem’s murder came as a shock to the MdM community and to the humanitarian community as a whole. Despite the emotions we are feeling at this difficult time we wanted to pay her a final tribute worthy of her commitment.This unfortunate event reminds us that our commitment can sometimes be brutally compromised by the challenges our missions face.

It also reminds us that, in a world where we face an increasing number of challenges, we cannot give up and we must continue to believe that a fairer world is possible.

For greater equality.

For those whose needs and suffering continue to grow.

For Alem.

Florence Rigal, President
& Joël Weiler, Executive Director

MdM’s teams tributes and minutes of silence

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, the Emergency project team in San Pedro Tapanatepec (Oaxaca) produced an artistic work with migrant women and children. The participants decided to pay tribute to our colleague Alem from MdM France, who was murdered in Nigeria.