BEKELE BENGESSA HIRBE, M.P.A, PhD

FOUNDER & CEO

A seasoned former Ethiopian Diplomat, Educator and researcher, Bekele Bengessa Hirbe, is the founder and President of the Southern Children Advancement Organization. Bekele was born in Sidamo, Ethiopia in one of the rural areas, and currently is a naturalized U.S. citizen. Besides his vast experience, he has attained Ph.D. in Political Science, a Master’s degree in Public Administration, and Certificate in Nonprofit Management. Bekele is from a very poor part of Africa himself, and having experienced poverty personally as a child in his home country of Ethiopia has motivated him to form a Nonprofit to help the children in poor developing countries.  Bekele’s life experiences are the motivation for the creation of SCAO and its mission here in the United States. When he was a child, Bekele had to walk more than ten miles to attend Elementary School, and he desires that children of this generation can have a better opportunity to have better education.