Biography

Soliyana Tesfa Assefa is a Psychology graduate and passionate community volunteer with CorpsAfrica/Ethiopia. Based in Addis Ababa, she brings together psychological insight and grassroots engagement to support sustainable community resilience, youth empowerment, and social well-being.

Her degree in Psychology forms the foundation of her approach to human-centered development and understanding community dynamics. Her experience includes mental health advocacy and digital engagement, including managing an online support platform that provides accessible virtual psychological guidance on anxiety, emotional resilience, and family dynamics. She has also contributed to university gender initiatives focused on gender-based violence prevention, awareness creation, and advocate training to help foster inclusive and protective environments.

As a CorpsAfrica/Ethiopia Volunteer, Soliyana applies Asset-Based Community Development principles and participatory tools such as community mapping and interactive design frameworks. She works directly with community members, local youth, and community groups to facilitate dialogue and identify existing local strengths.

Through her service, Soliyana hopes to connect individual well-being with collective action, supporting communities in recognizing their own strengths and developing solutions that respond to their needs. She believes meaningful development is built through participation, understanding, and collaboration, and is committed to learning alongside the communities she serves.