Manyahilishal was born and raised in Wolayta Sodo, Ethiopia and moved to Untied States in 2013. Currently she resides in Northern Virginia with her husband and 3 children. This book was inspired by the work she is doing with adoptive parents and adult adoptees. She is volunteering to reconnect adoptees with their root, doing family search, language training cultural orientation, letter translation, phone call and interpretation. She has been reconnected 27 adopted children with their birth parents.As a woman who was born and raised in Wolayta she has lots of firsthand information about Wolayta culture and tradition. As an adoptee advocate who has worked with dozens of adoptive families and adult adoptees, she tried to address many of the common questions families and kids ask about their place of birth. I am Wolayta is her first book, it may not answer all questions, but included as many information as possible.DedicationI would like to say thank you to my friend Michael Mullen whose experience as an adoptive parent was invaluable in making this book. He guided and encouraged me through the early stage of the book. Without his help I would have never been able to write this book.I would like to thank my family, especially my husband Amanuel Otoro, my daughter Hanny Bushura and my brother Lulayehu Madebo for their unlimited support.
