About us

May we introduce ourselves...

We are Saskia Hagos-Damen and Alay Hagos, a Dutch/Ethiopian couple. Alay came as a refugee to Holland in 1987 where we learned to know each other in a Christian Church (about which you can read at www.brunstad.org) and we married in 1989.
Before Alay was forced by the political situation in Ethiopia to flee to Holland, he was a chemistry teacher in Addis Abeba. In Holland he continued his education and finished his doctoral degree study in the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.
Saskia was working as a coordinator for social activities in a big NGO.
In 1998 we decided to move to Ethiopia, and have been living there since November 1998. In 1999 Alay started to work as assistant professor and Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences in Hawassa University, Awassa so we moved to this cosy city, 270 km. south of Addis Abeba.
In 2000 we adopted three children and Saskia was very busy at home but in 1994 when also our youngest daughter was going to school we decided to start organizing tours in Ethiopia.
We think it is a great advantage to be insiders in two cultures: the western culture with its values of reliability, exactness, long- and short-term planning and the Ethiopian culture with its warmth, hospitality and "as the fancy takes them"-mentality.

A DIFFICULT DECISION.........

At the end of 2007 we had to take an important decision, due to several personal reasons, whether we should move to Holland or stay in Ethiopia. Step by step we decided to do a "try-out" of 1 year in Holland so in June 2008 we moved Holland with our 3 children. In June 2009 we decided to stay in Holland for the time being. But part of our heart is still in Ethiopia and we travel regulary to our "mother country".

Also in this new situation we will continue with great pleasure and dedication to organize your special Tour in our beautiful country! We hope to meet you soon!

Alay and Saskia Hagos