A mixer of art and science

He is a person that does it all, defying the misconception that people who are into science are not as articulate as those who are passionate about art. His main motto is to contribute back to the society in terms of literature and technology. He is young but his ability to write shows maturity. Many of his readers describe him as an eye opener; his words spread a light of positivity and push you to your better self. Many of his friends and colleagues admire his social skills and his willingness to help and work with others.

• Thank you for accepting our request to interview you; let’s get you acquainted with our readers?

My name is Eng. Michael Berhe; I was born in 1992 and grew up in a village called Gedele, Dekemhare subzone. I went to elementary school in Gedele and did junior high at a town some two hours walk away from my village. Then I went to high school in Asmara before heading to Sawa. I was a prize winner throughout my school years. I scored 3.6 in my matriculation and was awarded a laptop. Then I joined the Institute of Technology at Mai Nefhi, where I studied computer engineering. The knowledge I gained from learning computer engineering has enabled me to incorporate both of my passions, art in the form of writing and science in the form of creating platforms for art.

• When did you know you have the passion for writing?

Ever since I was in elementary school I’ve participated in art projects. In junior high school I started writing my own plays, which, of course, were not a big deal. But all the same I was practicing the art of writing. Also, in high school, I did the same. I even participated as an actor in some of my scripts. Moreover, in the middle of my high school years I had a great opportunity to take a course in creative writing, where the participants were experienced. Even when the course ended we stayed as a group for two years, creating a lot of work of art that were aired on the national media outlets. However, the most memorable time for me is college, where half of my time was devoted to literature, especially during the inter-college competition. I won several times with my poems, short stories and plays. After graduating from college I decided to write a book.

• What do you focus on when you write books, and how many books have you written so far?

My focus when I write books comes from the belief that art enables us to contribute back to the society. So far I have written two books. My first book is called Edaga Fekri, a compilation of selected short stories and poems that I wrote during my college years. It’s more focused on internal dialogue. After my first book, I have drifted away from writing and was more focused on creating websites and applications. But due to the COVID- 19 pandemic I had a lot of leisure time to translate a book. For a couple years my friends and I discussed Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and agreed that if it was translated our society could learn a lot about business and economics and its application to daily life.

The translated book is called Zeytedfret Megedi.

• You firmly believe that art and science could go hand in hand; how is that possible?

Well, I witnessed that when my friends and I started making a website called kebhi, an online bookstore, I knew, as a writer, the difficulties of selling books on the international market. I realized that we needed a platform and science and technology were the solution for that. Also, for many years I have written for the daily newspaper, Haddas Eritrea, Shebab magazine and the radio as a Tec-columnist, emphasizing on the importance of technology.

• What are your future plans?

My plans are to enhance my ability to write. I firmly believe in team work and have upcoming projects of creating applications with my friends.

• Good luck!