When was the last time you had a dream and it came true?

For me it happened so many times in the last year thanks to the Miss Universe® Ethiopia Organization. As a little girl I always dreamed of being beautiful and representing my country and the Miss Universe® Ethiopia Organization made my dreams come true,

For the first time in history in 2004, I proudly represented my country at the Miss Universe pageant in Quito Ecuador, and I had the most wonderful time, since then a year of traveling to different palaces,

Madrid, London, Frankfurt, Hong Kong Japan, China, Bangkok, Manila followed places I had only dreamed of previously or seen in films and magazines, along the way I met new people learnt new things and experienced things I will cherish for a lifetime, and I am honored the be the one Lucky girl who got to represent my county,

Having handed over the crown as Miss Universe® Ethiopia 2004, I would like to wish my successor Atetegeb all the very best, and I hope she will follow in my footsteps and live the dream! I know I did.

To Mr. Andy, my National Director and the man behind the dream, Thank you! Thank you!! Thank you!!! for providing all the wonderful opportunities to me, my fellow delegates from your various pageants and my country, without your support dedication and vision none of this would have been possible, when you needed to be my friend you were my friend; when you needed to be my manager, you were my manager; when you needed to be my brother, you were my brother, and you never let me down.

To my family I thank you also for your support, and understanding, you are my life, and I thank you for your words of encouragement, to all my fans and people who gave me positive encouragement and wished me well, thank you, your support was invaluable, But most of all I thank the Lord almighty for giving me good health and the strength the be who I am.

In closing I call on all young women of Ethiopia to rise up and live your dreams, …if you dare to dream it can come true,……….. I am living proof of this.

Yours truly,

Ferehiyewot Abebe

Miss Universe® Ethiopia 2004