Eritrean Institute Book Drive

EDF is helping with a book collection drive for the Eritrea Institute of Technology.  A complete list of the text and reference books needed can be found at:  www.eritrean-aefm.org

If you are interested in helping to collect or buy these books, please contact EDF at:  edf@edfonline.org or tel:  202 783-3273.

Background Information on the Eritrean Institute of Technology

The Eritrea Institute of Technology is located at Mai Nefhi about 20 km south west of Asmara, near the Mai Nefhi dam. It  currently has four colleges, namely, those of Science, Engineering and Technology, Education, and Arts and Social Sciences. Other new colleges are also under establishment elsewhere in the country in other fields of studies, and these educational facilities are expected to strengthen tertiary education in Eritrea.

The Institute started its work by accepting about 5,500 students during the 2003 - 2004 Academic Year (this first batch of students are now in their second year of studies). During the current academic year, about 4,500 new students were accepted.

The Eritrea Institute of Technology is training men and women in the various professions in the four colleges to prepare them to work as professionals in their respective fields with a level of competence compatible with national, regional, and global requirements. The Institute will strive to produce responsible and cultured graduates with a competitive level of professional proficiency. Currently students are pursuing programs leading to diplomas and degrees.

The buildings at the Mai Nefhi campus have been built in a very short period of time and furniture and other facilities were procured mostly from local sources. Workshops and laboratories are continuing to be set up. The cooperation and support the Institute has received from various organizations has been commendable and this has enabled it to start its activities in a short period of time. As the Institute has started from scratch, the need for teaching aids, like books, is enormous.

As students are unable to buy their own textbooks, they borrow books on semester basis from the Bookstore of the Institute.  For first year students, the Institute has acquired textbooks for most of the courses that are offered. However, there are severe shortages for second year students and this is causing bottlenecks in the teaching and learning process. Reference books are also in short supply and more are required. For textbooks, it would be desirable if the number of copies per title (book) is between 40 and 200. For reference books the corresponding number is between 5 to 10. Whenever possible hard cover books and latest editions are preferred.

At a time when the Institute is putting the pieces together to establish a credible tertiary educational facility, and at this very formative stage, the assistances that are given to it are highly valued.