Message from the EDF Board

EDF was involved in a number of important undertakings or activities over the last two years. It strived to pay close attention to the critical needs where the Board felt its participation could make a crucial difference in the lives of the Eritrean people. The need might have been in drought relief, education, public health, or other aspects of socio-economic life. At the same time, the Board has been pursuing and continues to pursue to streamline and rationalize the administrative structure of the Foundation so that responsibilities are clearer and duplication of work is avoided. Needless to say, these would not have been possible without the Board members, both as individuals and as a group, working very hard on voluntary basis, as it should be.

The Board realizes the Foundation is facing great challenges both in its capacity to deal with persistent needs such as the drought and its ability to diversify sources of resources under the present highly competitive and daunting environment. With determination and careful application of its resources and focus however, the Board believes the challenges are not insurmountable. With this aim in mind, the Board had begun searching for a new Executive Director. We have hired Ms. Margo M. Kelly on a temporary basis, for 3-4 months beginning in May. The Board and Ms. Kelly hope that the arrangement will become permanent but we agreed to a trial period to get to know each other better.

Margo comes to EDF with years of experiences in development issues, management skills, organizational interactions and communication adeptness. Her work with EDF can reach the desired goal, however, only if all of us chip in with our time and resources. Here is where the role of EDF’s supporters and patrons becomes extremely important. It is only with the help and continued support from them that we can cover our base minimum and aim for higher achievements and steady consolidation. With EDF being the only US-based organization that targets Eritrea, we cannot afford to fail.

We believe that high on the list of EDF’s indispensable supporters are the Chapters found all over the country. Thus, in the next period of our activities, one of the Board’s enhanced attention will be focusing on revitalizing the existing chapters and establish new ones.

Due to time constraints, Attorney Steve Brown and Ms. Yobi Amdemariam have made changes in their relations to EDF as well. Steve will now be a member of the Advisory Board of EDF after serving the Foundation ably and faithfully as its Board-member treasurer for the last two years. He introduced a number of improvements in the financial administration of the Foundation. Also, after serving EDF as its Board-member Executive Director on voluntary basis, Yobi reverts to her regular Board membership. The Board would like to express its profound appreciation for the selfless services both of them provided to EDF in their respective capacities, raising in the process the spirit and meaning of voluntary work to higher level of community service. We look forward for the same kind of commitment to EDF in their new capacities.

Finally, the Board wishes Margo, Steve and Yobi the best in their new areas of responsibilities.

Yacob Fisseha, Chair
Board of Directors
Eritrean Development Foundation

Washington, DC 20005
(202) 783-3273