About Friends of Eritrea UK
The Friends of Eritrea was
established in the Northwest of the UK during the period of famine
and war in Eritrea in 1985. Academic and Scientific staff at the
University of Liverpool and the Liverpool School of Tropical
Medicine and a network of colleagues and friends throughout the UK,
came together to provide physical and financial support and
expert advice and lobbying on behalf of famine and conflict-ravaged
communities and services.
Visits to assess needs and advise
on reconstruction of medical, veterinary, agricultural, social and
educational services were undertaken by expert members of the
group.
At the start, members were
involved in collecting blankets, books and other materials for the
war zones of Eritrea.
Between 1986 and 1988 the group
sent several containers of essential materials. Money was raised -
from donations, from plant and car-boot sales and street
collections to make grants ranging from a few hundred to £7,000 to
fund transport, travel and relief and development
materials.
Several
members of the group, including our much-missed Founder-member and
Honorary President, the late Dr. John Black, (pictured), were also
members of the Eritrean Medical Association/UK which played an
important role in mobilising medical aid for war-torn Eritrea.
After the end of the War members of both groups decided to jointly
form one group to be called “The Friends of Eritrea in the United
Kingdom” and to expand membership.
At the
end of 1995 the society was registered as a company limited by
guarantee and became a registered charity (No 1052161) in January
1996. The main aims of the society are to foster friendship between
the Eritrean and British people and to assist in the transfer of
appropriate technologies to schools, institutions of higher
learning and other centres in Eritrea, which combat poverty,
sickness and underdevelopment. .Membership is open to all Friends
of Eritrea who support the objects of the
society.
Friends
of Eritrea work with other Charities and Public and Private groups
and individuals, wherever appropriate. So far, we have been able to
support:
- £10,000
worth of Food, Medical supplies and transport costs to the
Eritrean Relief and Refugee Commission,
(ERRECC).
- £3000 for
Computer equipment for the Adi Ugri Secondary
School.
- Collection and Transport
of several containers of books, IT equipment, educational and
relief materials, including the Keren Library
Project.
- Small
Travel and Transport subsidies including £500 each towards the
visit of the Parliamentary Human Rights Group and to Mr S.
Marcos of AGE, (Action Group for Eritrea), to support AGE's own
project to
supply books to Eritrean
schools,
We
continue, with our Friends in Manchester and elsewhere, to collect
money and materials to support Educational and Community projects
in Eritrea. In 2015 we intend to develop stronger links with the
Decamere Orphanage with a view to identifying further projects that
we can support.
Our most
grateful thanks go to all of colleagues and Friends in the UK and
in Eritrea, for all their hard work and
dedication.
The Main Aims
of the Friends of Eritrea/UK are:
To
provide or assist in the
provision of facilities and support to
advance
education and to relieve
sickness and poverty
of persons in
Eritrea,
To
provide or assist in the
transfer of appropriate technologies to schools, institutions
of higher learning and other
centres in Eritrea which
combat poverty, sickness and
underdevelopment.
To
support local
organisations in rural and urban communities by
providing
technical and financial
help
To
strengthen the living
conditions of poor communities by promoting the
optimal
use of local resources
and by training workers in health, education
and
community development at
the village level
