Ethiopian Global Initiative
Encyclopedia
The Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI) is an international non-profit initiative based in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. Founded in 2006, it operates globally in various continents bringing the resources of Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians together to implement sustainable projects in Ethiopia.
After watching the 2004 Oprah Winfrey Show program on fistula
in Ethiopia
and the work of Dr. Catherine Hamlin
, then-8th grade student, Samuel Gebru, who was 13-years-old, was motivated to organize youth and raise funds for the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. He called for a meeting where 13 Ethiopian American youth in Boston
discussed how they could support the hospital. The group was known as the Ethiopian Team and many Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians alike supported their Fistula Project.
The project’s 13 members, the youngest in 6th grade and the oldest in 12th grade, were able to raise enough funds to sponsor 11 women for treatment. In January 2006 the Ethiopian Team fell apart due to the lack of long-term planning. On October 22, 2006 the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative was formed as a successor to the Ethiopian Team. It was established to create a network of students to promote Ethiopian culture in the United States, fundraise for developmental projects in Ethiopia and facilitate youth leadership and networking.
The Ethiopian American Youth Initiative embarked on a national expansion on August 16, 2007, recruiting members throughout the country. On February 12, 2010 the organization opened its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts to expand its operations. After the 2010 Ethiopian American Youth Initiative Conference in Washington, D.C.
, the organization changed its name to the Ethiopian Global Initiative and launched operations internationally.
Some projects the Initiative runs include U.S. College Students for Ethiopia, a project that sends college students from the United States to Ethiopia for volunteer and intern opportunities over the summer, semester or year, allowing students to work in a field related to their studies; the EGI Midwives Scholarship Fund, a project that funds the full cost of attendance for 8 students in the Bachelors of Science program at the Hamlin College of Midwives in Ethiopia; and the EGI Global Summit, the annual convergence of a cross-section of students and professionals that share and discuss solutions and opportunities for transforming Ethiopia.
EGI's full list of projects can be viewed on its official website's Projects section.
(NCAAA) in Boston, MA, EGI partnered with NCAAA to continue promoting Ethiopian culture and history in the United States. NCAAA's Director, Edmund Barry Gaither, sits on EGI's International Board of Advisors. EGI continues to form partnerships, including one with Boston University
's African Studies Center.
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. Founded in 2006, it operates globally in various continents bringing the resources of Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians together to implement sustainable projects in Ethiopia.
History
Samuel Gebru founded the Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI) on October 22, 2006 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded initially as the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative, EGI launched its international operations and changed its name in June 2010.After watching the 2004 Oprah Winfrey Show program on fistula
Fistula
In medicine, a fistula is an abnormal connection or passageway between two epithelium-lined organs or vessels that normally do not connect. It is generally a disease condition, but a fistula may be surgically created for therapeutic reasons.-Locations:Fistulas can develop in various parts of the...
in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and the work of Dr. Catherine Hamlin
Catherine Hamlin
Catherine Hamlin , AC, MBBS, FRCS, FRANZCOG, FRCOG is an Australian obstetrician and gynaecologist who, with her late husband New Zealander Dr. Reg Hamlin, co-founded the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, the world's only medical centre dedicated exclusively to providing free obstetric fistula repair...
, then-8th grade student, Samuel Gebru, who was 13-years-old, was motivated to organize youth and raise funds for the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. He called for a meeting where 13 Ethiopian American youth in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
discussed how they could support the hospital. The group was known as the Ethiopian Team and many Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians alike supported their Fistula Project.
The project’s 13 members, the youngest in 6th grade and the oldest in 12th grade, were able to raise enough funds to sponsor 11 women for treatment. In January 2006 the Ethiopian Team fell apart due to the lack of long-term planning. On October 22, 2006 the Ethiopian American Youth Initiative was formed as a successor to the Ethiopian Team. It was established to create a network of students to promote Ethiopian culture in the United States, fundraise for developmental projects in Ethiopia and facilitate youth leadership and networking.
The Ethiopian American Youth Initiative embarked on a national expansion on August 16, 2007, recruiting members throughout the country. On February 12, 2010 the organization opened its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts to expand its operations. After the 2010 Ethiopian American Youth Initiative Conference in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the organization changed its name to the Ethiopian Global Initiative and launched operations internationally.
Operations
From its hub in Cambridge, EGI is involved in various projects designed to help Ethiopia and Ethiopians. Working on developmental projects in Ethiopia and supporting community-based initiatives, EGI continues to partner with public and private sector organizations to realize its vision of sustaining economic prosperity and increasing community engagement.Some projects the Initiative runs include U.S. College Students for Ethiopia, a project that sends college students from the United States to Ethiopia for volunteer and intern opportunities over the summer, semester or year, allowing students to work in a field related to their studies; the EGI Midwives Scholarship Fund, a project that funds the full cost of attendance for 8 students in the Bachelors of Science program at the Hamlin College of Midwives in Ethiopia; and the EGI Global Summit, the annual convergence of a cross-section of students and professionals that share and discuss solutions and opportunities for transforming Ethiopia.
EGI's full list of projects can be viewed on its official website's Projects section.
Partner Organizations
After hosting a holiday networking mixer at the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American ArtistsNational Center of Afro-American Artists
The National Center of Afro-American Artists is an institution founded in 1968 by Elma Lewis to "preserv[e] and foster[] the cultural arts heritage of black peoples worldwide through arts teaching, and the presentation of professional works in all fine arts disciplines." Although the...
(NCAAA) in Boston, MA, EGI partnered with NCAAA to continue promoting Ethiopian culture and history in the United States. NCAAA's Director, Edmund Barry Gaither, sits on EGI's International Board of Advisors. EGI continues to form partnerships, including one with Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
's African Studies Center.