Many Eritreans in the Diaspora have been making considerable contribution to rear families of fallen heroes, the disabled and the needy part of their society. Since the declaration of the fund raising for families of fallen heroes in 2004, therefore, a number of Eritreans from abroad responded positively and made a real difference in the lives of the families they shouldered responsibility for. The Eritrean community in England is one of the exemplary Eritrean societies abroad in this regard. Shaebia.org interviewed Mr. Yemane Tefagiorgis (Wedi Sehuul) one of the organizers of the fund raising committee in England regarding the fund raising activities there. Excerpts:

 

How are the fund raising activities going on in England?

 

The Eritrean society has a culture of cooperation, charity and the sharing of what they own among themselves. What we are doing here is, therefore, part and parcel of what we inherited from our cultural values. In our society, people help each other; they live together, and always think about the well being of their society.

 

At first, when the fund raising program was initiated, many people were not aware about its purpose and their response remained limited. But it is really encouraging at the present and Eritreans here are ready to do everything possible to help their needy ones.

 

But, you live in a materialistic and individualistic world [the west]. Does this create any negative impact to your contribution, and especially to the youth?  

        

Despite the various challenges they face in the Diaspora, yet Eritreans are closely attached to their people and country; they feel the cost they paid for freedom; they remember the suffering they felt during the successive colonial periods and above all, they exercise a culture of cooperation.

 

For those who lived here for some years, the issue is not something to worry about. But, for the new Eritrean generation who were born here, it could be a concern. They could be influenced by the culture of the society they grew in. and when you look at it from a different perspective, it is not a worrisome phenomenon, because all Eritreans work hard to keep their children attached to their people and country, to respect their cultural values and so on. The Eritrean youth activities being undertaken in Europe are very encouraging and the families here feel relieved when they see young Eritreans are closely attached to their country.

 

How many families of fallen heroes are sponsored by Eritreans in England?  

 

When the fund raising was declared, the immediate response was not high, because the people didn’t understand the purpose right away. So, although the quota for England was 700, only 260 families of fallen heroes got sponsors. After explaining the objective and importance of the project, and tried to reach as many people as possible, however, the number has risen to 500. And above 70% of the sponsors have paid the allocated two years’ sponsorship amount and the rest are still paying.

 

For how long does a sponsor financially assist the family he is responsible for and how much does he pay?      

 

According to the project, the time of sponsorship is for two years and the sponsor pays 480 pounds or 10,800 Nakfa during this period for a family. The sponsor either can pay the allocated amount at one time, or during the specified time. And one sponsor, if interested, can sponsor more than one family.

 

Regarding the allocation of families to be sponsored, the PFDJ sends the list of families according to their social problems and hence, they get sponsors randomly.

 

There is an exemplary citizen in our area who is sponsoring ten families. He paid them the two years’ amount and has started for a third year. There are also others who sponsor more than one family. Our people realize that this is not the duty of the government only, our martyrs died for the honor of their country and people believing that we would look after their families.

 

Some of the sponsors also collect money during different occasions and send them to families of fallen heroes in addition to the ones they sponsor. The committee, for example, is sponsoring 13 additional families.  

 

What is the reaction of our citizens in England towards the project?      

 

We have close contact with the PFDJ and our embassy here. What really inspires our people to contribute is not because they have the money, but because they care about their people and country. The issue is not about money, it is about love and caring; it is about nationalism and patriotism. We know how many precious ones we paid for freedom and the people we are giving a little help are parents of those who died in honor of our dignity. So, we are trying not to let these families feel loneliness; not to feel abandoned while we are able to help. It is not about money again, it is about unity and social harmony.

 

What is the prospect of the project for the future?

 

It has been improving from time to time. Of course, it requires continuous follow-up and dedication, to go everywhere and talk to people during their busy schedule. We will keep working to ensure its development and continuity. Our main objective is also to transfer such rich national heritage to the younger generation in the Diaspora.  So, I am sure that those who have taken the initiative will continue their support and those who have not would take similar initiative in the future.