| Type | Non-governmental organization |
|---|---|
| Founded | October 22, 2006 |
| Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Origins | The Ethiopian Team and Ethiopian American Youth Initiative |
| Key people |
|
| Area served | International organization |
| Focus | Social Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Education, Economic Development, Civic Engagement, Culture, Healthcare |
| Mission | Combine and capture social and intellectual capital of students and young professionals for Ethiopia's transformation |
| Motto | A Commitment to Action |
| Website | www.ethgi.org |
The Ethiopian Global Initiative (EGI) is an international non-profit organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 2006, it operates globally harnessing the collective capital of students and professionals to undertake long-term projects in Ethiopia.
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Samuel Gebru founded EGI on October 22, 2006 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.[1][2] 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 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.[3] 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.[4][5]
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. 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.[6]
EGI is involved in various efforts that help Ethiopia and Ethiopians. Working on development projects in Ethiopia and supporting community-based initiatives, EGI partners 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;[7] 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.[8]
EGI's full list of projects can be viewed on its official website's Projects section.
After hosting a holiday networking mixer at the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists (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.[9]