Give Mai Nefhi EIT Book Drive A Helping Hand;  ‘The Mind is A Terrible Thing to Waste’

By Dr. Michael Fessehaye

Eritreans perfectly know, it is neither the presence of natural resources nor the abundance of rain and streams in any country that provided bread and butter on the table but it is the people who can. Pure brain, sweat, and muscle of the people, call it the human resources factor, is the one that determines, shapes, and charts the destiny of any nation. Eritrea is no exception to this universal truth.

To be blunt about it, if the abundance of natural resources was the factor that can turn a nation into a country of aplenty and affluence; then the first European immigrants who crossed the Atlantic Ocean seeking for better life in the new world would have or could have found the indigenous North American societies and nations to be economically strong and vibrant.  But what the European immigrants found was a vast continent endowed with rich natural resources and yet the indigenous North American societies were living from hand to mouth fending for them selves as they go. The question is why not? For it has been proven time and time again that the presence or the lack of natural resources has never been the factor that determines the economic and political status of any country. 

There are some who might be tempted to conclude that the reason the USA is economically, politically, and militarily world power is because the US is rich in natural resources.  If this was to be true, at this very hour, the other countries in the Americas should have and could have been on the same economic and political status as the US.  Then why this inequality and why countries next door to the US that are endowed with the same if not better natural resources are still termed Third World while the US is the land of milk and honey? The secret of the USA’s success is on its people, period. Here is the USA, which is blessed by hardworking, creative, and over-achieving immigrants from all over the world who toil day in and day out. Here is the US blessed by people who believe in sweating it out to be better. By the way, if there is any one out there who does not think the US worker work more than any other country in the world; then that person should only come to see a country does not sleep but works 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Do not be mistaken; the human resources factor of US did not come by some fluke coincidence.  Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the US (both the common man on the streets and the leadership) has understood and accepted that if the US is to be the economic and political powerhouse of the world, an educated, dedicated, disciplined human resources was a must have condition. Some might attribute it to ‘Capitalism’ but ‘Capitalism’ without the human factor is only a theory on paper. To that end, up to this point, the educated, the talented, the creative, and the driven sect of the human race from all over the world has been encouraged or lured to immigrate to US.  Some might be tempted to call it the brain drain of the world but to the US it was the absolute necessary condition if the US is to be a world power.  Do not be surprised, even in the year 2005, over 50,000 highly educated and talented individuals from all the world will be encourage to immigrate to the US.  You name it; engineers, scientists, medical doctors, nurses, computer scientists, mathematicians, and movie stars will be coming to augment the already advanced and disciplined human resources of the US.  Not only that; even those who are willing to take the backbreaking jobs are coming to work in all aspects of the US economy. This is the secret that have made the US to become the country of aplenty and affluence. End result: An economically and politically strong US who is built not on the natural resources but on the brain and muscle of its people. 

To make our point that the availability or the lack of natural resources has never been the factor that makes or breaks nations and societies; let us take a look at Israel and Japan. In these two countries natural resources, as we know it, is none-existing. Here is Israel, which is 1/5 the size of Eritrea, with a population less than 6 million, with a desert and semi desert climate, and with no natural resources.  Here is Japan, which is only 3 times the size of Eritrea but with 30 times the population, with practically no raw materials to keep the Japanese industrial complex humming. But what we have is Israel and Japan who are economically and politically strong nations whose living standards are on the top 10 of the of the world. The one and the only factor that made a difference in these two countries is their human resources factor.  Here are two examples that prove it is the brain and muscle of a highly educated, dedicated, and disciplined people that can create heaven on earth out of nothing.

On the negative or downhill measuring scale; we do not have to use Africa as whole to prove that the abundance of natural resource never provided “Manna from Heaven” while we have the accursed land, Ethiopia, as a perfect example to make our point. Despite the fact that Ethiopia is blessed with natural resource, ever since Ethiopia was carved as nation at the end of the 19^th Century, it became a nation that exemplifies or typifies backwardness and hunger. If the natural resources of Ethiopia could cook themselves up into bread and butter; then the Ethiopians would have and could have fed them selves and we wouldn’t have witnessed Ethiopia to be the perpetual beggar nation. What we have is a nation, Ethiopia, that depended on $30 Billion in foreign aid, $10 Billion in loans, and over 700,000 metric tons of food aid every year since 1973.  And still Ethiopia is looking for more handouts and alms with no end on sight.  One can conclude that during last 120 years, what the successive Ethiopian regimes were good at was war and the perfection of the art of beggary.  Especially in the Ethiopia of Meles Zenawi:  If is not hunger, it is HIV; if is not HIV, it is malaria; if it is not malaria, it is hopelessness; and if it is not hopelessness, it is back to square one, to hunger. At this point in time, the new English Dictionary has only to include the word “Ethiopia” to define hunger and human misery of biblical proportion.  The sad reality is there are over 250 expatriate NGOs who claim they are there to save Ethiopian lives. 

In short, it has been proven and Eritreans have also proved to themselves that it is the brain and muscle of a people that determine how far and how much nations and societies can go to provide for them selves.  Do not read me wrong; I am not saying Eritrea is not blessed with natural resources.  Yes we know and we do remember those who tried to colonize and enslave Eritrea used to bombard us with statements such as ‘Eritrea is poor” and “Eritrea is not economically viable to exist as a state”.  The truth, nothing but the whole truth: Eritrea is not a natural-resource-deprived country. Now more that ever we have seen the rich natural resources of Eritrea that extends from Ras Kassar to Ras Dumera and from Dahlak Islands to Ar’BaEte Asher. You name it; Eritrea is blessed and endowed with ‘Green Gold’, ‘Blue Gold’, ‘Yellow Gold’, and ‘Black Gold’. But the greatest asset or resource of Eritrea is its hardworking, dedicated, creative, disciplined, and optimistic to the fault people. Let me repeat it.  You name it; Eritrea is blessed and endowed with rich natural resource.  But the greatest asset or resource of Eritrea is its hardworking, dedicated, creative, disciplined, and optimistic to the fault people.  That is the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth

Taking these qualities as the springboard, Eritrea is on the march to build the human resource factor to claim her rightful place among the family of nations who have mastered and charted their journey.  But these Eritrean shining qualities did not happen due to some fluke coincidence.  Way back then, way back in the early 70s, the farsighted and dynamic Eritrean leadership believed in one thing.  That is, if Eritrea is to be liberated politically, economically, and socially; then a developed Eritrean human resources is the deciding factor that will achieve it.  Based on this tried and proven way of doing thing, the double-edged Eritrean revolution, the revolution to liberate the land politically and economically, still continues at full speed.

This same tried and proven Eritrean belief have already made wonders that stunned our enemies and amazed our friends.  Still the same method continues to take Eritrea to the Promised Land. To that effect, we are witnessing Eritrea has embarked on human resource capacity building. At this hour, the student population of Eritrea has reached 600,000 children going to school. And to take these 600,000 Eritrean children to higher level, the necessary foundation of higher education is being laid out.  The opening of the College of Nursing and College Of Medicine in Asmara, Agricultural Colleges at HalHale and Hagaz, Technical school in Massawa, Teacher Training Institute at Adi Keih, and the Eritrean Institute of Technology at Mai Nefhi are some that have either started giving services or they are being built.  Even the Eritrean Marshal Plan (Wefri Warsai-Yike’Alo) has these ‘human resource factor” component built on to it. When you take the short-term and long-term objectives of Wefri Warsai-Yike’Alo, you can say the whole Eritrea is the school where the Eritrean human resources factor is being taken to higher level.  Take Wefri Warsai-YekeAlo and call it ‘The University of Wefri Warsai Yike’Alo’-a ‘university’ without indoor lecture halls! Surprised?  Don’t be; that is how the Eritrean human resources factor is being taken to higher level of development and sophistication.

Before I talk about higher education in Eritrea, it is very important to understand what it takes to set up and run an institution of higher education. To make my point, allow me to take other countries as an example to highlight the time and the resources needed to establish an institution of higher education.  Why go far, while we have Ethiopia to use as case in point.  Sorry, this not to state Ethiopia is a country to be followed or emulated but it a good example to use as a case in point. 

You are right; as expected, the Ethiopian higher education was built by alms and handouts.  Those who attended Haile Sellassie University know Alemaya College of Agriculture was built and run by Oklahoma State University all financed by USAID. Similarly, Building College and the College Of Engineering, both in Addis, were built and run by the Swedish and the German governments, respectively. And yet after these foreign donors pumped money into these and other Ethiopian institutions for over 20 years, the total student population of the whole Ethiopian university system never went above 5000 total. By comparison, the Eritrean Institute Of Technology (EIT) at Mai Nefhi, which was opened last year, was able to open its doors to 6238 freshmen in the same day. In short, what it took Ethiopia to achieve in twenty years; Eritrea does it in one year at Mai Nefhi. That brings us to Mai Nefhi EIT Book Drive by patriotic Eritrean children and friends in Michigan.

It takes more than a classroom with a blackboard to set and run an institution of higher education.  In addition to classrooms, such institution needs to be equipped with textbooks, laboratories, and library reference materials to challenge the hungry-for-knowledge young mind.   To give a helping hand to this noble undertaking and endeavor, hardworking and dedicated Eritreans and friends in Michigan have taken a noble and honorable task to help the Eritrean Institute Of Technology at Mai Nefhi.  To that end, they have initiated “EIT Book Drive” to purchase textbooks and library reference materials.

The EIT Book Drive might be one of the most important projects so far undertaken by Eritreans in Diaspora that will have a lasting positive impact on Eritreans. It is a formidable undertaking but if Eritreans apply their usual way of doing things, this job can be easy and yet rewarding.  Can you see how easy it could be done if Eritreans give their usual helping hand?   Remember when ‘Arba’Ete Zimai Betu Hidmo’ used be up and standing by ‘Wefera’ in one day?  Using this tried and proven Eritrean tradition of ‘Edai-Edika’, imagine 50,000 Eritreans donating just $10 to add up to $500,000 (about 7.5 million Nacfa). You and I know, individually, $10 can only buy two ‘No. 1’ at McDonalds, if you know what I mean.  

Help the EIT Book Drive and never belittle your contribution and do not feel bad if you cannot give generously. We know it was the small contribution of Eritreans, each in his/her way, that made a difference in the past. Your $10 with mine can add up to make a big difference. Do not forget, more than 30,000 Eritrean university students will be using this books during the next 10 years.  As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once put it, ‘The mind is a terrible thing to waste’.  Let us help the next Eritrean engineer, scientist, mathematician, scholar, and leader with the tools they need to be the best they can be to help them selves, their families, and their country. 

Suggestions to give Mai Nefhi EIT Book Dive a helping hand

1. In the upcoming Eritrean festivals in North America, if each festival participant can put $10 in an envelope and drop it in box as “Dirar Mai Nefhi”.  Picture 10,000 Eritreans in Washington DC Festival, 4000 Eritreans in Oakland Festival, and another 2000 Eritreans in Toronto Festival to drop a $10 dollar each as “Dirar Mai Nefhi’!  I leave the arithmetic for you to play with.

2. On the Saturday of the respective Eritrean festivals in North America, if each participant could cut his lunch expenses by half and donate the balance to Mai Nefhi.  Sorry folks, I am not pushing for skipping lunch but you can picture how far you simple gesture can go to feed the hungry-for-knowledge Eritrean mind.

3. If each Eritrean can donate $50 to $100 for purchase of one book or if two friends can team up to cover the cost of one book; then the bookshelf of Mia Nefhi Library could stacked by badly needed books in no time.   Time is the essence and remember the books you help to purchase will be used by Eritrean university students for the next 10 years.

4. In all the Eritrean communities, if the children under 12 years old could be encouraged to go ‘penny hunting’ for Mai Nefhi.  I know, I have an eight year old who gets a kick out of chasing pennies under the sofas or car seat.  Such simple and yet fun project to these little tigers can go a long way, especially if they are told the money is to buy books for Eritrean children.

P.S. You can contact AEFM at EITBooks@hotmail.com or you can send your contribution as follows:

Books:          AEFM,
                        International Institute of Flint,
                        515 Steven Street,
                        Flint, Michigan, 48502

Checks:        AEFM
                        P.O. Box 293
                        East Lansing, MI 48826-0293

Wetru Awet N’Hafash!

Hiji Win Hade Hizbi Hade Libi!

Eternal Glory to the Dead and the Living Heroes/Heroines

 It is a Must “Wefri Warsai-YekeAlo” Should Succeed!