http://ascenteq.com/project/epdp

On 7 February 2015, a relatively large gathering of Eritreans in Geneva formed a new association that primarily aims to help a successful integration of Eritrean refugees in Switzerland where over 25,000 new caseload of Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers have entered the country in the past few years.

The new community association, which will be known in French as “d’Entraide Suisse-Erythrée” (Eritrean-Swiss Mutual Aid), shall be free from political and religious affiliation. Existing Eritrean political and civil society groups as well as free individuals have committed themselves to promote the objectives of the community association.

The general assembly was informed by the organizing committee, mainly composed of young Eritreans raised in Eritrea and abroad, that a good number of support activities have been underway by volunteers in the community.

Four of the organizing committee members who led the proceedings of the general assembly included Tedros Eyasu, Sophia Ammar, Tedros Teklemariam, and Awet Aregai. Addressing the general assembly in turn, they explained to the general assembly the various objectives of the new mutual aid association which include the following:    

1. Granting a range of assistance to newly arriving Eritrean asylum seekers and refugees to help them become self-supporting members in the society. In particular

• Providing them necessary information related to job opportunities, housing, insurance etc
• Translation assistance at administrative offices and at health centres
• Taking preventive measures to avoid violent confrontations among them.

1. Preparing education and capacity building programmes to help Eritrean refugees to integrate in the Swiss society.
2. Creating a common centre where the asylum seekers, refugees and Swiss nationals of Eritrean origin can meet.
3. Preparing the ground to preserve Eritrean cultures and traditions.

The general assembly adopted the constitution of the new association in a unanimous vote and mandated the organizing committee to lead the association till the next general assembly.

The general assembly also voiced commended the services of mothers in supporting the new refugees, many of them still living in under-ground bunkers, and warmly applauded the work of Swiss-born young boys and girls who are granting French classes to the refugees, several of them being under the age of 20

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In picture are among the young educators who availed themselves to talk about the project at the assembly. They are from left to right: Hannah Ammar, Niyat Tesfaldet and Veronica Almedom. Other youngsters who take part in the teaching courses are Filmon Zerai, Uda Bekit, Lina Hamde, Senait Almedom.