AEFM
Association of Eritreans and their Friends in Michigan

Association Goals and Functions

The Association of Eritreans and their Friends in Michigan (AEFM) is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization established to promote people-to-people interactions, enhance educational opportunities, and to appreciate cultural understanding between Eritrean-Americans and the general public in Michigan as well as between the peoples of Eritrea and the United States in general. The governing body of AEFM is a board elected by the general membership to serve two years at a time.

The goals of the association include the following:

  • To promote targeted social, cultural and educational interactions among Eritreans, Eritrean-Americans and the general public at large for mutual understanding and awareness;
  • To share understanding concering Eritrea's culture, society, history, resources, and economic opportunites and to help pass on these understandings to the younger generation and to the general American public;
  • To engage in modest educational or developmental and humanitarian activities both here in Michigan and in Eritrea; and
  • To organize public forums and social functions to promote the general and specific goals and interests of the organization

    • Specific Activities of AEFM

    Specific Activities of the Association include the following:
    1. Teaching of language for those who need help, such as new arrivals from Eritrea;
    2. Holding Eritrean cultural shows in schools, colleges, and civic centers as well as participating in state festivals;
    3. Hosting public gatherings and festivities on Eritrean national celebrations to introduce the American public to the Eritrean culture
    4. Providing humanitarian assistance, where needed and possible, both here in Michigan and in Eritrea in collaboration with other agencies or organizations of similar interests and goals; and
    5. Collecting of books and other needed educational materials for Eritrean children who, otherwise, would not have the opportunity to access them.

    Program Beneficiaries

    Benefits accrue to a number of groups both here and in Eritrea: Eritrean-Americans who may be facing economic and social or cultural adjustment problems: the children of such Americans whose experience will be enriched through multi-cultural learning about both their background and the United States; local schools and civic centersthrough outreach activities of the Association; and the general public of both Michigan and Eritrea through people-to-people participation in education, cultural exchange, and humanitarian activities.

    How One Can Be Involved

    AEFM is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental, tax-exempt local organization established to promote educational, social, cultural, humanitarian, and development goals. The Association being run by volunteers and provate contributions, there are a number of ways an individual can participate to help achieve the above goals of the Association:
  • Being a member of the Association
  • Giving financial support to its activities (see below)
  • Participating in its public activities as volunteers;
  • Sharing information with others to help promote the activities of the Association; and
  • Contacting the Association for programmatic collaborations

    • The Board of Directors of AEFM would greatly appreciate any contributions made by individuals and organizations in order to achieve its goals of helping people help themselves. To send your tax-deductible contributions or membership fee please print and fill out the following form and mail it to the address below: Contributions

    Eritrean Saying: "The true worth of a gift is not the size given but the proportion shared"

    Mailing Address:

    Association of Eritreans and their
    Friends in Michigan (AEFM)
    P.O.Box 293
    East Lansing, MI 48826-0293