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A bit of history, outline & profile! Wegene is a 501(c) non-profit organization that was founded in 2001 by a group of friends who reside in the United States. The founding members are 10 friends who all felt a strong calling to help the less fortunate children in Ethiopia. This foundation is a grass root organization designed to empower or to give the tools and skills to the vulnerable communities in Ethiopia.
WEF gives opportunity for the vulnerable communities to charter their future via education, training, and the provision of appropriate tools and skills to sustain children and the community constituency towards self-sufficiency, holistic and productive balanced lives.
WEF is designed to sponsor and support families with children in their own home setting. It is unique in that it supports the vulnerable community via the local people who are neighbors, friends and part of the community. Children are given the tools and support to attend schools and get involved in creative and nurturing activities. Families are supported in their basic drive for survival by providing them with tools and resources to access decent homes, school, and productive work that could sustain the family.
The support comes in the form of making financial, technical and material resources directly available to the vulnerable families with children via local partners. Partners across the world and specifically here in the United States are encouraged to sponsor, families and children at a cost of one cup of coffee per day.
Partners will get photographs, reports and personal letters from the sponsored families. Wegene holds partners appreciation day annually. At that time all updates about the Wegene families are provided. The families yearly pictures, videos, progress report, the children’s report cards, receipts, letters, requests, including potential lists of families who are on waiting list to be sponsored are also exhibited.
WEF organizational hierarchy
WEF has a ten-member board. The main officers are the president, vice president, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.
The following are brief descriptions of the officer’s duties:
The President is responsible for the general supervision of WEF and exercises this responsibility by:
- Presiding over WEF board and general meetings
- Appointing committee chairs
- Authorizing receipts and disbursements
- Participating in the work of all committees
The Vice President assists the President in all that pertains to WEF by:
- Assuming duties assigned by the president
- Presiding over all meetings in the president’s absence
The Secretary keeps written records of the organization’s activities by:
- Recording minutes at board and general meetings
- Attending to correspondence in a timely manner
- Maintaining a list of active members
- Notifying board members of scheduled meetings
- Notifying members of their membership dues
The Treasurer fulfills the duty of custodian of the monies of the organization by:
- Receiving members’ dues
- Keeping accurate records of receipts and disbursement
- Writing checks authorized by the organization
- Preparing regular financial reports
The Marketing and Fundraising Team Leader endeavours to raise funds and promote the foundation by:
- Introducing WEGENE to various people and organizations
- Coordinating various fundraising activities such as events etc.
- Generating various ideas on how to raise funds
- Coordinating the efforts of the various team members
A word from the president: Nini F. Legesse
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I am one of the founding members of the Wegene Ethiopian Foundation. I am very grateful that I am part of a foundation that provides fundamental changes to less fortunate families who sustain themselves at the price of one cup of coffee per day and make a difference to themselves and their own communities. This is really the finest sort of empowerment where we all can be partners and the ownership belongs to our partners who benefit from the program. As a partner of Wegene, I get the opportunity to make a difference at personal level whose personal value and civic satisfaction is beyond imagination. Wegene’s vision and strategy is simple, the resources are deliverable, and the overhead cost is near to nothing as almost every body involved is contributing their money, time, and contacts in kind to this noble work. May we change the habits of our hearts towards service, giving and caring is the challenge that Wegene poses.
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A word from the vice-president: Kelemework Yimam
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I came to the United States after high school and was very fortunate to go straight to college. I received my MBA from George Washington University and I am currently employed as a project manager at Food and Drug Administration. It is an honor to serve the Wegene Foundation and be able to make a difference in many lives.
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A word from the Secretary: Elizabeth Afessa
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After I finished My High school study in my beloved Country, Ethiopia, I came to the United States for further education .I received my BS in Chemistry from Howard University in Washington, DC. I have been engaged in a number of jobs. I am also a Certified MCP. At present, I am working at Catholic Charities as a Coordinator of a program called DC Pharmaceutical Resource Center. I am one of the founding members of WEF, serving as the secretary of the Organization. I am very happy to be part of this great mission.
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A word from the Treasurer: Hirut Gorems
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I came to the United States right after I finished high school in Ethiopia. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from George Mason University and am currently employed by Miller and Smith, Inc., a mid-size homebuilder in Northern Virginia. As everybody does, I love my country and my people. I always wanted to do something meaningful to help. But I always have been more of a talker than a doer. So when my friends suggested starting this organization I jumped at it. It was a dream come true. For me it is a privilege to be able help in any way I can. I did not expect to be paid in any way, but my work in this organization turned out to be so much fun and fulfilling; in other word it is priceless. I wish we did not have so much poverty in our country, but we do. We just need to remember that every little bit we do makes a big difference.
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A word from Amarech Worku, Arts and Crafts Coordinator
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Arts and crafts have been my passion since I was a child. I love to design and create something unique and different Cross-stitch, quilting and patchwork, needlepoint, knitting, crochet; tapestries, lace making and embroidery are all needlecraft techniques that are my hobbies. I have lots of fun making them and enjoy creating new ideas.
I am very fortunate to contribute my talent for a cause well deserved.
It gives me a great satisfaction seeing Wegene Foundation growing.
Our cause is just and we deliver. I am glad to see our mechanism of assistance and the road to self-reliance is working well one family at a time.
Finally, it’s a great privilege and honor for me to be part of this talented crew who are the driving force of Wegene Ethiopian Foundation.
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A word from Sarah Addisu, Grant Administrator
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I am an avid believer of the saying "to whom much is given, much is expected" mainly because growing up my parents instilled in me the values of helping the less fortunate. I was privileged enough to further my education in the US after high school, I received a Mechanical Engineering degree at Brown University and a Masters in Manufacturing Engineering at University of Michigan. Having been given this opportunity in life, I feel that I have a moral obligation and social responsibility to reach out and help others in my home country and Wegene has given me the opportunity to do so. A little bit of caring goes a long way…….and so I am privileged to be part of Wegene’s journey to spread hope and encouragement in order to make positive changes in another individual’s life.
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A word from Hiwot Alemayehu, Communications Lead
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I work for Bank of America as a Banker for the last 10yrs.
Happily married with 2kids. A Wegene member for 3yrs. I went to Ethiopia last year and had a chance to visit one of the Wegene families and was very touched by what we have been able to accomplish. After seeing the work of WEGENE, I have decided to dedicate some of my time in helping Wegene.
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A word from Saba Difaye, Event Coordinator
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My name is Saba Difaye. I live in Maryland with my husband and two children. I have always believed that we all have a responsibility to reach out and help those that are in need. Being a member of the Wegene Organization in one of the ways in which I can give back to the less fortunate kids in Ethiopia.
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A word from Rachel Brackett, Public Relations
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As I reflect on all that I have accomplished in this country, I look back and focus on those that are less fortunate. I graduated with a BA in Computer Science from SUNY Brockport. I am currently a federal employee with the Department of Homeland Security. I count my blessings every day and I am committed in to making a difference in the lives of others. Nothing can be more fulfilling than this. I realized that investing in our community is a great way to give back to those in need.
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A word from the Marketing and Fundraising Team Leader: Omar Sabbar
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I was one of the fortunate Ethiopians who got the chance to come to the United States and was able to pursue my degrees from California State University. Currently I work for EDS as a Systems Analyst and I am very thankful. Few years back, I joined my friends to start a charitable organization to help the poor and home less people in my native country, Ethiopia. This was our way of reaching out and helping people that are not fortunate as us. I have realized how lucky I was. I have become much more aware of those less fortunate. The happiness you get when helping people and the subsequent joy at the changes and new opportunities you see in their lives is priceless. I am really proud of "WEGENE".If we put a smile on one face, one kid, one poor, one homeless family at a time; we will have done our job.
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"Rebuilding families one child at a time!"
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