We are one and the same so let us come together

I would like to take this moment to thank all of our members who flew from different states as well as all Tigreans/Ethiopians of Las Vegas who showed us their full support during the occasion. A special thanks in particular to our members in Vegas who has done a marvelous work in organizing the event and made our 4th re-union a success.

It has been a wonderful and productive four years for our Association. As an organization we have come along and have accomplished many great things. As you know we are few in number but good at heart who love our Tigray more than anything else. We are few but dedicated individuals who strive to make a difference in the life of our Awlaelo in particular and Tigray and Ethiopia in general. We have every reason to be proud of. Our members are also active participants in all the civic associations that are supporting Tigray and its regions/Awrajas. We did not use Awlaelo schools Alumni as a fence to separate ourselves from others. Instead, we used this organization to do more and become involved with all alumni and civic orgs to contribute our share for a better Tigray. We understand the challenges that Alumni associations are facing and are going to face. From day one we knew that the division of Tigreans by Awraja would even go further to a wereda (district) level as many high schools are flourishing in every district of Tigray.

It was because of these that we have called up on all associations to come together and strategize for a better association that will address the need of all Tigreans. As it stands now, if the alumni associations fail to understand the grave danger of divisions and failed to re-evaluate their strategies in creating an umbrella organization, more of our members from the districts of Tigray are going to establish associations at a district level to support the newly emerging high schools. This scares our board and members a lot. If we had organized ourselves together and put the amount of money every association spent in supporting their respective high schools for some kind of endowment fund or built a hospital somewhere where the income generated form the hospital would be used to support the high schools, it would have created a better result. Therefore we are again renewing our call for a unity.

We are calling up on all Tigreans and Alumni associations to join together in hosting an event organized by all Alumni and other associations to support one good project that can generate a lasting income and that can create some job opportunities for our brothers and sisters in Tigray. There is no doubt in our mind in the support that these Alumni Associations are providing to Tigray. We understand that Alumni associations are the best for charity work. There is no overhead for administration. Every thing we do we do it for free. Therefore, the pennies and dimes we are collecting from each and every one of you goes toward the projects and students in the respective areas of Tigray. However, there are some problems emerging: Problems of divisiveness, problems of not looking at the big picture-lasting solutions for poverty and illiteracy.

Another problem witnessed is that these alumni associations and others that are Tigrean based are looking for support from the same sources, Tigreans in different states. We believe this creates a financial burden on the Tigreans who are willing to support. Another thing worth mentioning or asking is that if our Tigreans brothers and sister who provide monetary support to all alumni associations are doing it with equal weight or without favoritism of one association over the other? Obviously, there is and there will be favoritism and “AWRAJAWINET”.

Some may argue that charity begins at home. But let us assume that we have one house called Tigray with eight rooms to accommodate all of us. We want to see all of the eight rooms in the house (Tigray) to prosper equally as the lag of one affect the other. We know whatever we are doing through the alumni associations is commendable but it would be better if we also do it together in order to reinforce the idea of one people in one regional state – Tigray and Tigreans: Let us come together and be united to create synergy!

Awlaelo Schools Alumni Association

Las Vegas 2007