CREW\’s Fundraising Letter

Greetings

Center for the Rights of Ethiopian Women (CREW) was established in March 2012 as an outcome of an international conference organized by Ethiopian women who came from different states in the United States. CREW is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious, human rights and peace organization registered in the State of Maryland. It has a 501 (c ) 3 tax exempt status.  The objectives of the organization are to promote the political, economic and social rights of Ethiopian women worldwide. To realize its objectives, CREW collaborates with local and international human rights organizations.

Since its establishment, CREW has done the following activities:

• Organized annual conferences to raise awareness about the multifaceted problems Ethiopian women at home and abroad face. It has invited researchers who have done work pertaining to Ethiopian women issues to present their research findings at the organization’s annual conferences. In addition, in collaboration with different media outlets, CREW has provided different educational programs related to the status of Ethiopian women.

• Engaged in several activities to address the plight of Ethiopian women migrant workers in the Middle Eastern countries. CREW has been providing support to victims of abuse as a result of a network created with Ethiopian activists in Beirut and Saudi Arabia. CREW was at the forefront in addressing the gross human rights violations against Ethiopian women because of the recent crackdown on migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. It called upon all pertinent institutions in Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia to hold the perpetrators accountable for the abuses, beatings and rapes committed on Ethiopian migrant workers

• In an attempt to contribute to the rehabilitation of the repatriated Ethiopian migrant workers, CREW, in collaboration with a local organization in Ethiopia, provided shelter, food, medical assistance and different skills training for four women returnees.  All of the four returnees have completed their training and are now able to lead their lives. The money for this project was donated by the Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America (ESFNA).  In addition, CREW has recently supported two migrant workers who have returned from Beirut.  These two individuals seek medical treatment due to serious bodily damage they had while they were in Beirut.

• Assisted Shewaye  Molla, a former migrant domestic worker at the home of one of the late Mummer Gaddafi ‘s sons in Libya, who was brutally attacked by her employer.  After CNN\’s coverage of her situation, an organization collected money on her behalf from across the globe.  The organization raised the money to cover all her medical expenses and to use the remaining money for other victims. Unfortunately, Shewaye was not given the collected money. Because of CREW\’s intervention in the case, over $30,000 was immediately transferred to Shewaye\’s account.

• As a human rights organization, CREW has issued several press releases against human rights violations committed in Ethiopia.

In general, in order to struggle for the rights of Ethiopian women worldwide and to advocate for the respect of human rights in Ethiopia, strengthening CREW as a viable institution has become our priority.  The current laws in Ethiopia restrict non-government organizations to advocate for the rights of people.  We, therefore, believe that advocating for the rights of Ethiopians has become the responsibility of those of us who are living abroad.

Since we believe that you have a strong conviction and interest to promote the rights of Ethiopians worldwide, your assistance to CREW to fulfill its mission and goals will be very much appreciated.  CREW, therefore, requests your generous monetary assistance to achieve its objectives and goals. If you would like to help, please make your tax deductable donation payable to CREW and send it to CREW, P.O. Box10412. Silver Spring, MD. 20914. If you prefer to donate online, please go to our website: www.centerforethiopianwomen.org and donate by using pay pal.

In addition, to raise a reasonable fund to strengthen CREW, we are going to have a fundraising event on August 2, 2014 at the Howard University’s Blackburn Hall in Washington, DC .  If you are in the Washington DC area at that time, we will appreciate it very much if you attend the event to show your support to our organization.

We thank you in advance for all your support.

Maigenet Shifferraw, Ph.D

Center for the Rights of Ethiopian Women (CREW)