Eritrea

Dr. Lisa Masterson Visits Eritrea

Published on 8:25 PM Category: Eritrean News, Health

Dr. Lisa Masterson from the TV series "The Doctors" visits Eritrea

Feb. 24, 2012 (ASMARA) — Dr. Lisa Masterson, a co-host of the Emmy Award-winning TV series “The Doctors,” visited Eritrea this week to work with local physicians and clinics.

In an interview held with Erina, Dr. Masterson expressed appreciation for the leading roles health professionals have been playing in significantly reducing maternal and child mortality rates in Eritrea.

Emphasizing the importance of education towards developing adequate health services, Dr. Masterson congratulated the recent Orotta School of General Medicine and Dentistry graduates and encouraged further investments and support for Eritrean medical students.

In striving to assist developing nations with proper maternal health facilities, Dr. Masterson has established a charity, Maternal Fetal Care International, and funded the first sub-Saharan Africa obstetrics and gynecology residency program in Eritrea.

Since winning independence in 1991, Eritrea has been one of the top health performing nations in sub-Sahara Africa. According to the United Nations Development Progamme (UNDP) Eritrea is one of four African countries on track to meet it's Millennium Development Goal 5 for Maternal Health.

Maternal Mortality (per 100,000 births)

Country	1991	2008	Percent
Eritrea	1400	280	80% drop
Ethiopia	900	470	52% drop
Sudan	830	750	9% drop
Somalia	Unknown	1200	N/A
*2008 is the latest data available
Source: UNDP

Dr. Lisa Masterson visits Eritrea

Eritrean Doctor graduates from the Orotta School of General Medicine and Dentistry

Eritrean President's Son Marries Longtime Girlfriend

Published on 9:11 PM Category: Eritrean News

President Isaias Afwerki's Son Marries Longtime Girlfriend

Feb. 18, 2012 (ASMARA) — Abraham Isaias, the son of Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki (PIA), got married earlier this month with his longtime girlfriend.

The small wedding ceremony was held in Asmara on the weekend of February 3rd and 4th and was attended by Abraham's immediate family, friends and distinguished guests.

The Afwerki Family

Little is known of the Afwerki family and no online image is currently available of Abraham or his recent wedding. The president's family does not participate in politics and are seen in a favorable light for their modest lifestyles and contributions.

The 28-year-old Abraham had finished his national service in Sawa, where his younger sister Elsa is currently attending.

It is widely known the first lady, Saba Haile, takes public transportation to and from work and spends much of her free time assisting local charities.

Eritrean Naming Process

Eritrean traditions stipulates the wife keeps her last name, while their children must adopt the husband's first name as their surname.

The Afwerki Family

Name	Relation	Age
Isaias Afwerki	Father	66
Saba Haile	Mother	59
Abraham Isaias	Son	28
Elsa Isaias	Daughter	19
Unknown*	Son	Unknown

* Unknown if the president has two or three children

* Note: this page was edited on February 20th - corrected name of PIA's daughter. As more info of the wedding comes out, this page will be updated. If you have information to add to this story or have photos of the wedding ceremony, please contact the editor: MadoteEritrea@gmail.com

The following photos are of the Afwerki family

President Isaias Afwerki - Photo credit: © Sami Sallinen

Saba Haile receiving an award in U.A.E.

19-year-old Elsa Isaias with her father at Sawa Festival

Hanna Tesfayohanes Foundation

Published on 5:50 PM

Hanna Tesfayohanes Foundation

The United States emphasizes children be vaccinated for a number of ailments when attending public schools. While the risks are negligible, their one-size-fits-all vaccination campaign often neglects to take into account of the biological and genetic differences of children, which in rare cases, can result in perfectly healthy children having severe reactions to these vaccines. One such victim is believed to be Hanna from New York.

Ten-year-old Hanna Tesfayohanes was an avid reader and a lovable bright student at Dr. Weeks Elementary School in Syracuse, New York. After the healthy fifth grader received vaccination from her physician a few years ago, her health rapidly deteriorated and passed away on April 16, 2011 with her family by her side.

In honor of Hanna, her family and friends have come together and started a foundation with the goal of raising awareness of the risks involved with child vaccinations and to build a public library for children in Eritrea. If you would like to support this foundation in achieving their goals, then make a contribution with the information provided below.

Hanna Foundation
Bank of America
New York State
4830-3605-4634

For checks and money order, the address is:
1201 Lodi Street Apt. 1, Syracuse, NY 13023

For more information, contact Hanna's older sister: tesfa4944@gmail.com

Hanna Tesfayohanes celebrating Christmas - 2001-2011 R.I.P.

Major Developments Approved for Eritrea's 2012 Budget

Published on 7:32 PM Category: Eritrean News

Major infrastructure development approved for Eritrea's 2012 Budget

Jan. 12, 2012 (ASMARA) — In a cabinet meeting held at the capital, Eritrean officials approved a number of large-scale development projects for the 2012 fiscal year.

In keeping in-line with its 5-year development strategy, the ministers had taking into consideration the nation’s current socio-economic inequalities, housing shortages, and the impact of rising commodity prices.

According to state media, the majority of the budget focuses on infrastructure building, food security, renewable energy, health, education and poverty reduction. Some of the major infrastructure developments in store include large housing development, expansion of Eritrean rail system, modernizing Eritrea's airport, and renovation of Asmara's historic perimeters.

What separates this year's fiscal budget from previous ones is the prominence officials have have given to expanding the private sector. By allocating enough funds and passing new legislation, officials aim to encourage and grow private entrepreneurship.

Recognizing the impact of rising fuel and food prices, the budget has also allocated large sums of funds to minimize the impact on ordinary citizens by expanding social services and increasing domestic production of commonly imported goods. Moreover, to decrease dependence on fossil fuel, investments in alternative and renewable clean energy such as solar and wind will get a priority.

With a red-hot economy that seen its GDP growth accelerate to 17 percent in 2011, the Red Sea state will strive for a more broad-based economic growth in 2012. Despite imported commodity prices remaining high, the country expects the economy to grow by 7-10 percent this fiscal year.

Eritrean Presidential Palace Decorated for Ge'ez Christmas

Eritrean airlines and airport to be expanded and developed

Traditional Eritrean Hairstyles

Published on 8:57 AM Category: Entertainment, Eritrean People

Traditional Eritrean Hairstyles

Eritrean hairstyles are as diverse and colorful as the many ethnic groups that inhabit the nation. They characterize and distinguish each ethnicity and play an important role in traditional societies. Depending on the gender, certain hairstyles can even provide information about a person's beliefs, marital status and to which ceremonial occasions they are participating in.

Among women from the Tigrinya ethnic group, there are five hairstyles that are commonly found: albaso, gamme, segem, rubbo and gilbich. Albaso usually consists of seven large braids that flow back till the end extends out like a fur coat. Segem, rubbo and gilbich are similar hairstyles that have smaller braids going directly back with varying patterns. Gamme hairstyle is intended for adolescent girls who haven't married. This hairstyle usually features braids being braided to the sides and backward.

The most common hairstyles found among Tigre women are called fegiret and qedamit. These hairstyles consists of small micro-braids that run sideways and straight back to the nape of the neck. Fegiret also features seven strands of braids grouped together into two separate areas that cover the forehead slightly.

Among traditional Hidarab (Beja), Beni-Amer and some Tigre men, they style their hair in a fluffy crown like shape that have long ringlets hanging down on the sides. This type of hairstyle is known as the tiffa in the Hidareb language. Attesting to its antiquity, ancient Egyptian paintings found in tombs that date back to the 12th Dynasty show the tiffa hairstyle being present among their citizens.

During the Eritrean revolution, many freedom fighters sported a hairstyle known as jebjeb. It consisted of small to large dread-like twists that became popular among all the different male ethnolinguistic groups. When Eritrean men were seen with this hairstyle, it signified they were seasoned guerrilla fighters who were seeking independence of Eritrea.

The following images showcases a few of the common Eritrean hairstyles. If you want to remove or add a modern Eritrean hairstyle image of your own, email the editor here: MadoteEritrea@Gmail.com