Economic Efficiency
Our organization is small and pay no salaries or remunerations of any kind. Of course, a remote project like this calls for local presence now and then, and the transportation cost for our project leaders must be covered within Ethiopia.
What we do in Debre Sina is to finance structural improvements, learning materials, and other essential needs. As a contributor, you are entitled to receive specific information, including verifications, and we will do our very best to provide that. In this specific project, most of the funding has so far been donated by Senait’s close network — people who knew her well, as well as those who know her loved ones. In addition to supporters in the United States and Ethiopia, many contributors are based in Sweden, where Senait lived for most of her life.
If you are considering to contribute, either with an annual membership or a separate donation, we will ensure that your money will be spent with caution and transparency. This is laid down in our statutes. We will not travel to Ethiopia on your expense, as the board is working without remuneration. The Society was started to honor and remember a great and beloved human being, and with that follows moral obligations.
As explained previously, the Foundation is inactive. Only donations from Sweden will be formally treated as part of the Societies’ finances. Due to federal regulations in the US and Ethiopia, it is not possible to include money collected in these countries.
Nevertheless, all contributors will receive information of how their money has been spent to the best of our abilities. If donating outside of our Organization, please make sure to include your contact information so we can send reports of how your specific contributions have been used. We will make sure all contributions reach Ethiopia. Money collected abroad is generally exchanged into USD and brought to Ethiopia by those working for the Senait Seyoum Society. All transactions are following Ethiopian federal law, including limits for money brought into the country. Money is always exchanged in the official market at the official rate. Most contributors within Ethiopia have donated using the local currency, Ethiopian Birr. In other cases, donations have included books, computers, etc. These items are not possible to keep in our standard monetary book-keeping, but they will be recognized and reported through the website, unless otherwise requested. It is our ambition to collect all verifications to match them with the total contributions, which will be part of the yearly report.