STRUCTURE
Established in March 2001, as a US 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, KDN has a head office currently based in the State of Maryland, USA. Preparations are underway to establish regional offices in Europe and Ethiopia. Each regional office is established according to the laws of individual countries and can adopt its own bylaws consistent with the current KDN bylaws. Besides, each regional office will have the autonomy to raise and manage funds, finance projects identified by KDN, and remain accountable to its financing sources.
The major role of the head office is to coordinate programs of regional offices, formulating policy framework, and identifying projects to be financed by each regional office. KDN head office is organized into the Board of Directors, executive committee, and advisory committees. The powers, duties and term of office of elected board members, executive officers (president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer) and advisory committee members are clearly stated in the KDN Bylaws. All elected officers serve the Network without compensation. KDN Board and executive officers conduct the day-to-day activity through personal contact, email, and teleconferencing.
KDN Advisory Committees consist of members and, in some occasions, non-members having interests, expertise and/or specialization in topics or projects identified by the Board of Directors. The current Advisory Committees include, but are not limited to — Scholarship Committee, Grant Writing and Fund Raising Committee, Curriculum Development & Literacy Campaign Committee, Employment Generation Scheme Committee, Project Planning and Budget Committee, Infrastructure Committee, Health Committee, Science & Technology Committee, Research & Publications Committee, Public Relations, Web-Site Design and Maintenance EXEC COMMITTEE
Alemayehu Lirenso, President
Alemayehu Lirenso holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia (U.K) and currently teaches graduate and undergraduate classes at the University of Phoenix (Northern California Campus). Formerly, he was a visiting scholar at Stanford University, an Assistant Professor of Geography and a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Research of Addis Ababa University. He has extensive research experience, obtained four international research awards including The World Bank Robert McNamara Fellowship, and served as consultant to international development agencies, non-governmental agencies, and the national government. His research expertise and publications include agricultural policy, food security, food aid, sustainable development, regional planning, economic reforms and market liberalization.
Email 510-790-1550
Haile Larebo, Vice President
Dr. Haile M. Larebo teaches history at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA. He holds a BA, STL, and MPhil degrees in Divinity and Religious Studies. He earned his PhD in African History from the School of Oriental and African Studies of University of London. Haile M. Larebo has extensive community work experience. He was involved with the British Refugee Council and a leading Ethiopian refugee community in London, the Ethiopian Community in Britain, where he served as treasurer and chair. Dr. Haile Larebo has published several articles in scholarly magazines and journals. His magnum opus, The Building of an Empire: Italian Land Policy and Practice in Ethiopia, 1935-1941, was published by Clarendon Press Oxford University Press, and is winner of the 1995 Helen Marraro Prize. He has presented several papers in academic conferences and community gatherings.
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Lire Ersado, Member
Lire Ersado is Senior Economist in the Middle East and North Africa region of the World Bank, working on issues of human development, poverty reduction, project design and implementation, and analytic and advisory activities. Formerly, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), a Fulbright fellow at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and an assistant lecturer at Alemaya University. Lire's work has covered many countries including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kyrgyz Republic, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, Serbia and Zimbabwe. Lire holds a PhD. in economics from Virginia Tech.
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Kassa Lafebo, Member
Mr. Kassa Lafebo earned Diploma in management from Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia) and Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Business Administration from Kensington University (USA). While in Ethiopia, he was in charge of logistics and warehouse management for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for 12 years (1992- 2004). Currently, he serves as Inventory Control Coordinator at QVC Inc. located in Lancaster, PA (USA). Outside his regular work hours, Kassa has demonstrated great passion volunteering and helping the community where he lives. For the past eight years, he has served as a Direct Support Professional (DSP) at Community services Group (CSG) where he has assisted people with Intellectual disabilities.
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Abba Yoseph Awano, Secretary
Abba-Joseph Awano holds a Ph.D in Sciences of Education from Pontificial Salesian University in Rome, Italy. Previously, he has served as a priest in Catholic Church in Kambata/Hadiya, Ethiopia. Currently, Abba Yoseph is working at FDA (USA) and spends his spare time in the service of many disadvantaged people. He has a wide range of experience in education, projects management, coordination, and leadership training in Youth Ministry.
Beyond and above spiritual and pastoral services, Abba Joseph has dedicated his life to the pursuit of an individual holistic development for the common good of all, whether while helping the unemployed youth and families in distress or abject poverty. He joined the KDN’s management impressed by the organization’s dedication and accomplishments in serving younger people since its foundation.