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I have received the following emails from Jennie Street (co-author of
Red Sea Railway) which are reproduced with her permission and encouragement.
The appeal realised the grand sum of £ (GBP)
3629 which has been remitted
and received. Jenny tells me the appeal is now CLOSED, (23rd April 2014)
(Amanuel's condition
was such that treatment was not possible and he returned to Eritrea where he
died on 28th May 2014, very sad news indeed.)
Dear friends of the Eritrean Railway
Please read the email below, sent to me by Tedros Kebbede, whom many will know was the lynch pin at Travel House International in Asmara, organising rail trips to Eritrea. Tedros himself is now in Sweden for kidney treatment.
It is very sad that Amanuel, General Manager of the ER, is now in Sudan for treatment of bone cancer and kidney problems, and the prognosis looks bad.
As you will see, Tedros has asked for friends and fans of the ER to give some financial support for Amanuel’s medication and for his wife Regat’s accommodation in Sudan.
I am prepared to co-ordinate this from UK, and currently Tedros is organising how we get the money to Amanuel. The suggestion is that I transfer the money to Eritrea, because Regat will be beside Amanuel’s bedside all the time, and that Goitom Gerezgiher, the Acting Manager, will take the money to the Sudan. The money could all be paid into my paypal account (a simple transfer using my email address but people need to have a paypal account), which would mean one lump sum payment can be remitted through the Eritrean Embassy in London.
You will understand that this will all be done on a trust basis, but given the difficulties of banking and money through Eritrea and Sudan it is probably the best we can do.
If anyone has any better suggestions, I would be pleased to hear them.
This has not yet been confirmed, and other better options may come about, but I would like to hear from you as to whether you would like to make a contribution to support this man who has done so much both for his country and for the Eritrean Railway – I think we all owe him a big debt.
Tedros's own email reads:
As you might be aware Amanuel you co-author is sick and is in the Sudan for medical purpose.
His illness is bone cancer which he has already lost his right leg, you might be aware that his left leg has already injury from the armed struggle therefore he is forced to stay on the wheel chair.
Not only that I have discovered also he has lost one of his kidneys due to this
illness, therefore in short I can say only he is
struggling for his life.
The medical cost in the sudan is alarming although the ER is paying his
hospitalisation which is USD 70 per day, but all the medication that he requires is on his own, as the hospital in the Sudan does not have the medicine therefore need to be imported from the US.
So far with the help of friends and relatives he got the first batch of medicine that
cost US 8600, but I am not sure whether he is in need of more medicine or not.
Another thing is as his wife Reggat is also with him she has to cover her living costs in the Sudan which looks beyond their budget.
Therefore as best friend of ER and specially of Amanuel I urge you if we can do and organize something to help him
financially.
Therefore please use your contacts and aware everyone on the steam train fan to contribute what that can.
I am writing this because I thought we have the moral obligation to help this kind person.
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