Jamie Ahmed

Founder & Executive Director of EMRD

I founded EMRD (Eritrean Muslims Relief & Development) with one dream in my heart — to serve my people for the sake of Allah.

I have seen the pain, the struggle, and the silence of my community. I have seen our imams arrested, our Islamic schools closing one after another, and our children growing up without proper Islamic education. I have seen our youth without guidance, our teachers without support, and our young sisters being influenced by the wrong paths.

I have seen that we, Eritrean Muslims, all believe in La ilaha illa Allah. We believe in Allah, we love our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and we believe in the Day of Judgment. We know this dunya is short, and that Allah created us to worship Him — yet, somehow, we have become divided. We are separated by ethnicity, region, and pride — while our hearts drift away from each other and from Allah.

I have seen our minds become attached to the dunya — forgetting the Akhirah, forgetting death, forgetting that soon we will all stand before our Lord. And I asked myself: “What will we say to Allah when we stand before Him?”

At that moment, I knew something had to change — not tomorrow, but today.

That is when I began EMRD — with a simple but powerful mission: to rebuild the foundation of Islamic life in Eritrea through education, masajid, unity, and service.

From the very first day, my goal has been clear:

• To make Islamic education accessible and free for every Eritrean Muslim, wherever they are.
• To build safe and beautiful masajid across our cities and towns.
• To help every brother and sister grow strong in faith, confident in knowledge, and united as one Ummah.
• To bring together all Eritrean Muslims — from every ethnic group and region — as one hand with many fingers, leaving behind our differences and uniting for the sake of Allah.

This is not the project of one man — it is the mission of every believer who loves Allah and seeks khayr for their people.

My Focus

My focus is built on four pillars that guide everything we do:

I believe that true change begins with faith, knowledge, and unity.
And with the help of Allah, I will continue this mission — until my last breath.

My Dream

I dream to see every Eritrean Muslim brother and sister educated, guided, and successful — in this world and in the Hereafter.

I dream of building a masjid and an Islamic school in every major city of Eritrea, where the light of the Qur’an and knowledge will shine for generations to come.

I want our people — young and old, brothers and sisters, at home and abroad — to learn the words of Allah, to live by the Sunnah, and to grow strong in their deen and their character.

For those living outside Eritrea, I dream of making Islamic education accessible online, so that no matter where they are, they can stay connected to the Qur’an and their identity as Muslims.

I ask Allah to bless me with long life, health, strength, and knowledge — so that I may complete this mission: to build His houses in every Eritrean city, to establish schools that teach His Book, and to raise a generation who loves Him, serves Him, and lives for His sake.

My goal is not only to build buildings — but to build hearts. To fill our homes and communities with the remembrance of Allah, with love, unity, and compassion.

And my greatest wish — the one that keeps me working every day — is to see all my brothers and sisters together, smiling, forgiven, and reunited in Jannah, under the mercy of Allah.

And above all, my greatest wish — the one that drives me every single day —
is to see all my Muslim brothers and sisters together again in Jannah, smiling, united, and at peace — where there is no pain, no hardship, and no separation.

This is my purpose. My calling. My lifelong mission — to serve Allah by serving His people.