Ms. Frealem Shibabaw
Founder and visionary leader
Known affectionately in communities as Enatalem, Ms. Frealem has positioned school feeding as a human capital investment, not a short-term welfare response.Leadership & Teams
Leadership, accountability, and team excellence.
Strong leadership and effective teams are fundamental to achieving sustainable impact. ESMI is guided by visionary leadership, professional teams, and governance structures that support accountability, transparency, and long-term sustainability.
Founder story
Ms. Frealem Shibabaw: a mother to millions and visionary leader in school feeding.
Ms. Frealem Shibabaw, also known as Fray, is the founder and visionary behind the Ethiopia School Meal Initiative. Her life's work has centered on a simple but powerful mission: no child should try to learn while hungry.
In communities such as Wag Hemra and beyond, she has been affectionately called Enatalem, Mother of the World, reflecting years of service to children whose dignity, education, and future she has worked to protect.
Shimekit Maru
Project Manager
Supports planning, implementation, supervision, field coordination, stakeholder engagement, documentation, and delivery of ESMI projects.
Biruktawit Mekonnen
National Project Coordinator
Coordinates national programs, partnerships, implementation follow-up, monitoring, reporting, and institutional operations.General Assembly
Supports strategic direction, fiduciary responsibility, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
Board of Directors
Supports strategic direction, fiduciary responsibility, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
Founder and Executive Leadership
Supports strategic direction, fiduciary responsibility, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
Executive Management
Supports strategic direction, fiduciary responsibility, accountability, and long-term sustainability.
Operational and Technical Teams
Supports strategic direction, fiduciary responsibility, accountability, and long-term sustainability.