About us

The Eritrean Deaf Society in Europe (EDSE), originally known as the Eritrean National Association of the Deaf in Europe (ENADE), was founded on June 30, 2010, in Geneva, Switzerland, as a pioneering organization representing the deaf community. Initially, ENADE served as a politically neutral, non-profit organization with a subgroup known as the Eritrean National Association of the Deaf in Europe.

At the second ENADE conference in Stockholm in 2013, members decided to rename the organization from ENADE to EDSE (Eritrean Deaf Society in Europe). During this event, new Eritrean board members were appointed. At the fourth conference in Frankfurt, Germany, in 2017, members suggested relocating the organization from Switzerland. This proposal was further discussed at the fifth conference in Geneva, Switzerland, where members voted in favor of moving EDSE to a European Union member state. A second vote determined Sweden as the chosen location. Subsequently, in 2021, EDSE was officially relocated to Leksand, Sweden, chosen for its strategic position in the heart of Scandinavia and Europe.

EDSE’s mission is to advocate for equal access and integration for the deaf community, promoting the use of sign language in public services, workplaces, and encouraging participation in cultural activities among Eritrean deaf individuals living in Europe. This mission is supported through dedicated sign language interpretation services, which enable communication with families, provide general information, and facilitate accessibility through sign language translation, telephone routing, and other technical resources.