Our project director at our new clinic site in Agaro Bushi, Ethiopia, tells us often about the dramatic impact we make, treating a group of people who have never before received adequate medical care. There is a story almost every day about situations that would boggle our minds. Here is an example, in Jared’s own words:
“The woman in this picture above is Alamitu. She was diagnosed with leprosy. When she first came to us we took her to Chiri (Lalmba’s health center about 5 hours’ walk) and they removed 16 maggots from the wounds in her feet. She doesn’t have much feeling left in her feet. I don’t think she’d have been able to walk the 3 hours to us in Agaro Bushi otherwise.
We started her on leprosy meds and the wound was dressed, but the dressing needed to be changed regularly. It didn’t make sense for her to walk 3 hours to us to have the dressings changed every other day, only to walk 3 hours back and spoil the dressing. So, we referred her to the nearest government clinic, Dekia Health Center, for the dressing changes. Long story short, we gave Dekia Clinic the plaster, gauze and everything they needed to change the wound, and paid for it, but they turned her away when she came and still refused to treat her (we aren’t certain why). In the end we decided to make the 3 hour walk out to her house. Our local health officer Sultan taught her and her son how to change the bandages on their own, showing them on one foot and then having them demonstrate with the other. He made sure Alamitu was taking the medication correctly and understood when she will need a refill. They live on the edge of the highlands about 30-45 min walk from the government health facility of Dekia. Since they will not treat her there, Lalmba is her only resource.
The picture of the valley from up above shows their house nestled in the hills.
We have quite a few patients like this, who aren’t in a position to advocate for themselves and who are beset on all sides by challenges.
Just today we saw a little girl with chronic wounds on her face and arm that won’t heal. Yesterday, a woman came in with a severely malnourished baby. She’s lost 5 children, still has 5 and her husband has left her.
I think you guys (Jeff and Hillary) understand better than anyone from your time around Chiri how many people in this area are chronically ignored and marginalized.
We’re keeping our efforts balanced and maintaining perspective. Sometimes there is not much we can do for the people who come to us.
We’re lucky to have staff like Sultan who are willing to tramp around in the woods looking for one manja woman (the marginalized minority group to which Alamitu belongs). Especially when it’s Ramadan and he hasn’t had any breakfast.
Sultan says to tell you guys and all the donors thank you.”
Meet Mary Atieno, a widow and Lalmba microloan recipient, as she works the sewing machine at her shop in Othoo, Kenya. Her children were in our support program, but today she is fully independent due to the success of her tailor business. She and a few other Lalmba seamstresses have formed a cooperative, calling themselves the Empowered Seamstresses of Lalmba, and are producing products that further their financial independence. We applaud these widows for their innovation, their determination, and their skill!
Thank you for providing health for Alamitu, opportunity for Mary and hope for so many others like them.
