Double Your Impact in the Fight Against COVID-19

The WEEMA Team delivering some much needed supplies to Kembata-Tembaro.

As the number of COVID-19 cases in Ethiopia increases steadily, the WEEMA team has actively started its response efforts. We are working in collaboration with the regional government of the Kembata-Tembaro zone. After setting up a COVID-19 task force, our team has started purchasing the most critical items per the request from the regional government. 

This past week, our team delivered a much-needed supply of cleaning supplies, medical and personal protective gear from Addis Ababa to the Kembata-Tembaro Zone where the Health Department will now distribute these materials to the different woredas (districts). Our delivery included gloves, N95 masks, boots, gowns and sterilizing solutions. We will continue to support the local government in its fight against COVID-19. 

We cannot do this without you.  The need for critical supplies in rural Ethiopia is great and in order to keep going, we need your support.  Please consider supporting our COVID-19 emergency fundraiser where your collective donations up to $10,000 USD will be matched by an anonymous donor. Please join us in this fight by contributing what you can to this campaign. It is in times like this that we must show our solidarity to protect vulnerable communities from this pandemic. 

Wishing you a safe and healthy rest of the week.

WEEMA Updates on COVID-19 in Ethiopia

Much like the rest of the world, WEEMA’s focus has also shifted to COVID response at this critical time. As of this morning, April 1, 2020, Ethiopia has reported 29 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 27 active and 2 recovered cases. Initially, the reported cases were mostly in the capital but as new cases are found in Adama of Oromia region right outside Addis, Bahir Dar of Amhara region in Northern Ethiopia and Dire Dawa in Eastern Ethiopia, quarantine sites are being set up in these regions as well. Of course, it is likely that the number of cases are much higher than what has been confirmed so far due to limited testing capability and the nature of the highly contagious virus. 

The Ethiopian government is actively taking measures like extending the first 15 day school closure to continue, instructing all non-essential government employees to work remotely, and requesting non-essential businesses and offices to close. Since the majority of the 29 cases are people who flew in from other countries, the government has also placed a mandatory 14-day quarantine in designated hotels and shelters for all passengers once they land in Ethiopia. Regional governments are also taking charge by declaring a state of emergency or requesting that people practice social distancing. WEEMA has received requests from the regional government and the Kembata Tembaro zone to help in response efforts. 

 Accordingly, we have organized an emergency task force to structure WEEMA’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and support the existing efforts of the government. We have allocated an initial fund of $20,000 USD to start off. These funds will support some of the most critical gaps identified with the government, such as medical supplies and awareness raising about the nature of the virus. Doctors in the rural hospitals that WEEMA partners with are also busy preparing. They are setting up treatment areas in local schools in order to isolate patients and their contacts that present with symptoms. This is only the first step in the immense joint effort it will take for us to get through this difficult time together. Our Ethiopian staff is working hard to coordinate our efforts while practicing social distancing and working from home. We will send more updates as we go along.

Stay Safe everyone!

A Father of Eight Regains his Sight and his Independence

Ergicho Godebo, father of eight after successful cataract surgery

We are keeping everyone in our thoughts during this difficult time of COVID-19 crisis. WEEMA is working with our team in Ethiopia to help increase awareness and cautionary methods in our regions of work. We will share more on these efforts next week. For today, here is an uplifting story from one of our cataract patients: 

In WEEMA’s third feature of our 2020 Cataract Campaign patients, we are happy to share the story of Ergicho Godebo. 

Ergicho is a proud 60 year old farmer who traveled 2 hours by bus to make it to the cataract campaign. He wasn’t able to farm on his own for the past 6 years after he lost sight in both his eyes due to cataracts. Ergicho has 8 kids, some of which were forced to stay and help him with the family farm during the years when he had no sight. So, when he heard about this year’s campaign on the radio, he was excited to be part of it. 

Ergicho is now looking forward to regaining his independence and not being a burden to his family. WEEMA is happy to be part of such a campaign that not only positively impacts the lives of the patients themselves but their families and their communities at large, (allowing them to live dignified lives. )

Photo credit: Martha Tadesse (@Marthinolly)

Ergicho right after his successful cataract surgery.

COVID-19 and WEEMA

COVID-19 is weighing heavily on all of our minds here in the US, in Ethiopia, and across the globe.  As part of recommended precautions, the WEEMA team is now working remotely- this includes the Cambridge, MA office, the Addis Ababa office and the Mudula office.  We are staying connected through regular communication and educating each other on the best ways to protect ourselves, our families and our communities.

As of this morning, there are 6 confirmed cases in Ethiopia.  Prime Minister Abiy did announce on Monday, March 16th that schools are to be closed and all large events banned.  The Federal Ministry of Health and the Ethiopia Public Health Institute are working collaboratively to prepare the health sector for increase levels of sick patients and to communicate to the public about this risks, symptoms, and preventative measures against the coronavirus.

The WEEMA Ethiopia team has been in direct contact with health officials at Kembata-Tembaro Zone and Hosanna Hospital.  We have also reached out to the Federal Ministry of Health.  We anticipate participating in the educational outreach campaign and will be coordinating with the government on this effort.

We will update you as this progresses.  Let us continue to support one another.

- The WEEMA Team

Happy Belated International Women's Day!

Ari Aska of the Hamer tribe after successful cataract surgery

WEEMA wishes you a Happy belated International Women’s Day (March 8, 2020). In commemoration of this past Sunday, we wanted to share the beautiful story of one of our female patients from this year’s successful cataract campaign where we conducted more than 1000 surgeries in one week.  

 Ari Aska is a woman from the Hamer tribe of Ethiopia. The Hamer tribe live in Omo valley, about 115 km away from Kembata, where our cataract campaign was taking place. Ari was one of only four people from her tribe who decided to travel this far to get the cataract surgery. She lost sight in both her eyes many years ago, when her children were little. Now, when asked what she is most looking forward to, she said as she laughed “I can’t wait to go home and see how my children have changed. They will be so big now that I may not even recognize them after all these years.”  

 WEEMA is excited to see this campaign reaching people in isolated regions like the Omo valley. We hope to increase our cataract campaign accessibility for such communities in the future. 

Photo credit: Martha Tadesse (@Marthinolly)

Ari and other members of the Hamer tribe waiting to have their eye patches removed after surgery.