The Adwa Clinic - A Successful Partnership
OUR WORK IN ETHIOPIA
For years, residents of Adwa in northern Ethiopia urgently needed a local health clinic. With the nearest hospital much too far a walk for someone ill or about to give birth, most of the roughly 1.5 million people in the region had no access to health care.
In this war-torn area prone to drought, 97 percent of local residents live in poverty. Women were dying during childbirth because of the shortage of medical facilities. Many more children were suffering from malnutrition and diseases that were easily treatable.
In keeping with our commitment to fund life-changing projects communities want and need, Wide Horizons For Children (WHFC) built the Adwa Comprehensive Health Clinic at the request of local citizens and government officials. The community contributed labor and materials.
In the words of Adwa resident Kiros Abereha, "There are lots of AIDS patients and needy people who can't afford taxis to get to the hospital from their homes. The construction of a clinic was a priority for our community. For many years we have been thinking of having a clinic. We're so happy WHFC came, and we're ready to help."
A site was chosen in the poorest area of Adwa, within walking distance of many of the most remote villages. Hundreds of community members participated. Women carted dirt and rocks on make-shift stretchers, while men spent hours using rudimentary tools to chisel stone for the clinic's exterior. Where there was once only barren land, there now stands a health clinic surrounded by a lovely garden.
The clinic is supervised by a health officer, with rotating health care professionals, a laboratory technician and pharmacy technician. Thanks to a microscope and centrifuge, the lab can perform vital tests such as rapid HIV screening. Rooms and services which did not exist before, such as an operating room that can be used for minor procedures, are now available for the community.
The clinic has the potential to save thousands of lives, especially those of vulnerable women and children. WHFC will continue to be involved in capacity building through medical missions, staff training and supplies, equipment and other resources to ensure the clinic provides maximum benefit to the community.
Your donation will help us in this vital effort. For more information, please contact Tamar Lewis, Development Director, at tlewis@whfc.org.
