By Clare O'Dea | Director, Orbis Ireland
Godegn Moteche is a 27-year-old mother of four young children, aged 6, 5, 4 and 3 years. She lives in Zazie kebele in southern Ethiopia. Godegn works as a farmer and lives with her husband, children and mother-in-law. Her family rely heavily on her to cook, clean, manage the home and raise the children, in addition to helping her husband with the farm.
Godegn has been quietly suffering with trachoma for many years. Her eyes have been tearing constantly and she has found it more and more difficult to undertake her daily duties.
Unfortunately, her pregnancies prevented her from taking the antibiotic Zithromax when the earlier rounds were being distributed in her village by Orbis. She took tetracycline ointment instead on these occasions. Since having her children she has taken Zithromax but the prolonged trachoma infection has caused the advanced stage of trichiasis in her left eye. This has left her with excruciating pain as her eyelids have turned inwards, scratching her cornea with every blink. If left untreated, Godegn would eventually lose sight in that eye.
Godegn had never been to the health clinic but after seeing her friend's sight being fully restored after surgery conducted by, Sando Shangne, an Orbis trained Eye Care Worker, she decided to make the 13km journey on foot. While Godegn was clearly nervous, Sando explained the process and reassured her. Luckily, there was no charge for the 30-minute surgery and after a short recovery period, Godegn was able to walk home, accompanied by her sister-in-law.
Two days later Godegn returned to the health clinic for a check-up and then she returned again a few days later to have her stitches removed. This time she walked home with her sight restored, happy and relieved in the knowledge that she could go back to working and looking after her family without any pain or the worry of going blind.
Mothers like Godegn are role models for their daughters, families and friends. Thanks to your generous support, others who find themselves suffering from trachoma can follow their example and seek the help they need, so they can live productive and pain-free lives, without the worry of going blind.
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