Ensuring Girls in Ethiopia Receive Basic Eye Care

In 2018 there were a total of almost four million Ethiopians who were either blind or visually impaired. In 2013, over 880,000 of its citizens suffered from trachoma; a painful debilitating disease that may result in complete sight loss. But because of hard work and your support this has dropped to 287,000 in 2018. However, there is a gender gap in trachoma treatment as seventy perscent of all people affected by trachoma are female. 

Clean water is a crucial component of the SAFE (Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial Cleanliness, Environment improvement) strategy for fighting trachoma. Orbis works to promote eye health messaging in the local community, helping people to understand the link between facial cleanliness and fighting trachoma.To help prevent the spread of trachoma in Ethiopia, Orbis has built water access points in rural Ethiopia. We met Ejigayehu and her two daughters; Mirtinesh and Meskerem, at an Orbis water point seconds from their home in Gama Gofa, Ethiopia.

Before the water point was built, Ejigayehu and her children would have to walk two or three hours just to get water. Their source was the river, so the water was not even clean. Ejigayehu's community now use this water supply for drinking, washing, cooking, and cleaning. Mirtinesh and Meskerem are very happy with the water point as now they have more time to study and play with their friends as they don't have to spend hours walking for water.

 

 We want to say thank you for all your support and so do Mirtinesh and Meskerem.
 

 “We use this for drinking, for washing clothes and for cooking. Now that we are using this, it means we have more time to study! We are very happy to have this water. Thank you Orbis!”