By Eteena Tadjiogue | Project Coordinator
Amina, 52, lives in a one room hut with her two sons and their cattle. Amina suffered repeated infections of trachoma for three years, which eventually led to trichiasis, the blinding form of the disease. Her husband abandoned her when her eye problems began. Throughout Ethiopia, the practice of men having more than one wife is culturally accepted, and if a wife gets sick, they will be abandoned for a new one.
Three years ago, Amina was healthy and able to conduct her daily activities, but when she started to suffer with repeated trachoma infections, everything became very difficult. Amina’s older son noticed her eye problems; her eyes were swollen and getting worse and worse. At night she could not sleep, due to the pain of her eyelashes scratching her cornea.
One of the reasons why reinfection occurred is the smoke created from cooking inside the hut. Smoke can cause severe damage to the eyes, and most huts do not have chimneys or any kind of ventilation. Sharing the living space with livestock also increases infection rates.
Amina heard about Orbis from a Community Health Agent travelling door-to-door. The Orbis-trained Health Agent immediately recognised that Amina had the blinding form of trachoma and would need surgery immediately before she lost her sight completely.
Amina felt hopeful about regaining her sight, but felt very anxious about the surgery. The surgery was conducted in a local health centre by an Orbis-trained Eye Care Worker. The surgery takes just 20 minutes.
The surgery was a success! Amina can now get back to her normal life and perform all her activities. This also means that her sons are no longer needed on the farm and the younger one, who is only seven, can return to school.
Since the surgery, Amina feels very positive about the benefits of the eye care services established by Orbis. She now understands the pain and poverty that trachoma can bring.
Thank you for supporting this project. Together we will continue to restore sight to those at immediate risk of blindness.
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