By Diane Weatherup | Development Director
Azeb is a government Health Extension Worker based in Dokotu, southern Ethiopia.
As part of her role she visits the community to advise on hygiene and sanitation issues as well as maternal health, and vaccinations etc. She was trained by Orbis on basic eye care, hygiene and sanitation.
Her personal mission is to keep sanitation at a high standard in society and this is what motivates her.
She believes that Orbis' implementation of the SAFE strategy in the Dokotu kebele (village) is helping to decrease trachoma.
Azeb knows everyone in the village, she is trusted and therefore the community listen to her advice.
The area that Azeb covers has a population of 1,330 people. She has been stationed in Dokotu for three years and over this time she has seen an improvement in the understanding of better health and hygiene.
Azeb says her main challenge is changing attitudes towards medicine. Also, she works hard to educate the local community on the importance of good personal hygiene however a great shortage of water makes her job even more challenging as for many it takes about two hours round trip to get water.
She understands that being blind in a rural village like Dokotu is an extremely hard life. As a farming village those who go blind lose their livelihoods and become a burden on society.
Therefore she will not stop educating the community on the importance of working to eliminate trachoma.
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