Constructing The Shashemene Community Health Center In Ethiopia
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On August 13, 2005, Nurses of Israel completed its fifth humanitarian health mission in Shashemene, Ethiopia.My name is Phyllis-Thyceslyn Freeman. On May 3, 1997, I traveled to Ethiopia to visit friends who had settled in the Town of Shashemene. My journey started in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. The trip lasted seven hours as a result of massive reconstruction of the Kings Highway that is the main route from Addis Ababa to the border of Kenya.The scenery was breath-taking. It seems as if the lushed mountains ran the entire route to Shashemene. The hustle and bustle of the people in towns like Debrezit and Ziway were reminiscent of market days in my homeland, Jamaica. Finally, I arrived in Shashemene, and it was as if I was at home. The people were warm and friendly. I found Ethiopians to be very gentle and polite. They would always greet you with a smile, hand shake and a bow, and so it was in Shashemene.Shashemene is a town nestled in a riff valley with a population of 277,000 people. It's located 150 miles (250 km) south of Addis Ababa. There was a central business street with small stores and small open-air markets where one could purchase camels, goats, sheep, cattle and poultry.Sadly, against this backdrop there was poverty and a looming health crisis that was fueled by the onset of HIV/AIDS. This compounded the existing health problems of wide spread tuberculosis, malnutrition, malaria, eye and stomach infections.Ethiopia's population of 67 million people, who for the most part, had not been exposed to the mass media from the outside world, now had to wrestle with a unknown disease, AIDS. As a result of the lack of information, AIDS invaded the country with a vengeance. Since 1989, 3.2 million people became infected with the HIV virus. In the Town of Shashemene, 300-500 HIV cases are registered every year.HIV/AIDS epidemic had exacerbated the existing health problems and started to overwhelm the country's modest resources. The fact is, there was no health system to deal with the health crisis.These are some of the many conditions I encountered on my trip to Shashemene in My 1997. I was touched in a way that I could not forget the suffering of the people I saw. I knew then and there that as a nurse, I could help to make a difference.On my return to the United States, I begun to organize nurses, doctors and people of goodwill who would be willing to go to Shashemene to help the people.Out of my experience and the desire to help, the Nurses of Israel, Inc./Project Humanity for Ethiopia was formed and registered in New York State on October 27, 1997, as a not-for-profit organization. In 1998, the organization was granted (501) (c) (3) tax-exempt status by The Internal Revenue Service, which make contributions to the organization tax deductible.Since its formation in 1997, the organization has organized and conducted four health missions to Shashemene in 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2002; during which approximately 4,000 sick people received medical treatment and 2,000 people received literature and instructions on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention from our medical team. During 2001 & 2002, we invited The Organization for International Development to help us provide medical care for the people. As a result, in 2002, we took 30 medical personnel to Shashemene and conducted a extensive health fair over a 5 day period. In 2002, both organizations joined forces and conducted another extensive health fair in Shashemene.After these four health missions, it became clear that if we were going to have a positive impact on the health situation there, then we needed to have a permanent presence. The fact is, once the health fairs were over, then there were no follow-up treatments, patient supervision and reinforcement of health information received. As a result, patients reverted to their previous conditions.We are seeking to build and operate a medical center in Shashemene that will serve a population of 277,000 people. This facility will give us the permanency we need to effectively combat the many diseases that are prevalent in the region.I am proud of the work we did, but it has only just begun. The four health missions were financed by each individual who went on the trips. All equipment, supplies and give-away were financed by personal funds. It was personally gratifying to see that people who were sick and made well, came back to say thanks.
The health fairs provided great insight to the medical team and other volunteers as to what is needed and how we can help to solve the health problems of the people of Shashemene, Ethiopia.---------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------Nurses of Israel, Inc.
187-06 122nd Avenue
Springfield Gardens, NY 11413
Phone: 718-723-5717
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
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