Published Mon, Apr 12, 21.
Written by Scott Chleborad.


Wholistic care for the poorest of the poor requires partnerships!

During our visit to Hosanna in February, we had the opportunity to celebrate one of our new partners, Dr. Zelalem Addisu of Eyu Clinic in Hosanna. Recently, Dr. Zelalem conducted eye examinations for 540 students at Adams Thermal Academy in Hosanna. In addition, he provided drug treatment for 10 students, surgery for one of the students and complimentary eye glasses for 25 of the students whose vision needed correction.
 
During a dedication ceremony at the school, Dr. Zelalem shared about his own struggles as a child and as a student with vision problems. His difficult childhood now serves as motivation for Dr. Zelalem to provide care to those who otherwise would not have access to any kind of eye care or treatment. As part of the ceremony, Dr. Zelalem and local education officials distributed eyeglasses to the students at the school who needed them.
 
Ethiopia, with a population of 105 million people has one of the highest rates of blindness in the world, with an estimated 1.6 million blind people and 3.6 million people with low vision. There are approximately 130 ophthalmologists in Ethiopia, with the majority in the capital city of Addis Ababa. This means that few doctors are available to those living in less populated areas like Hosanna. However, Dr. Zelalem has committed his career to serving the underserved communities outside of Addis Ababa, where he has provided essential eye care for the last 12 years.
 
Our sincere and deepest thanks go out to Dr. Zelalem and his staff for their selfless service to our children at Adams Thermal Academy Hosanna. In addition, we also wish to acknowledge and express our gratitude to The Himalyan Cataract Project, an international non-profit which supports Dr. Zelalem and works to overcome barriers to eye care for people in the developing world (https://www.cureblindness.org/).