We have made some significant progress in enhancing water and sanitation facilities in schools and communities. Through the implementation of eight innovative water harvesting technologies and collaborations with local Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Experts, several schools and communities have gained access to clean and safe water sources, hand/face washing facilities, and improved latrines. Providing a healthier and more hygienic environment for more than 4000 students, ensuring their well-being and promoting better overall education outcomes.
These technologies enable schools to harness and store rainwater efficiently, ensuring a sustainable supply of clean water. In addition, the establishment of hand/face washing facilities in these schools has played a vital role in promoting good hygiene practices among students. By providing accessible and convenient hand/face washing facilities, we contribute to reducing the spread of diseases and improving the overall health of the school community.
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In November 2022, the Orbis Ireland team returned to Ethiopia to monitor the developments within the Orbis project. Ethiopia is at the heart of Orbis’s goal to end avoidable blindness.
Since 1998 we have partnered with the most impactful and dedicated local organisations and individuals to save the sight of children and adults nationwide.
In the area we visited, Orbis is working to prevent and treat avoidable blindness by investing in the rural eye health care systems and integrating eye care into the broader health system.
Orbis is well known in Ethiopia due to its eye care activities.
During our visit, we met several people eager to tell us about the treatment they received or their loved one and how it changed their lives.
We visited a community water supply provided by Orbis and its WASH partner. This water supply now serves a community of 2,000 people. A community representative in the village is assigned to monitor the pump and ensure it is maintained. There is a charge of 1 ETB (less than 2 cents) for every 20L of water. We also visited some households piloting a WASH scheme, including installing running water and latrines in their homes
School-based facial cleanliness and environmental improvement is part of part of a behavioral change intervention. Not only do the students have access to clean water and sainitaty stations, but they also learn on how to prevent transmission of preventable eye deseases.
The construction of four pending school latrines has been completed in Chaba Beles (Gamo zone) and Dombe (Gofa zone) primary schools. The design of the latrines is inclusive for all students with disabilities, children friendly with handwashing facilities. These latrines were constructed in partnership with Gamo and Gofa zone’s Education & Urban Development and Construction Departments and will benefit a total of 1973 students.
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As a pivotal element of the SAFE strategy for trachoma elimination, providing community access to sanitation facilities is a high priority for our staff in Ethiopia. Access to water allows for good hygiene practices. And good hygiene practices, such as face- and handwashing, play a crucial role in combating trachoma because of its highly contagious nature. That is why Orbis has supported the construction of communal and school latrines as well as protected water points in the southern region of Ethiopia.
Thanks to your generous donations, we recently were able to implement separate latrines for girls and boys at a primary school. This allows the students to carry out basic hygiene practices. Additionally, it creates awareness about trachoma and the importance of handwashing. Orbis supports many eyes care clubs in schools in the SNNP region of Ethiopia. As an awareness projects, on parents’ day, the students held workshops on the importance of personal hygiene for their community outside of school.
Over the past 22 years, Orbis Ethiopia, in collaboration with local partners, has constructed a total of 126 latrine blocks and installed 36 water points throughout communities and schools. This would not have been possible without your support. Thank you very much!
Nearly two million people around the world are blind or have visual impairment due to trachoma, a painful bacterial eye infection. If left untreated, trachoma can lead to trichiasis, an even more excruciating and severe condition. Thanks to you more people in Ethiopia are free from the pain and fear of trachoma—thank you!
Ten years ago, Amarech started to feel excruciating pain in both of her eyes. She noticed that opening and closing her eyes was becoming extremely uncomfortable. To reduce the pain, she was using a local eyelash-picking material called ‘worento’ for temporary relief. But Amarech’s untreated eye condition was starting to have more serious long-term effects. She became hypersensitive towards the light, couldn’t work, and stopped seeing friends and family.
As someone who had been very proud of her work—preparing a local drink called ‘Cheka’—Amarech was left feeling defeated and unable to provide her family with the income they needed. Her son pitched in to help by working longer days on the family farm. But his studies suffered as a result, and the family knew this couldn’t be a long-term solution.
Another woman in a nearby community, Beyenech, was also suffering from the same symptoms. Like Amarech, she also had to stop attending social gatherings and couldn’t do her daily work on the family farm. Beyenech had tried medications she received from nearby health facilities, but there was no improvement.
Thanks to Orbis supporters like you, Amarech and Beyenech were both visited by a case finder named Ato who had been trained by Orbis. Because many people are confined to their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Orbis has been conducting door-to-door visits to ensure people who need eye care can still receive it.
During the visits to the homes of Amarech and Beyenech, Ato saw that both women were suffering from trichiasis, caused by repeat trachoma infections. Ato referred each of them to a nearby health centre where they could receive the surgery they needed. Both women were at risk of losing their sight altogether if they didn’t receive treatment fast.
Trachoma is one of those most prevalent Neglected Tropical Diseases and a major focus of Orbis’s work around the globe, particularly in rural Ethiopia, where the condition persists, and eye care can be difficult to access. With your continued support, our goal is to eliminate this leading cause of blindness around the world.
Following Ato’s advice, Amarech and Beyenech received bilateral surgery on their upper eyelids, and the procedures were very successful. Both women are thrilled to be able to see clearly again. Now, they are able to work, provide for their families, and socialize free of fear and pain!
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