World Vision Emergency intervention benefitting thousands of children and mothers

By Kebede GizachewWorld Vision Ethiopia has been supporting over 700,000 people who are affected by the El Nino food crisis in 28 woredas in Amhara, Tigray, Oromia, and the South Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region in WASH, Health and Nutrition, since the onset of the crisis in September 2015.  

Jeju woreda of the Oromia Region is one of the targeted districts where over 46,000 people (of which the majorities are children and lactating mothers) need emergency food aid.  WV Ethiopia Jeju Area Program allocated over 1.7 million ETB (over 650,000 for health and nutrition, and over 1 million for WASH) to provide several health and nutrition supplies (antibiotic, various furniture, edible oil, wheat flour, medicine, etc.) and extension of pipelines to tackle the situation.  

Saada Kemal is a health extension worker at Tesfa Health Post in Merti town of Jeju district. She says 21 outpatient children have been admitted and treated at the health post in the last 6 months. “Getting clean water to treat outpatient children and delivering mothers was our major challenge. We use water from Awash River which worsens the outpatient children’s health condition. Now the installation of this piped potable water to our health post by World Vision would contribute a lot in treating outpatient children and other patients,” said Saada.

Shale Abdulahid is a one year old baby and admitted to Arboye Health Center due to severe malnutrition.  “Four days ago when I brought here my child she was vomiting, had diarrhea, and weakened, but now her condition improved.  I thought she wouldn’t survive. Thanks to God I am very happy because my child survived and my hope thrived,” said Sadiya Bekeri Shale’s mother.

World Vision has been extending pipelines to 10 health institutions 3 primary schools. Hawas Primary School in Merti town is one of schools that were facing access to clean water to school children and teachers.  7-year-old girl Yetnebersh Matiwos is a grade 1 student at Hawas Primary school. “I am very happy to have piped water in our school compound, because we used to go out of school in search of water,” said Yetnebersh.

“The major challenge in our school was lack of water for both students and teachers of this school. We drink unclean water from rivers and contract several water borne diseases. I believe the installation of this water line in our school compound would contribute a lot in many ways,” Tilahun Mindaye, Director of Hawas Primary School.

 “So far 139 health workers including health extension workers have been trained on OTP, while 139 health workers received Community Managed Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) training. Review meetings and support supervision have been conducted for 180 health professionals.  In turn the Health Development Armies (HDAs) trained 2500 community members who enabled to managed child malnutrition at community level and strengthened screening process,” says Mekonnen Hundessa Deputy Head of Jeju Woreda Health Office.