Rose Moses
19 July 2011
The Women’s Edition Programme 2010-2012 of the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), an international organisation with headquarters in Washington DC, United States of America, had scheduled its second seminar for Ethiopia, beginning June 13 to 17, 2011. The programme is sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Part of activities at the week-long seminar and study tour, included visits to projects in Ethiopia that both illustrate population, health and environmental concerns as well as possible solutions that may be applicable to the various participating countries, including Nigeria of which I’m representing, Cambodia, India, Kenya and Liberia.
Others are Malawi, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.
Focus of the seminar in Ethiopia was on the links between population, health and environment and efforts to integrate them to build more efficient and stronger programmes for both conservation and improved reproductive health.
Population Health and Environment, PHE- Ethiopia Consortium, which advocates for integrated approach for improved livelihood and sustainable well-being of the people and ecosystem etc…, collaborated with PRB to facilitate the seminar.
Among areas of interest were cervical cancer and fistula diseases, both of which are big problems in developing countries world-wide. As a result, participants visited the renowned Hamlin Fistula Hospital and St Paul Hospital, all in Addis Ababa.
At the Hamlin hospital, Mrs. Sisaya Alemayahu was on hand to narrate the story of the fistula patients and the progress the hospital is making in their lives, while Haregewoine Garedew, a senior professional nurse took us through implanon insertion training and cervical cancer screening and prevention projects of the Pathfinder International at the St. Paul Hospital.
At St. Paul Hospital, the Addis Tesfa (translated as New Hope) Project, a collaboration between Pathfinder International, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health and the Stanford University Programme for International Reproductive Education and Services (SPIRES), is developing a model for integrating the single-visit approach for cervical cancer into HIV/AIDS care and treatment in Ethiopia. The project screens an average of 10 women per day.
Dr. Shumet Adnew Lonsako, Project Manager for Pathfinder Ethiopia’s Cervical Cancer Prevention, who had earlier taken participants through the global public health problem, theoretically, particularly as it affects Ethiopian women, was also at the hospital for further explanations.
The group also travelled to Fiche, a town in central Ethiopia, courtesy, Lem Ethiopia PHE, to inspect various aspects of PHE, including family planning. Said to be the administrative centre of the Semien Shewa zone of the Oromia region, Fiche is located about three kilometres off the main Addis Ababa-Debre Marqos road. So once off the highway, the rest of the journey to Fiche wasn’t as smooth.
Mogues Worku Techane, executive director of Lem Ethiopia PHE, conducted the group through the various programmes of his organisation in Fiche, narrating on successes and challenges. Women groups, whose lives have been impacted, one way or the other by the projects, had also gathered to tell their stories, as well as their expectations from government and other organisations. You can’t but leave this rural community with a sad picture of abject poverty stuck in your mind’s eye.
Fiche, it’s interesting to note, has a latitude and longitude of 9°48N 38°44E / 9.8°N 38.733°E / 9.8; 38.733 and an elevation between 2738 and 2782 metres above sea level.
On our way back to Addis after a tour of Fiche, we however made a stopover at the Ethio-German Park Hotel, Debre libanos, which sits on the edge of the rift gorge overlooking the Blue Nile Gorge, northwest of Addis Ababa. We climbed the many hills and mountains in the area, crossing over to the Portuguese bridge, which harbours some controversy over its origin.
While some accounts have it that the Portuguese bridge was built in the 16th century by Portuguese, others say it was built by Ras Darge (who was Emperor Menelik’s uncle) in the 19th century. Either way, it was a wonderful stop, and we enjoyed the stunning views.
Back in Addis, we went straight to business. At our meeting room in Hilton Addis Ababa Hotel, where we were also lodged, we continued with our editorial session with the topic: ‘Numbers in the newsroom: how to use them meaningfully.
The next day was as busy with another visit scheduled for Bioeconomy Africa, a training center run by Dr. Selamawit Assefa with her husband. Among other things, the project helps farmers improve their livelihood, health and agricultural practices.
The project has as its mission practical and problem solving capacity building and demand driven technology transfer to enhance social, economic and ecological capital building process to improve livelihood and restore the environment.
Most of the women farmers that the project is empowering were hitherto wood fetchers that made barely enough to sustain their families, despite the long trek through the hilly forests in search of woods and constant harassment, including rape sometimes, by guards dispatched by authorities to prevent the women from wreaking havoc on the environment. Some victims are said to have died of the psychological trauma.
Back at the hotel was lunch and exchange with some senior Ethiopian female journalists after which we carried on with our editorial session, reflections on Ethiopian visits, story ideas and where the next seminar would take place.
Drawing the curtain over the Ethiopian leg of the seminar was a cultural dinner later that evening (Friday) at the Habesha 2000 Restaurant. In resplendent attires, with some of us going completely Ethiopian, sumptuous dishes were served in a typical Ethiopian setting with a cultural group at the background thrilling the group and other guests to some wonderful dance-steps.
And then came the kissing, hugging and goodbyes, which capped up what indeed was a most delightful experience!
AllAfrica – All the Time
Continued here:
Seven Days in Haile Selassie’s Ethiopia