For more than 10 years, Bread and Water for Africa® has been partnering with Haramaya University (HU), a top university system in Ethiopia which operates an extensive network of clinics and hospitals throughout the country, to support its efforts to provide free, or at least affordable, healthcare services for indigent children, mothers and families.
To do this, thanks to our generous supporters and partners in here United States such as the University of Virginia Hospital system, we are able to ship medicines, medical supplies and hospital equipment for use by HU medical facilities operating in underserved such as in the Hararghe region of the country.
While the logistical efforts to collect these items in the U.S., transport them to our Virginia warehouse, identify and sort truckloads of items, prepare them for shipping to Ethiopia while ensuring that all the paperwork is in order for a smooth transfer through the arduous customs process has always been a daunting task, but today with the well-known worldwide supply chain issues makes it that much more challenging.
However, we are determined as last fall we were able to ship a 40-foot container filled with wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, and other mobility aids and accessories to improve the quality of life for disabled individuals, especially children.
For example, right now we are working to fulfill another request from the HU hospital system.
The Haramaya University Schools and Health Facilities Outreach Community Program was established in 2012 with the paramount purpose to reach and support the university’s schools, clinics, hospitals and health colleges with medicines, medical equipment and supplies, as well as schoolbooks and school supplies to be distributed to school libraries.
“This effort is to promote academic achievement and to promote the service delivery of the health profession for wellness and safety,” stated HU President Dr. Jemal Yusuf.
During a recent visit to Ethiopia to meet with Dr. Yusuf, Bread and Water for Africa® Executive Director Bethelhem Tessema reported that they had a very constructive meeting where he discussed how our continued support contributes greatly to the community development outreach program’s success and significantly improves community members’ health conditions through the provision of donated medicines and medical supplies.
She also had the opportunity to visit some of the health facilities which benefit from our support such as the Chelenko and Deder hospitals, which combined serve nearly 200,000 people annually.
And thanks to our supporters, and our staff dedicated to see the job through no matter the supply chain challenges for the time being, she was able to assure them that our partnership remains strong as we continue to address this overwhelming lack of healthcare supplies and inadequate resources.
