The Charity

 Chris Lawrence in Ethiopia, Oct 2008

In 1998, Chris Lawrence heard about the terrible plight of the hundreds of thousands of children suffering the dreadful and shocking destructive and devastating effects of "Noma". He wanted to do something, anything to help, and contacted Allan Thom, a Consultant Orthodontist whom he had known for several years to ask if he had ever come across the ailment.

Together, Chris and Allan researched, spoke to dozens of people, scoured the internet and finally conceived and registered the charity "Facing Africa - NOMA". At first they groped around in the dark looking at a variety of countries in West Africa with known incidence of Noma but getting detailed information and answers was laborious and fraught with contradictions. Should they consider finding isolated Noma sufferers and bring them to England for months of complex facial operations or try to make up a team of volunteers to deal with children in their own environments? After weighty deliberations, it was agreed that it is far more effective to put together occasional expeditions to a chosen location in Africa and operate as often as volunteers could be found and as often as could be financially viable. Chris and Allan faxed, phoned and e-mailed doctors, surgeons and hospital administrators in a variety of West African countries, but with precious little result.

But on 2nd July 2000, Chris had an important meeting with Dr Klaas Marck, founder and President of Dutch Noma Foundation (www.noma.nl), a charity set up in 1996 that sends teams of volunteer surgeons, nurses and anaesthetists to the Childrens Noma Hospital in Sokoto, Nigeria.

 Chris at BBC radio Wiltshire speaking live about Facing Africa

Since 2000, Facing Africa has been working closely with it's European partners AWD Stiftung Kinderhilfe (Germany) (www.noma-project.de) and The Dutch Noma Foundation . So far (Jan 2009) we have raised over £600,000 (about US $870,000) which has been spent on sending the teams each year from Europe to Nigeria (air fares, hotel accommodation, ground transportation medical equipment and supplies), equipment for the hospital in Sokoto, training schemes,physiotherapists from Europe working in Nigeria and Ethiopia and many other essential expenses . Facing Africa also supplied a 4 x 4 vehicle for the hospital in Sokoto which has enabled hospital staff to drive out to remote areas of Northern Nigeria spreading the word about Noma, taking victims in to be treated and inviting local health workers to be trained in all aspects of Noma, it's signs and treatment.

Ethiopia

 A gathering of potential volunteer surgeons, anaesthtists and dentists.

In November 2004, the Dutch Noma Foundation sent its first surgical team to the Yakatat 2 Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to do facial reconstructive surgery on Noma patients as well as cleft palate and lip, burns, brutal animal bites and facial tumors. This became an annual team visit and was supported financially by Facing Africa.

In October 2007, Facing Africa put together an all-British team of surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses who spent two weeks carrying out a variety of facial reconstructive operations in Addis Ababa (see Chairman's report). A second Facing Africa surgical team went to Ethiopia again in Oct 2008 and it is now hoped that the number of team visits to Ethiopia can be increased to 2 or 3 in the next year or two.

However, in spite of the fact that large numbers of Noma victims exist in Ethiopia, it is difficult to locate these tragic victims in remote areas of Ethiopia as their parents are still reluctant to bring their afflicted children forward when search teams scour the countryside and remote villages. In March 2008, Facing Africa appointed Dawit Nida as our local representative and manager. Dawit works closely with local health authorities in sourcing Noma patients in various remote parts of Ethiopia.

Links Used In This Page:

• Dutch Noma Foundation
• AWD Stiftung Kinderhilfe (Germany)

© 2012 Facing Africa - Noma Ltd. All Rights Reserved. UK Registered Charity No: 1072505