About The Home

 The Cheshire provides rehabilitation for the children.

The Cheshire Rehabilitation Centre (Ethiopia) is located on the edge of a small village called Menagesha, about 20 miles outside Addis Ababa. Since 1962 they have taken care and treated children with polio. 'The Cheshire' is situated in acres of beautiful countryside with a large playing field, workshops that produce all their own orthopaedic aids (leg braces, wheelchairs, artificial limbs, orthopaedic shoes etc), a classroom, dining room, physiotherapy unit , a small farm as well as accommodating up to 100 patients in beautifully maintained dormitories. Children aged between 6 - 16 from all over Ethiopia come to 'Cheshire' prior to surgery at one of the hospitals in Addis and are then fitted with walking aids, undergo intense physiotherapy and generally stay at Cheshire for four to six months until they are independent enough to return to their villages.

Facing Africa At The Cheshire Home

In 2007 The Cheshire agreed to accommodate 50 of Facing Africa's noma patients for two week prior to their reconstructive surgery. Then for a further 2 - 3 weeks rehabilitation and post operative care. Children from remote rural parts of Ethiopia are brought to the Cheshire two weeks before our team of volunteer surgeons and anaesthetists arrived. Facing Africa enlists the help of two British doctors to volunteer for seven week missions at The Cheshire where they prepare all the patients for their long and complex surgical reconstruction. This includes organising pre-op' blood tests, X-rays/CT scans, nutrition assessments and general pre-op' care of young people who had never been outside their villages. When the patients return to The Cheshire after their operations, the two doctors have to monitor and treat wound care, infections, hygiene and general rehabilitation with antibiotics and pain relief.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just as important as the physical welfare of the patients at The Cheshire is the psychological benefit of being lovingly cared for by trained nurses and meeting other young people with terribly disfigured faces. Most of the patients have lived through the ravages of noma and its disfiguring consequences assuming that the disease was a 'curse' brought by an evil spirit and therefore believed that they were the only ones who suffered the condition. It is an incredible experience to see these young people come together and see for the first time that they are not alone and that there are many others with often worse facial deformities. They start to gain confidence and share one anothers emotions, reactions, feelings and hope for a better life after they leave The Cheshire in the coming weeks.

New Facing Africa Dormitories

In 2009, it was proposed that Facing Africa would fund and construct two additional dormitories, each with 10 beds for male and female patients with showers and toilets as well as a recreation room / classroom for the visiting noma patients. The foundations and construction started in May 2010 and it is hoped that the building will be completed by Serpt/Oct 2010. The cost is estimated at around £ 50,000 plus a further £10,000 for equipment (laundry, kitchen, beds, small surgery, furnishings etc).

You can see the progress of the new dormitories by clicking here.

In conclusion, The Cheshire has become an important part of our team missions to Ethiopia where patients are prepared for major reconstructive surgery and then supported and cared for until they are ready to return to their villages with a new face and a new life, where they will be accepted by their communities and be able to go to school, make friends and lead normal lives. Many will go on to marry and have their own children.

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