Zinash's dad, Ali, took his first flight from Addis Ababa to Lalibela few days ago. He was embarking on a very special mission: he was travelling back home to show pictures of Zinash's new face to her mother, who lives in a remote rural village one can only reach by foot. Film crew who accompanied Ali and filmed his journey told us that he was incredibly fast and energetic for a 70 year old and climbed steep paths leading to his village for hours like a real pro! Facing Africa has given Ali a little present: we provided funds for his cataract surgery so he could go home not only bearing good news about Zinash but also able to finally see all these faces dear to him! Will keep you updated! ... See MoreSee Less
Photo
The world is big, it is vast and complicated, it is cruel and unpredictable, and sometimes, very rarely, we witness impossible things happen and we call them miracles. But, really, miracles don't just happen. You make them happen. They are not wishes or dreams or candles on a cake. They are not impossible. Our volunteer medical team proves it year after year, mission after mission. The two young girls Hulu and Zinash (picture below) were both destined to die - without our intervention their tumors were going to kill them within next six months. The care of youngsters with malignant solid tumors in Ethiopia and the whole of sub-Saharan Africa is compromised by resource deficiencies that range from inadequate healthcare and lack of appropriately trained medics, to scarce laboratory facilities and inconsistent drug supplies. In simple words, there is no hope for those who are touched by this horrific condition. It is heartbreaking. It is not fair that one has to suffer and die just because he or she was born in a country where government does not feel obliged to protect the health, safety, morals and general well being of its people. For all of us here at Facing Africa, miracle of Hulu and Zinash is nothing more but delayed justice brought to compensate those it has cruelly abandoned. ... See MoreSee Less
Photo
Being a woman is tough in Ethiopia, especially in its rural areas, where giving birth of to a boy is celebrated and having a baby girl is seen as something unwanted. Girls who are lucky enough to attend school are at wider risk of being raped, abducted and married off against their will. If a girl manages to withstand all these challenges and graduates from college, she is very likely to be abused and mistreated at her place of employment. Around half of all our patients are women from remote Ethiopian villages and our medical teams are often the first people to treat them with love, care and respect. All of these women are strong, intelligent, creative and incredibly sensitive personalities who were never really given an opportunity to thrive. Almost all of them are housewives leading physically difficult lives in their households, but what we see in them when they arrive and open up to us during their stay at Facing Africa House in Cheshire, are potential doctors, nurses, architects, engineers, artists, politicians and lawyers trapped in their abusive culture and tradition - women who were never given a chance to dream. We not only treat their faces, we celebrate every single one of them, hoping that one day they will all be empowered through cultural change and education. ... See MoreSee Less
Photo
