Welcome to the Simien Mountains
"...we are working towards universal access to health education, vaccination and primary healthcare for all those living in these inhospitable mountains."
Take a journey through the beautiful but harsh Simien Mountains and see why the work of project partners Simien Mountains Mobile Medical Service is so vital.
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Our local partner, Simien Mountains Mobile Medical Service, has all the infrastructure in place to deliver free, essential medical care to the remote villages of this region, including pregnant women and their babies. But they need your support to keep this lifesaving work going.
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Daily life in these mountains has remained basically unchanged since the area was first inhabited around 2,000 years ago.
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Over millennia the land here has been eroded away leaving a jagged maze of cliffs and gorges, home to a quarter of a million people.
Living in houses built of mud and thatch and cooking over a central wood fire, entire families eat, sleep and die alongside one another and their animals.
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A day in the life of mobile nurse Getu
[1] Off to an early start! Getu begins the day at the Kiyet clinic to gather basic medicines and supplies for his rural communities.
[2] Along with the donkey handler, Getu sets out on donkey to reach the first of his rural communities, accessible only by steep mountain paths.
[3] Nurse Getu sets up a table and supplies out in the open so he can diagnose and treat basic medical concerns. If needed, he will refer individuals back to the Kiyet clinic for further treatment.
[4] Getu is the only source of medical care in this village, so community members will queue up to see him. It can take all day for him to speak with and help each person.
[5] Getu will often spend multiple days at a village to ensure he can provide medical aid to all who need it. He sets up his own tent so he can sleep overnight.
[6] After providing health check-ups, Getu will gather the community so he can teach them about basic health education. He'll talk about topics like hygiene, sanitation, and safe pregnancy & childbirth.
[7] Finally, if there's a school or classroom in the village, Getu will visit the students and run a workshop on health, puberty and menstruation. It's important to break down taboos behind menstruation and ensure youth have the facts about healthcare.
*Photos above taken by photographer Antoine Boureau
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“In November 2014 while visiting our clinic, a family arrived with their small child after a walk of many hours. Clearly very ill with pneumonia we decided to evacuate him to Debark hospital for treatment.
As we were preparing to leave the father gestured to me to take a photograph of his wife and son. Only an hour later, on the way to hospital, the child died in his mother’s arms.
I hope this image will serve as a collective reminder of the needless tragedies faced every day in the mountains.”
Dr Marcus Stevens, Medical Advisor, Simien Mountains Mobile Medical Service
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Too many women and their babies are dying during birth in the Simien Mountains. Your gift today will prevent more tragedy in 2022. Please, will you give today?
GIVE A GIFT TO SAVE WOMEN AND BABIES THIS CHRISTMAS
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