Providing the Care They Need

Children and families benefit from a renovated healthcare clinic in Shinshicho, Ethiopia

By: Ashli Courtright, Managing Editor

A year ago the waiting room of a government-run healthcare clinic in Shinshicho, Ethiopia, and the only healthcare facility in the community, sat run down and almost completely empty. Many residents opted to travel long distances to other clinics, or remain in their homes as their treatable medical conditions worsened. Now, with the help of Holt International, the clinic has been completely renovated, and the residents of this community are finally receiving the medical treatment and care they desperately need, in a clean and safe environment.

In January Will Dantzler, Chairman of Holt’s Board of Directors, joined with Holt’s Ethiopia Country Director, Dr. Fikru Geleso, and members of local and central Ethiopian government, to cut the ribbon at an inauguration ceremony, signifying the opening of the beautiful, newly renovated clinic, and welcoming a new beginning for the estimated 250,000 area residents who will benefit from it.

“The clinic is 25 years old, and had never been renovated, no construction had been done to it until now,” says Dr. Fikru. “It was very unclean, and the nurses were inexperienced. We renovated the entire clinic, and did additional constructions including: sewer system, electrical system and telephone system.”

Holt, along with generous donors, provided funding for the renovation work and partial funding for a full-time doctor and several nurses who are now running the clinic and providing medical assistance to over 3,000 people a month, most of whom are women and children. “It benefits a lot of women specifically,” said Dr. Fikru.

“Before the renovation, pregnant women would often have a lot of complications when giving birth, and some wouldn’t survive. Now women are being treated by experienced nurses, helping to deliver their babies in a clean environment.”

Holt donors have also provided equipment and supplies for the clinic, as well as a vehicle that will be utilized for the transportation of supplies, medical staff, and children and families in need of medical assistance.

“We are able to provide care for easily treatable conditions, and are admitting 5-10 patients at a time. In the past, there were no beds to admit patients,” said Dr. Fikru. “We now provide basic treatment, administer IV lines, give patients anti-malaria drugs, and they usually improve in a day or two.”

Although the clinic is a far cry from what it once was, for it to continue to remain successful, improvements will still need to be made in order to accommodate the increasing number of patients and provide quality care.

“The clinic is very congested,” says Dr. Fikru. “We need to have one building for admitting more patients, and we need more doctors. While the clinic is becoming crowded, it’s also a positive thing, because so many people are now getting the treatment they need.”

Along with the newly renovated clinic, Holt is creating more space for the children in care at the Durame Intake center, as well as the center in Addis Ababa. Holt is currently trying to place children out of both Durame and Addis, and two new childcare centers are being constructed to accommodate these children waiting for families. “The center in Addis is just extraordinary,” says Dr. Fikru, “But we need more space for the children.”

“There is still work to be done, but we are making a difference: We are helping children in the childcare facilities, we have 220 children in the sponsorship program, and families in the family preservation program…We are doing whatever we can.”

Holt is grateful for the generous donors who made it possible for the renovation of the new healthcare clinic and the childcare centers. We will continue to provide for the children and families of Ethiopia, as well as provide loving care to the orphaned and abandoned children waiting to go home to their families.

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