July 2017

Eye clinic

Every year we see sights that we feel challenge the human resolve. One morning at the Day Care Centre a young lady approached us with a large cyst on her eyeball about the size of a 5 pence piece. Muchaede said that she had had this for several weeks and it was getting bigger. She said it was very painful and she was unable to close her eye and even blinking was troublesome. We arranged a trip to the eye clinic to see Dr Abdul who over the years we have met several times. He prescribed drops for a couple of days and an operation to remove the cyst. We arranged payment 1,625 Bir approximately £56.00. Muchaede is in the Porridge Club and also has two children in Day Care, her husband who is disabled does day work, whilst we were there he was chopping wood for 8 hours per day earning 30 Bir, £1.00 per day at the centre. The operation was a great success and two days after she was back at the Porridge Club collecting porridge for her youngest child with a huge smile.

Tubech

Sister Terfatu took us to meet a young disabled girl called Tubech she is approximately 23 years old disabled with a wheel chair and has a small house / shop outside the Cheshire Foundation who supplied the wheel chair for her. As well as her selling a few sweets and tissues she does some cleaning within the Cheshire Foundation. Sadly, she was raped and her baby is due in July. Tubech was very distressed and concerned about how she would support herself once the baby arrives. We agreed to give her 3 months’ rent and money for food to help her during this period. She will also be able to attend the Porridge Club and obtain further support from the project.

Scales

A young woman with 2 children who attend the Catholic School and are sponsored by the project asked if we could purchase some scales as she is selling vegetables on the market but was guessing the weight. For £30.00 we purchased a very sturdy set of scales which she was delighted with. Her husband works at the Centre when required as a day worker he will earn approximately £1.00 per day. Two very hard-working people trying to survive.

Material

Every year Sister likes to purchase material to make dresses for the poor these include the ladies in the Porridge Club and the ladies who work at the Day Care Centre. We purchased material for 70 dresses and also material to make 44 uniforms for the school children whose families are too poor to be able to buy the uniforms, most of these are the children the project sponsors. The work will be paid work for some of the tailors that we have purchased sewing machines for in the past and present.