Tears as Jo sees new clinic
Ethiopian dream realised
A Kinross woman has just returned from a trip to Ethiopia after raising money to open a health clinic there.
Jo Middlemiss, along with her cousin Maureen, run the Ethiopia Medical Project, and went across to the official opening of a new health centre at the Buccama Clinic in Soddo, Wolayta, in southern Ethiopia. The fundraising the pair do in Scotland helps to keep the facility running.
Jo said: “We are literally just back, and we go every year. We just had another successful trip - times are tough there.
“For one reason or another the clinic was going to fold, so we helped Buccama to become a health centre. The Ethiopia Medical Project pays the salaries of 17 people at the clinic, and they have just built a new extension. It was just mind-blowing.”
The Buccama Clinic helps women in the area suffering from uterine prolapse, where the womb’s muscles weaken and stretch, causing the uterus to prolapse. Jo explained how big an issue this is in the country: “For the women who have the condition, it was secret and awful, and they never did anything about it because they thought no-one else had it, but there are thousands.
“Often their husbands didn’t understand and pushed them out the way. But at the official opening the local government were there and said thank you because they are mothers and must be helped, which is a huge step forward because the women didn’t want to talk about the issue, never mind the men. It is hard to describe, it was incredibly humbling.”
The new clinic Jo raises money for now has two 10-bed wards, as well as toilets, a septic tank and a pharmacy.
She said: “It was just absolutely amazing. I wept when I saw the clinic because we left them with enough money to start it.
“The total bill is £2,000 a month, and that is what we have to raise. It is quite hard work, but we do manage though.
“The Kinross Rotary Club in particular were fabulous and they raised £7,900.
“I took that out to Buccama with me and
Jo Middlemiss at Buccama Clinic, Ethiopia that has paid for the beds in the new wards, as well as the bedside cupboards and some medical equipment.”
Jo initially got involved in the Buccama Clinic when her cousin visited.
She explained: “The initial inspiration was when my cousin was in Ethiopia and met a Swiss nurse who said ‘if you want to help I can show you this clinic’.
“She had a minor prolapse herself, so she knew she could get it fixed easily, but these women in Ethiopia couldn’t. I said I would love to help so she and I started going out to help them with a bit of money.
“These women can return to their lives and their children, and that’s the miracle of it all really.
“I am a very happy Scottish person living in a nice house in Scotland, but when you are out there they have nothing.
“They have the clothes on their back and there is no water - it is a completely different world.”
Anyone wanting to donate to the Ethiopia Medical Project can visit: http:// uk.virginmoneygiving. com/charity-web/charity/ finalCharityHomepage. action?charityId=1007886.