Cittadinanza Onlus and Fondazione Irma Romagnoli in Ethiopia

Cittadinanza Onlus began its work in Ethiopia supporting children with disabilities and neurological disorders in 2019, thanks in part to the help of Fondazione Irma Romagnoli.

We operate in a rural area of the Oromia region, around 120 km from Addis Ababa.

The intervention combines two components. The first involves hospital-based work at Saint Luke Catholic Hospital in Wolisso, managed by Doctors with Africa CUAMM and serving a target population of 1,200,000 people. The second is a community-based rehabilitation program in rural areas, involving the Vision Community Based Rehabilitation Association.

Each year, 335 children with epilepsy receive free care and medication at the hospital, while another 103 children benefit from physiotherapy services. The hospital workshop has also begun producing assistive devices. In the rural areas of Dilella and Tulu Bolo, 15 and 30 km from Wolisso respectively, community workers assist 49 children with intellectual, physical, or sensory disabilities and their families. They also involve more than a thousand community members in village awareness meetings. These well-attended events are essential to overcoming stigma and enabling the full inclusion of children with disabilities. Thirty-eight children have received access to specialist medical consultations and assistive devices.

Cittadinanza has been able to make two on-site visits over the past two years and hopes to resume more regular travel during 2022.

The intervention costs approximately €30,000 per year. In 2022, the rural community-based rehabilitation program will be doubled in scope, extending to Goro and Chitu and increasing the production of assistive devices by both the hospital and the association. Total local project costs will rise to approximately €50,000.

In addition to Fondazione Irma Romagnoli’s contribution, the center has received funding from the Emilia-Romagna Region, the Waldensian Church, and private supporters of Cittadinanza Onlus.

INTERVENTION STRATEGY

With the aim of ensuring the right to health and inclusion for children with disabilities in rural Ethiopia, Cittadinanza’s strategy has focused on building on and strengthening the expertise of two local partners in Wolisso:

• The first is St. Luke Hospital, which serves as the zonal referral hospital for a target population of 1,200,000 people. Its Psychiatry and Physiotherapy clinics are involved in the partnership with Cittadinanza.
• The second is the Vision Community Based Rehabilitation Association (VCBRA), which has developed a community intervention model combining rehabilitation, social inclusion, psychosocial support, economic empowerment, and community involvement.

Epilepsy (St. Luke Hospital)

Many patients at the mental health clinic are children and adolescents with epilepsy. They have been given free access to follow-up consultations and medication. During 2020, 335 children benefited from the free care program funded by Fondazione Irma Romagnoli.

Physiotherapy (St. Luke Hospital)

In March 2020, a second physiotherapist joined St. Luke Hospital, increasing the clinic’s capacity. The clinic provided care for 108 children with various disabilities.

• Furnishings for the clinic and assistive devices for families of children with disabilities were purchased. Without these, rehabilitation is often limited to the hospital, making it impossible to continue care at home, even though this continuity is essential to maintaining the child’s health.
• St. Luke Hospital’s carpentry workshop began producing some simple assistive devices using materials purchased by Cittadinanza.

Community-Based Rehabilitation (VCBRA)

• In partnership with Cittadinanza, VCBRA expanded its community-based rehabilitation services to children identified in Dilella and Tulu Bolo, respectively 15 and 30 km from Wolisso.
• To identify children with disabilities, VCBRA staff conducted a survey together with several Health Extension Workers, community healthcare workers who received appropriate training from VCBRA before the identification process.
• The survey identified 103 children with disabilities, many of whom had never been seen by a healthcare professional.

Following identification, each child underwent cognitive and motor assessments conducted by VCBRA staff and the physiotherapist from St. Luke Hospital.

• Following assessment, children were referred to St. Luke Hospital for various forms of medical care or for home-based community rehabilitation (CBR).
• CBR involves professionals specializing in physical and psychological rehabilitation visiting the child’s home and providing rehabilitation that addresses both the individual and their social and community environment, helping the child and their family overcome isolation and stigma.
• VCBRA staff delivered 150 CBR sessions benefiting 49 children living in Tulu Bolo and Dilella.

Community Awareness

• St. Luke Hospital clinic staff organized awareness sessions in the waiting room to inform people about conditions such as epilepsy and counter superstition and prejudice.
• VCBRA organized several awareness meetings for the communities of Dilella and Tulu Bolo, both during village coffee ceremonies and at official events held in partnership with local Social Affairs representatives.

Response to the Health Emergency Caused by SARS-CoV-2

Thanks to the support of many donors, particularly Fondazione Irma Romagnoli, VCBRA staff organized distributions of protective supplies, including masks and cleaning products, and food, including flour, oil, and pulses, for 49 families in Dilella and Tulu Bolo.

• During distributions, staff provided information about COVID-19, its symptoms, and prevention. Access to accurate information is often very limited in rural areas.
• VCBRA staff also resumed home visits in accordance with containment measures, combining disability awareness with important information on preventing infection.

THANK YOU TO
FONDAZIONE IRMA ROMAGNOLI