Ethiopiaid Australia in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Non-profit organisation

Ethiopiaid Australia

Locality: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 3 9864 6060

Address: Level 3, 484 St Kilda Road 3004 Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Website: http://ethiopiaid.org.au/

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25.01.2022 "I am distressed and overwhelmed; we have gone back to zero [in terms of progress] in some areas..." Cases of female genital mutilation and child marriage are surging across rural Africa following COVID-necessitated school closures. Being in school is the main reason girls don’t get cut. The girls are safe in school. With the schools closed, there’s no alternative they are left to the mercy of their parents and communities," explains one campaigner. Now more than ever before, we need to band together to stop the cycle of FGM and protect girls from a lifetime of suffering. Read more from The Guardian here >> https://www.theguardian.com//coronavirus-millions-more-gir

24.01.2022 I have seen girls who have been circumcised like me and could not give birth and died, and I have seen that. So it’s possible that I cannot give birth and I die. That’s what I’m afraid of. 19-year-old Eysa is due to give birth very soon, and she's terrified of what will happen to her and her baby. Eysa was genitally mutilated when she was 4 years old. She's seen the complications this has had for other pregnant women in her village, and she's scared she won't be able to pro...tect her baby from suffering the same fate if she has a daughter. It was Eysa who approached our field partners APDA (Afar Pastoralist Development Association) when she heard about their anti-FGM campaigning in a neighbouring village. She was amazed to discover that after APDA's work, the clan leaders came together and for the first time, condemned the practice of FGM in their community. Now Eysa's desperate for her own village to see the light too, before it's too late for her baby girl. Will you help? By donating today, you can power the critical education and emergency medical aid that's needed to stop the cycle of FGM and save the lives of young girls. Donate now >> https://bit.ly/2HVyowa

24.01.2022 A beautiful quote from Aesop today on #WorldKindnessDay. Your care and your kindness mean the world to the children, women and marginalized communities in Ethiopia. Thank you for each and every act of kindness.

23.01.2022 This young Afari woman has a big grin on her face and it’s thanks to you! Your ongoing support of project partners Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA) means more and more young women in Afar are going to school, speaking out against harmful traditions like FGM and early marriage, and having a say in their future and their communities. There’s still a way to go, but it’s wonderful to see the wellbeing, security and independence that’s growing for women in Afar. Something to smile about today on #InternationalDayofHappiness! Photo by Michael Benanav.

19.01.2022 While it appears that children have been less vulnerable to COVID-19, the widespread virus has posed other risks for kids in Ethiopia losing the opportunity to be vaccinated against other preventable diseases. That’s why, mid this year, the Ethiopian government and local NGOs took on a huge immunisation blitz that resulted in 15 million children vaccinated against measles and 7 million vaccinated against polio. Today as we celebrate World Children’s Day, we pay tribute to the amazing work being done to safeguard children and give them every chance possible for a safe and healthy future. Thank you for being part of this work! Photo below by Joni Kabana

19.01.2022 It’s being called the epicentre of COVID-19 in Ethiopia Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. At end of last month, coronavirus cases hit a high of almost 75,000 and it’s believed that over the course of the year, as many as 75% of cases were from Addis Ababa. Today on #WorldCitiesDay let’s have a quick look at why the coronavirus hit Addis so hard 1 Ground zero. Addis Ababa has Ethiopia’s largest international airport. Although quarantines have been in place since March..., most travelers entering the country come through this airport and create higher risk of the virus taking off. 2 High density dwellings. Almost 5 million people live in the city, many packed together in crowded dwellings, making it frighteningly easy for the virus to spread rapidly. 3 Mass congregations. City-wide protests over ethnic and political tensions earlier this year saw tens of thousands of people come together, creating an open playing field for COVID to spread. 4 Unequal infrastructure. While Addis is a developed, robust city, those on the outskirts lack access to clean water, sanitation and TV/internet, making it difficult to receive information about and put into practice basic preventative measures. #worldcitiesday

14.01.2022 "I still remember the pain - it was agony. I was screaming and trying to escape but I couldn't move. Afterwards, everyone was so proud of me, like I'd achieved something wonderful. I couldn't understand why my relatives were so pleased when I was in such pain." These are the words from 19 year old Eysa as she recalls being genitally mutilated when she was 4 years old. Her mum and her aunt took her to a stranger's house and told her to lay down. She didn't understand what was ...happening at the time. All she remembers is the pain. Eysa is now 8 months' pregnant and she's terrified of what may happen when she gives birth. She fears for her life, because she's seen girls who have been circumcised like her die during childbirth. And she's terrified about what will happen to her child if it's a baby girl. Pain, fear and death. That's all female genital mutilation causes. It's a violation of human rights on every level, and it needs to end now. Find out how your donation today can power the fight against FGM and protect girls like Eysa from a lifetime of suffering >> https://bit.ly/2HVyowa

12.01.2022 Did you ever think there would be a global observance day called #WorldToiletDay? But, in fact, today’s World Toilet Day is essential in the efforts to alleviate poverty and uphold basic human rights. That’s why health, water and sanitation are core parts of the programs we support in Ethiopia. From funding PPE, soap and hand sanitiser during COVID, to building flexible drought-relief solutions in the nomadic Afar region, to renovating taps and toilets in primary schools for clean drinking water and private bathrooms, you’ve been helping to provide safe, sustainable sanitation for many across Ethiopia.

11.01.2022 We’ve all heard that washing and sanitising your hands is a key part of COVID-19 prevention but for many people in Ethiopia, this is out of reach. According to UNICEF, only 11% of people in Ethiopia have access to safe drinking water and 7% have access to basic sanitation services. How do you wash your hands and stop the spread of disease if you don’t have access to soap or clean water? That’s why this past year, many of our field partners ramped up or started new WASH activities. Thanks to your ongoing support, they’ve been able to set up hand washing stations in safe shelters, distribute soap and hand sanitiser to vulnerable citizens, and building new water access points in impoverished communities. Below: Hand washing station in one of your sponsored women's safe shelters. #WorldWaterDay

10.01.2022 Meet Kalkidan. She's a single mother of twin boys. She loves them fiercely and has battled her whole life to make sure they have the best future possible. But a few years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She didn’t know what this meant at the time. And, sadly, as is all too common in Ethiopia, with such limited cancer treatment available and without the money to travel overseas for treatment, Kalkidan had little hope of being cured. Too many cancer patients like Ka...lkidan spend their final days alone and in great pain, worrying about what will happen to the family members they leave behind. Her story paints a stark picture about healthcare in Ethiopia. That's why project partners, Hospice Ethiopia, are battling to bring palliative and hospice care to every Ethiopian in need. Because no person, living destitute and with a terminal illness, deserves to die in pain and alone. *With thanks to Kalkidan for sharing her story & Hospice Ethiopia UK for taking the photos

09.01.2022 Today is the birthday of the late Dr Catherine Hamlin, pioneer of fistula surgery in Ethiopia. Although Dr Hamlin passed away last year, her dream to eradicate obstetric fistula lives on stronger than ever through the many midwives and health workers she has trained and through the tens of thousands of women now living safe, happy and fistula-free lives. Happy birthday and rest easy, Dr Hamlin. We, and all the people you have inspired, are here to see your dream through to the end. Here's to a world free from fistula.

08.01.2022 A big cheer and thank you to everyone who wrote in a message of support via wombat this past Christmas! These wombats are being shared with our project partners in the Afar region and have been brightening up everyone's day! Here is just one of the many lovely messages we received; this one from Margareta in Bedford WA:

08.01.2022 Did you know today is one of the biggest events in the Ethiopian social calendar? It is the annual Timkat Festival, an Orthodox Christian occasion marking the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan. Taking place over three days, Timkat is celebrated with colourful processions, singing and dancing, and family get-togethers.

07.01.2022 As you may know, each Christmas we ask if you'll write a message of support to our project partners and communities we work with in Ethiopia. And, each year these messages are sent out on the back of an iconic Aussie animal! After putting it to the vote, this year's Christmas animal will be the humble WOMBAT If you receive mail from us, keep a look-out for your Christmas wombat to arrive in your letterbox soon. Don't forget to write your message of support on it and send back to us so we can share your best wishes in Ethiopia. Below: a fistula survivor with her newborn bub holding her koala message of support from Christmas 2018.

06.01.2022 What happens when home isn’t a safe place? This year, COVID-necessitated lockdowns have resulted in an alarming increase in violence against women. In Ethiopia, 49% and 59% of women will experience physical or sexual assault respectively at least once in their lifetime. But thanks to project partners AWSAD these women have had somewhere safe to turn throughout the crisis. In addition to their 5 safe shelters across Ethiopia, AWSAD also set up emergency quarantine facilities so women could lower their risk of contracting or spreading the virus while still seeking safety. Below: The bold, global campaign symbol by the UN for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women #orangetheworld

04.01.2022 Because of your support

03.01.2022 Faatuma was a life-long believer and practitioner of female genital mutilation (FGM). She had it performed on herself as a young girl and was proud to continue the practice in others. She thought it was part of believing in Islam. She had heard that people in the government weren't happy with FGM, but she assumed that was because they weren't very strong in Islamic thinking. When she heard about a meeting to discuss FGM, she was excited and walked for 4 days to attend. Howeve...r, when she learnt at the meeting that no part of the Qur'an supported FGM, Faatuma felt physically shocked. Over three days, Faatuma learnt about the terrible health consequences FGM has. It fundamentally changed everything she believed, so much so that we went on to do a 30-day "Extension Worker" course so she could educate other Afar communities about stopping FGM. Today she's determined to stop FGM in her hometown of Uguuhe (north-west Afar). This is a real-life example of how you're helping to stop FGM in Ethiopia. Woman by woman, community by community, you are making positive change happen!

02.01.2022 UPDATE on current violence in Tigray, north Ethiopia Just days ago violent clashes broke out between former political party & armed liberation movement, the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) and the pro-democracy federal government/army. Ethnic and political tensions have been escalating since the federal government came into power two years ago. I want to assure all Ethiopiaid supporters that your donations for women, children and communities in Ethiopia have not bee...n affected by the violence and unrest in northern Ethiopia. Our current project partners who are active in other regions of Ethiopia report that the work you support is able to continue as planned. I speak for Ethiopiaid Australia and all our project partners in Ethiopia when I say that I hope there will be a swift and peaceful resolution. Visit our website for more information >> https://bit.ly/32RPGRZ

01.01.2022 Thanks to you this year...