4 Oct 2011

Returned from Ethiopia


Hello Followers of Med

We’re already back in Mallorca.  We had some intense days and some intense feelings.  Some achievements and satisfaction but also we have some big challenges ahead, our biggest being the Sebeta School for the Blind.  They have 340 children some of whom are blind, others can see with one eye, others are simply myopic, as I was when I was small.  If I had been born in Ethiopia I may have been brought up in Sebeta.  On the first day of school a lovely young girl of 7 arrived.  She has poor long sight and so is probably myopic.  Her brother who has more serious problems is already living in Sebeta.  It is touching to see her with her brother; he cares for her and guides her despite having much poorer vision.  The future of this young girl, as with many like her, is to live at Sebeta until 17 learning Braille in a very boring and repetitive fashion, living in horrible dormitories and without any human warmth except that given her by her brother, his friends (they have strong relations between them in Sebeta) and the monitors of the Messi room.  We are going to try to improve the living conditions and quality of life of these children (we have already started) but we’re going to need a lot of help because they need so much.

Photo: Children in the Messi room using material brought over by Olga, a Med volunteer.

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