We are 4 mums ( Natalie Beer, Nina Litchfield, Laura Riascos and Julia von Werz) who would like to raise much needed funds for the Attat hospital in Ethiopia.

Natalie Beer and Nora Tschirner travelled to Ethiopia in 2011 and made a film about childbirth complications (Fistula) . At that time they were also on site at the Attat hospital and got a look inside the hospital. They were particularly touched by the mother & child hospital, the so-called waiting area, where women can wait for their babies a few weeks before giving birth. Since the Gurage region is in the mountains and it sometimes takes 2 days on foot to get to a hospital, the Attat hospital and the waiting area are a very good solution for the difficult-to-reach medical care of young mothers. The young women can wait for their baby there for 2-4 weeks and, in the event of complications, can be operated in the adjoining hospital. Since the girls in Ethiopia are very often married at an early age, the young women very often have birth complications (including obstetric fistulas). This leaves women stigmatized and abandoned by their husbands.

The Attat Hospital is located in the Gurageland, in one of the poorest regions in Ethiopia. It has been in operation for 49 years and looks after a catchment area of around 1 million people with a catchment radius of around 100 kilometers. The hospital has 65 beds. In the house for risk mothers (waiting area) there are 44 additional beds and eleven beds in the department for malnourished children.

Although the patients pay their own contribution according to their possibilities, the income only covers around 32 percent of the costs. The rest is raised through donations. The main problem is the financing of running costs, for example wages and salaries for employees.

In a country where many people do not have enough to live and where there is no health insurance, this work is only possible with generous support.

 

We are hoping you will support us in this important cause and attend our event on the 1st of March or make a donation.

 

Best,

 

Natalie, Nina, Laura & Julia.