Yesterday I met the members of Project Harar’s Surgical Mission to Ethiopia. It was really inspiring to learn about the project’s efforts to transform the lives of many young Ethiopian people with facial disfigurements – enabling them to smile, eat and lead normal lives, often for the first time.
Many will be surprised to hear that Project Harar (founded by Jonathan Crown) has already worked in Ethiopia for close to 12 years, identifying and arranging treatment in a number of hospitals in Addis Ababa for more than 2500 people from poor rural communities who have facial disfigurements.
An astonishing 1/600 children are born with or sustain such disfigurements, 85% of them in rural areas where often their families hide them from sight. Locating them for treatment is often very difficult.
I was really impressed by the team’s effort to empower local professionals as well. I met local doctors and plastic surgeons with a shared vision who are keen to develop their expertise to help their fellow citizens. They are working with the Mission for an intensive two-week period, treating and operating on around 50 patients from rural communities.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn yesterday that a few members of Project Harar read my blog. So can I say direct to them that it was a huge privilege to meet the Mission and wish them every success in their time here.