How many times has a simple headache derailed your productivity? If you’ve got a report to write, a presentation, or a meeting, it’s nearly impossible to concentrate if your health isn’t cooperating. This can turn into a snowball effect. If you can’t study, you get behind. The further you get behind, the harder it is to catch up. And if the headache is part of some larger health issue, the problem gets magnified even further.
This highlights a special challenge when educating children: in order to learn well, their basic needs must be met. It can be difficult in any environment, but especially so in Ethiopia, where access to basic care is far more limited than what most of us are accustomed to. It truly takes a village to raise a child, and sometimes, that village stretches across continents. This is where Medan Initiative comes into play. They are working to improve the lives of students all across Ethiopia. But instead of education, they’re doing it through access to healthcare. Through a special partnership with another non-profit, Rebuilding a Nation, Medan raised funds to hire a school nurse for Raey, and has begun implementing a comprehensive care plan to make sure that students can focus fully on their studies.
One of the largest needs for students is preventative care. Many serious health issues can be avoided through simple things like hand hygiene and proper nutrition. Going beyond just treating issues as they come up, the nurse will help create a health curriculum so that students can learn about things like brushing teeth, washing hands, and taking vitamins (which Medan will also provide.) The partnership will be high tech, too. The nurse will have access to an app that will allow providers here in the U.S. to look at notes from a child’s health visit and recommend treatments.
It’s a natural partnership. The school is the perfect venue for Medan to implement its projects, and improved health greatly contributes to a successful education. Medan will also send a medical team from the U.S. twice a year to augment the school nurse’s services.
Dealing with poverty is complicated. There are so many factors that contribute to it, and the solution requires many parts. It takes a village, from the teachers, to the nurses, to the people that make it all possible through funding. If you want to become a part of that village, you can learn more about our work here. If you want to learn more about Medan Initiative, including how you can travel to help the students in person, click here. In the words of Rebuilding a Nation founder Makeda Mulugeta, “You may not be able to change the whole world by yourself, but you can make a difference one child at a time.”
Written by Matt Citak, a friend, partner, and advocate of Medan Initiative.