CURE Ethiopia is the main pediatric orthopedic hospital in Ethiopia and is not only helping to change the lives of many children and their families but also their immediate community. When the pandemic hit the world, CURE Ethiopia established a “COVID-19 Preventing Committee” with the goal to help out in any abnormal situations in our community related to COVID-19.
The committee decided this was a chance to further reach out to vulnerable people living around our hospital. The idea was formed to help donate groceries and food since many people have lost what little income they once had and food insecurity has been increasing all over the country. Every employee at CURE Ethiopia voluntarily contributed 10-50% of their paycheck to this fund. In total 600,000 birr (over $16,000) was donated. The money was used to buy and create food packages consisting of 50lbs bags of flour, 5L jugs of cooking oil, 3L jugs of detergent, and a large cartoon of pasta.
The committee reached out to the local Woreda (neighborhood government) and collaborated with them to identify the most in-need households in our area. In total, CURE Ethiopia was able to provide 200 households with supplies to help them in this challenging time. The Woreda was incredibly helpful in this process, not only logistically but also in the actual distribution process as well.
The recipients were asked to come to CURE Ethiopia in order to pick up their package. CURE staff also volunteered their time to assemble the over 200 packages! The staff was honored to be a part of the distribution and went above and beyond to help the more elderly recipients get the packages to their homes.
CURE’s mission is to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God, and we carry out this mission at our hospitals through our patients and their families. But, we also strive to be a blessing to those the Lord has gifted to us as neighbors and help the local community as a whole.
About the CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia
Established in 2008, CURE Ethiopia performs over 2,500 life-changing reconstructive and orthopedic surgeries every year for children suffering from treatable disabilities. Strategically located in the capital city of Addis Ababa, the teaching hospital has 70 beds and four operating rooms. CURE International uses this facility to multiply its efforts by partnering with The College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA) to serve as a regional learning institution by implementing an orthopedic pediatric training program at the residency and fellowship levels. In addition to world-class clinical service, CURE Ethiopia ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their communities.
