Selamimesh with her children and Aster, an Orbis trained health worker, administering trachoma antibiotics

Fear of blindness haunts Ethiopian mothers – but there’s hope

Ever mother hopes to see her children grow up happy and healthy. But for many mothers across Ethiopia, this simple wish is threatened by trachoma, a painful eye disease that can lead to blindness. Without treatment, it can rob families of their future. But with antibiotics, trachoma can be treated and eliminated for good.

Trachoma: a Hidden Danger for Families

Trachoma is a bacterial infection that spreads easily, often through flies or by sharing items like bedding or clothes. Repeated trachoma infections can lead to trachoma trichiasis, where the eyelid turns inward, causing lashes to scrape the eyeball, leading to excruciating pain, scarring of the eye’s surface, and eventual blindness without treatment. The risk is particularly high for mothers and children, as they face daily challenges in accessing clean water, proper sanitation, and medical care.

For many mothers in Ethiopia, the fear of their children – or even themselves – going blind is a constant worry. The disease not only impacts their health but also their livelihoods, as many are involved in work that increases the risk of trachoma, such as pottery where limited access to clean water and proper hygiene contributes to the problem.

Selamimesh with her family in their village in Ethiopia — Your support of Orbis helps mothers just like Selamimesh and her children

The Story of Selamimesh: a Mother's Fear

Selamimesh, a potter in a small village in Ethiopia, lives with the constant fear of trachoma. Pottery work, done with bare hands and without access to clean water, puts her family at high risk of infection. For families like Selamimesh's, she is far more likely to get trachoma than her neighbours all because of her job.

"I am always worried about my children or I becoming blind," Selamimesh says. "Pottery increases the risk of trachoma, but we have no other means of income. We don’t have clean water or soap to wash with after handling the dirt."

Her fear is all too real. Without intervention, trachoma can slowly take away the ability to see, making everyday tasks impossible and leaving mothers to watch helplessly as their children lose their sight.

However, an Orbis trained health worker named Aster visited the village, providing much-needed screening and treatment for active trachoma. "Meaza has had an itch in her eye for weeks," Selamimesh shares. "I am so grateful for the eye ointment. I will make sure Meaza and I take our antibiotics as advised."

Seble’s Story: a Mother's Fear for Her Children

Seble, a mother of three from a small village near Durame town, faces similar challenges. Her husband, Abraham, works as a farmer, but the family’s food supply barely covers their needs, let alone the cost of medical care. When Seble noticed her children’s eyes streaming, itching, and becoming painful, she knew something was wrong.

“I saw the discharge, and they stopped playing outside because the light hurt their eyes,” Seble recalls. "I’m so afraid my children will go blind one day. I have seen older members of our community who are blind, and I don't want my children to face the same fate."

Without money for soap or a clinic visit, Seble feared the worst. But Seble’s family were able to benefit from Aster’s screenings too. She diagnosed the family with active trachoma infections and provided them with free antibiotics.

“We are relieved to have the antibiotics,” Seble says. “I will continue to teach my children about the importance of hygiene and cleanliness. I am so thankful for the chance to protect their eyesight.”

Hope for a Blindness-Free Future

Thanks to the dedicated work of health workers like Aster, families like Selamimesh's and Seble's can hope for a future free from the threat of blindness. The gift of antibiotics can transform their lives, but many families still face the risk of losing their sight due to a lack of resources.

Seble and her family getting antibiotics for their trachoma from Orbis trained health worker Aster — Supporting Orbis helps train more health workers like Aster to reach those who are in need of treatment

Your Help Can Make a Difference

This Mother's Day, as we reflect on the love and sacrifices of mothers around the world, let's remember those who are fighting for the future of their children. With your support, we can help provide life-changing antibiotics to mothers and children at risk of trachoma.

A donation of £30 can provide antibiotics to treat trachoma infection for 50 people that will help prevent blindness and restore hope to a family.

Together, we can make sure that mothers across Ethiopia – and around the world – can see their children grow up happy, healthy, and free from the threat of trachoma.

Selamimesh with her child during a visit to the village to administer antibiotics for trachoma — Join Orbis today to help families like Selamimesh and Seble bring hope to face the threat of trachoma

Donate Now to Help Prevent Blindness

Your donation today can change a life tomorrow. Help us provide antibiotics and bring hope to families facing the threat of trachoma.