Meetings, Podoconiosis, Shoes and Cipro

Last night was a tough one. Something did not sit right with my stomach, so the toilet and I became friends about 10 times throughout the night starting at around 3AM. Unfortunately, I was unable to indicate what it was that made me sick, but it got to the point of dry heaving (totally not fun). Amazing how I'm 24 years old and the very first thought in my mind was "I wish Mom was around". I'm guess that actually never goes away. I slept until about 8:30 when Josh came to my door asking if I was awake. I shared the news and he immediately suggested that I take the Cipro we brought with us. I wanted to wait it out a little bit since my stomach was no longer in pain, so I drank a cold Coke, ate a little bread and we were soon on our way to our first meeting.

Today we had a chance to meet with some NGO leaders here in Addis- folks who are working in the area of podoconiosis. For those of you who don't know much about the disease, I'm going ask that one of you- because the internet is oober slow here- would post the recent TOMS blog link in a comment below. Steve, you can probably find it the easiest, yes? In short, this is a debilitating foot disease caused by an irritant particle in the soil. It causes symptoms like swelling of the feet and legs, festering wounds, and other incredibly painful side effects. Perhaps the most challenging part of this disease is the social stigma associated with it. In talking to some of the people we met with today, they told us that those who have this disease are often considered outcasts, can never marry, and if they are found to have it, their families are considered cursed.

It is most commonly prevalent in young people ages 20+, but is not isolated to that age group. Another major challenge is that major leaders in the health world know nothing of this disease. In Ethiopia, where it is estimated that roughly 1 million people have this disease, the director of neglected tropical diseases has just recently learned of it-and only through the lobbying of some of the organizations we are meeting with. And here's the amazing part- with proper foot washing and consistent wearing of clean shoes and socks, this disease is 100% preventable.

We met Christel today- a lovely German lady who will be accompanying us on our travels to Dembidollo, Nkempte and a few other locations. She has been working in podo for just about 2 years. She is working very hard to promote a community based treatment system for this disease rather than a centralized clinic treatment system. Clinic systems often require that patients travel for days for treatment, but community-based treatment allows for community leaders to own the treatment process. As you can imagine, this takes a lot more education and training, but from what Christel has seen (and what we will see in the coming days), this is much more effective.

We then met Dr. Fasil- one of the leading researchers in podo here in Ethiopia. We met for lunch- food which I declined because my stomach was beginning to flare up again-and he shared with us about the basics of podo, prevention, and next steps. The biggest hurdle that those working in the field face is the fact that it is so unknown in the medical community. Awareness is key to furthering the work in this disease.

Shoes in Ethiopia are more than just a clothing item. Josh and I noticed this within a day of being here. The streets are lined with shoe polishing/cleaning "stations", where people of all ages (mostly male) offer shoe shining services. I mean, the streets are literally lined with these. I asked both Surafel and Dr. Fasil about this and they made it clear that shoes are a symbol of status. As Christel put it today at lunch, "If you have shoes here in Ethiopia, you are recognized person in society." She said, "If parents have any money, the first thing they will buy for their children will be a nice pair of shoes." I hope to find out about the history of that in the near future.

We got back to Don Bosco after spending a little more time with Christel and I immediately took Cipro. It's already taking effect- my stomach has calmed down and doesn't hurt any more. Mom, don't worry, I am absolutely going to stay on top of this. I rested a little while and then ate a granola bar (a MUST-bring if you ever find yourself here). Hopefully it will continue to settle.

It is a little strange to think that we have seen so much and have more than a week left here. From what Christel told us, we still have much to see-she asked us to prepare to be shocked by the level of poverty we are going to experience. So, pray for me, if you will. We leave for Dembidollo on Wednesday morning-which will probably be when the consistent blogging stops. I will commit to writing daily updates and then posting them upon our return to Addis on August 30th.

Until next time,

ACW

Flights Booked! The Countdown Begins!

It's kind of awesome to think that just a few months ago (April), I had this crazy desire to go and see parts of Africa. Ethiopia came up in a conversation at a conference and then it seemed imperative for me go, see, write, and live differently. And here I am, Giving Special Projects Manager at TOMS Shoes, going to Ethiopia exactly two weeks from today!

As many of you know, TOMS gives shoes in Ethiopia. One of the reasons we do that is to serve as a preventative measure for children at risk for podoconiosis- a seriously debilitating foot disease transmitted through irritant chemicals in the soil. You can read a bit more about it here. It's devastating. Those who contract the disease (usually young adults) not only experience swelling of the feet and legs, but itching and a putrid smell. The psychological trauma that comes with this is frankly unthinkable.

I'll be going with a new TOMS employee- actually the first time we'll be meeting will be at the Addis airport. Our itinerary is pretty full already. We're meeting with various key people working to eradicate podoconiosis while in Addis, visiting podo clinics in Dembidollo and enjoying some of the beautiful countryside. I'll be sure to post pictures and stories, but am now grateful that I am actually able to bring this blog to life.

I read this great quote yesterday from a dear friend, Steve Jennings- To dare is to lose one's footing momentarily. Not to dare is to lose oneself.- Soren Kierkegaard. Here's to daring!