Shola Clinic - Addis

Day 2...and I already feel a lot more comfortable in the city...navigating the streets and getting stared down is not so intimidating anymore. Michael Jackson would be surprised to see it does matter if you're black or white on the streets of Addis...

And in an attempt to channel Marie Antoinette/Staci Rice I am feeding the children Hazelnut cookies. So the rumor mill amongst children in Addis is working in my favor. 

I went to visit the Shola Clinic this morning operated by African Services Committee. Shola is ASC’s #1 clinic and located in the 2^nd largest marketplace in Addis. It's also the area of the city with the highest concentration of commercial sex workers (CSW), which makes it the ideal location for the clinic.

I am thoroughly impressed by the clinic and the services they offer. They provide the full breadth of Free HIV/AIDS voluntary counseling and testing as well as family planning services. It’s essentially a Free one-stop-shop clinic focusing on the needs of HIV/AIDS patients. 

I attended a group meeting (bi-monthly meeting) in which women gather to share experiences and offer each other support as they tackle the hardships and stigmas associated with the virus.

Women are also able to come pick up contraception at the center twice a week .

I visited the CSW’s "homes" to discover an unparalleled level of poverty. Their houses consist of 1 bed with one tiny table surrounding by corrugated steel. Literally the house is the bed. If they have children, the children live under the bed. Besides the clear lack of space, there is no toilet, no lighting, no kitchen...and no sanitation. 

Following the clinic visit and interactions with the staff, I have already come up with some print and radio marketing ideas that I will be able to implement in order to further drive awareness and relevant outreach communication for ASC. 

Haben - an ASC outreach coordinator

  

I have decided weekly showers will have to suffice. The water pressure combined with ice cold temperatures make for an interesting shower experience. 

But the toilet experience is by far the highlight...
On my first day here, in order to flush I had to lift the entire toilet tank...but this advanced system no longer works, so we must resort to dumping buckets of water directly into the toilet in order to complete the process.

 

My tactic for coping with sporadic showers...and the Ethiopians seem pleased with my attempt to assimilate.