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Photo © Kelly Anne Smith
Every day, families across southern Ethiopia walk barefoot because they have no other choice. For some, that simple fact leads to years of pain, disability and isolation.
Podoconiosis (podo) is a form of elephantiasis, caused by exposure to irritant minerals found in fertile volcanic red clay soil. One-fifth of Ethiopia is covered in this mineral rich but harmful soil, with more than 1.5 million people in Ethiopia living with the disease today.
For many farming families, the very land that provides food and income can also destroy their health. Working barefoot day after day, these tiny mineral particles in the soil penetrate the skin.
This debilitating neglected tropical disease results in severe swelling of the feet and legs. As the disease progresses, every step becomes harder.
But, by wearing shoes, podoconiosis is preventable. And for someone living with podoconiosis, a pair of shoes can protect their feet and help them walk comfortably again.
Will you help us reach more people and prevent this devastating disease?
Our partner Action on Podoconiosis and Integrated Development Organisation (APIDO) works in communities educating people on prevention, treatment and self-care. They are:
Training local health workers to manage and prevent podo.
Providing self-care kits: soap, ointment and other supplies can significantly reduce symptoms and alleviate pain.
Making specialist shoes in local workshops. Without these, people whose feet and legs are so severely swollen would have no way of protecting themselves from the soil.
Raising awareness of prevention, spreading the message of the causes and symptoms. This reduces stigma, promotes early detection and encourages people to seek care.
Creating long-term change: APIDO’s sustainable approach can be replicated within each community with your support, to eradicate podo.
Your kindness could help someone take their first pain-free steps in years.
Please donate today.
Yantule, a mother of six, lived with podoconiosis for more than twenty years before she found APIDO. As the disease worsened, she could no longer farm, walk to the local market or care for her family. Reaching a health centre became almost impossible, and she felt isolated by pain and stigma.
Today, after treatment, she can move freely again, care for herself and share her experience with others, encouraging them to seek the same life-changing support.
“It felt like sand was invading my legs, and my skin became hard like a tree trunk… Now I can care for myself and live with dignity.”
Damenech is 26 years old and has lived with podoconiosis for most of her life.
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We raise funds for local Ethiopian charities to transform lives and achieve lasting change.
Our partners know the context and solutions; we listen and provide appropriate support. Growth and development are tracked in local communities using robust monitoring and evaluation. Partnerships continue as long as there’s a clear need and opportunities to make a lasting impact.
Our vision – an Ethiopia in which every person has access to quality education, healthcare and a life of dignity.
Our mission – breaking the cycle of poverty by enabling the poorest and most vulnerable and their communities to live with dignity, to build resilience and achieve real and sustainable solutions to the challenges they face.
