Squared up for a good cause
Women from the craft group at St Thomas', Howrah with the colourful squares knitted for the Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. Photo Margaret Kelly
Helping Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia
Women from the craft group at St Thomas’ Church, Howrah, have been busy knitting squares, which have now been made up into rugs for the Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Sue Nahodil, who has been in Ethiopia, spoke with the craft group about the need for blankets for the patients at the hospital. The result is the 20 bright rugs shown in the picture. The rugs were delivered by Sue’s husband, Marcel, who returned to Ethiopia at the end of October.
Dr Catherine Hamlin and her husband, Reg, set up the first hospital in 1961 and there are now three hospitals in Ethiopia treating fistula patients, with two further hospitals under construction.
There is no charge for treatment, so the hospitals rely on funding from various organisations; AusAID has contributed some funds.
There have been many distinguished visitors to the hospital and recently, our Governor General, Her Excellency Mrs Quentin Bryce AC, spent a morning touring the wards and speaking with several patients. Dr Hamlin noted in a recent newsletter that the Governor General showed ‘concern and sympathy, and much interest in all the various departments of our hospital. All were impressed by her kindness and graciousness.’
This year marks 50 years since Dr Hamlin and her late husband first arrived in Ethiopia.
Dr Catherine Hamlin visited Sydney during October to speak about their work and to attend a Jubilee Thanksgiving Service. She also visited Canberra for the première screening of a new film Lighting a Candle, which was produced with assistance from AusAID.
If you would like to know go to the website. www.fistulatrust.org.
From Margaret Kelly for St Thomas’ Howrah