Jess's Blog No.3 - Day 1 Update

As you can imagine, in a developing country like Ethiopia communications can be a bit intermittent.

Nevertheless, we do have some updates from our CR and Charity Coordinator Jessica Wilkes-Reading about what she got up to on Day 1 of her Ethiopia SOS expedition.

Here's what she had to say...


So, I've made it to Ethiopia safely. Flying in to Addis Ababa over African plains and mountains just as the sun was rising was a truly extraordinary experience.

However, the flight didn't start quite as smoothly...

As I presented myself to check in to the Ethiopian Airlines flight to Addis I was told my bags were over the weight limit! However, once I'd explained where I was travelling to and why, and what donations were in my cases, lovely lady on the desk waived the excess baggage fees and I was on my way. Although they did try to dispatch them straight to Mekelle without me!

Jane Innes-Rees, the Wesleyan customer who helped set up this trip, flew out to Ethiopia last week and I've been keeping in contact with her through WhatsApp. She's been spending time at St Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College in Addis and had earlier presented them with 40kg (Yes, you read that right!) of dental equipment.

She said everyone at the hospital was so pleased and it was like Christmas Day for them.

Jane and her delegation have also been out to the Entoto Hills in recent days, and I encourage you to go to the Share Sheffield Facebook page to see not only some of the work the group has been doing, but also the incredibly beautiful countryside this country has.

As for me, I arrived at 6.35am on Monday morning (Ethiopia is three hours ahead of the UK) to be met by Jane, who took me off to the hotel for some eggs and papaya, and some much needed coffee, before going to St Paul's Hospital.

At the hospital I saw the work of the Maxillofacial department, which performs reconstructive surgery on patients' jaws and mouths. Jane and I presented the department with the textbooks I'd brought over from the UK that had been donated by dental practices in the UK. Again, doctors here were so thankful for the generosity.

I'll give some more details of what I saw there in my next blog.

Image: Jessica presents UK dentistry textbooks to doctors at St Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College in Addis Ababa.