WEEMA International

WEEMA International is at the Global Digital Health Forum! Please find Kura and say hello.

Jennifer Hyde GoodVision USA Celebrating One Year of Partnership! WEEMA International and Goodvision USA are thrilled to mark the first anniversary of our partnership to provide glasses to children in Central Ethiopia. Together, we have screened 4,000 students and teachers at 15 schools and dispensed over 200 pairs of GoodVision glasses. Vision Matters for Kids Globally  Good vision is essential for children’s education and development. Globally, over 12 million children suffer from visual impairment that glasses can easily correct. In rural Ethiopia, however, access to eye care is limited, making our work critical. Our unique model brings vision screenings directly to schools and provides prescription eyeglasses within hours of initial screening. The innovative glasses are made from a lightweight, flexible spring steel frame with shatterproof prefabricated plastic lenses that click into place. These glasses are very durable, extremely inexpensive, and quite fashionable! Story of Impact- Frehiwot During a recent school vision screening outreach program, we met Frehiwot, a 6th grader who loves school and aspires to become an engineer. For the past three years, she struggled to read from a distance, which impacted her academic performance. “I sit in the front row, but I struggle to read the blackboard and often have to copy from my friends' notebooks.” Frehiwot had her vision screened and was found to be nearsighted. After further assessment, she received her GoodVision prescription eyeglasses for free. These new glasses brought Frehiwot immense happiness. She declared, “My vision problems are solved, and my glasses are cute!” About WEEMA International & GoodVision USA WEEMA partners with rural communities in Ethiopia’s central highlands to ensure access to clean water, enhance education, empower women and marginalized people, strengthen health systems, and achieve food security.  GoodVision USA is dedicated to improving global eye health through innovative solutions and partnerships. It strives to eliminate preventable blindness and vision impairment by providing access to quality eye care services and affordable glasses. Together, Making a Difference, One Pair of Glasses at a Time #WEEMAInternational #GoodVisionUSA #EyeglassScreening #GlobalHealth #VisionForAll

WEEMA is honored to partner with the Butterfly Global Health team—passionate people with amazing ultrasound technology that is already saving lives in LMICs.

Our Executive Director, Liz McGovern, was fortunate to participate in J-PAL's Evaluating Social Programs course from June 24 to 28, 2024. WEEMA plans to expand its mission to include more social research alongside implementing its comprehensive, community-led programs. We are building our research capacity!

WEEMA is hiring!

February is Library Lovers Month- celebrating libraries and their impact on students! Banchiybka is a 13-year-old student who lives in Mudula town with her parents, two brothers, and three sisters. She shared: “...(WEEMA's) Degale library and computer center have helped me become a better student. My parents cannot afford reference books, but luckily, I can go to the library and use them there. I enjoy studying at the library, and my grades are much better now. I am ranked #4 in my class!” The Degale Library is busy on most school days, full of students studying and using the resource materials. Younger children also have their own library space- complete with loads of great books, tables, and chairs. The Degale Library is open to the public and is a place of community pride. Last year, community members built a “Cultural showcase,” including a traditional Ethiopian home and a collection of cultural artifacts in order to preserve the community's rich cultural heritage, artifacts, and customs.

Wissisa Water Project Update (in Partnership with Inter Aide France) The Wissisa water project is well underway, and community members from neighboring villages have come together to excavate ditches for new water pipes. This project has involved significant community engagement and effort, and villages as far away as a two-hour walk have joined in excavating the challenging terrain- men and women, young and old, working side-by-side to reach the goal of clean water for their communities. This week, our team in Ethiopia reported that thousands of community members continue to participate weekly in excavating the land for the new water pipes. To date, 2.75 miles have been excavated, and water pipes have been laid. When complete, this project will reach over 10,000 people in desperate need of clean water access near their homes. This hard work has been a community effort and has strengthened village relationships in a very meaningful way. Our field office manager, Mulatu, shared the excitement and energy community members expressed to him: “...the women are happy that water will be near their homes! Everyone is working together- it is a beautiful site to see!”