Trainee Beneficiary Case Study
Name: Kadijah Ahmed, 27 years old
Occupation: Health Development Army
Residence: Abeshige district, Gurage Zone
Facility: trained by Orbis
Date of training: refresher training provided in 2015
Kadijah Ahmed is a 27 years old young volunteer who has been trained to be Health Development Army (HDA). The structure of HDAs is outlined by government which is a “women-centered” health system “by linking leaders at the national, regional and district levels with women’s groups in every village across the country.”
Kadijah completed eighth grade few years back and now she is married and a mother of one child. She loves being one of Health Development Armies as it would let her serve her community better.
Kadijah was one of the 540 Orbis trained HDAs on Trachomatous Trichiasis and cataract case detection in 2014. This year, In Abeshige district, where Kadijah resides, there are 34 other trained HDAs who took refresher training in 2015.
After receiving her training, Kadijah along with other trained HDAs would rotate on daily foot patrols to educate villagers on basic practices and services including eye care that are often lifesaving interventions in rural communities. During her patrol, when Kadijah encounter with TT and cataract cases, she will immediately refer them back to the nearest health center.
Kadijah manages 4 sub-districts in her surroundings. After taking up on the refresher training this year, she was able to conduct successful TT and cataract screening in her door to door supervision. Within only two weeks, Kadijah was able to detect 24 TT and 6 cataract cases. Out of the 24 TT cases she identified, 20 people were referred to the nearest health center and successfully underwent with TT surgery. All of the individual with cataract cases are currently appointed for surgery.
Kadijah has wide acceptance within her community and respected by the people in her village. Her status in her community remarkably helped her to influence people with TT and cataract cases to go through proper medical treatment.
“I am very happy to take eye care training through Orbis which is a great addition to my knowledge on health issue in my community. I love to help people and give the right direction as to where they can regain their vision”