A better chance for newborns

Thanks to the generous donations of DESTA ETHIOPIA’s loyal supporters equipment is now up and running to help premature infants survive.

Desta Ethiopia’s association with Fresemae’tat Primary Hospital goes back to the 2020-2022 war when we supplied stipends to staff to enable them to keep the hospital open. Since then we have been liaising regularly with the hospital to help reestablish vital medical services (see previous blogs, including ‘Picking up the pieces’ April 2025)

Here is a plea we received from neonatal nurse Gebreselassie Yirga, back in February:

“Our hospital catchment is Howzien and Nebelet – about 208,000 people – and there are high demands on our neonatal care services. We do what we can, but currently we have 33-week preterm twins and a 28-week premature infant. These babies struggle with breathing and have very weak immune systems, and without basic equipment like incubators and radiant warmers their chances of survival are as low as 10%. To give them proper care we urgently need equipment.”

” My name is Shishay. I came to the hospital for delivery when I was about 28 weeks pregnant. After the delivery of my baby I stayed awake for two nights trying to take care of him, and then I became sick because I did not rest. The hospital is good, and I want to thank them for the service they gave me, but they don’t have the right equipment to help babies and families like us.”

“My name is Genet. I came to the hospital for delivery, just like my friend. I kept my baby on my chest for about two days. The hospital staff did their best for us but if the right machines were available it would be very helpful. Nevertheless I would like to thank them all for their service and care.”

DESTA ETHIOPIA is now concentrating efforts on helping to upgrade neonatal care with key equipment: so far we have supplied a patient monitor, a radiant warmer, an infant incubator and an oxygen concentrator. Getting the equipment purchased and delivered from Addis was challenging due to major supply route disruptions and a severe, deepening fuel crisis, which is not only disrupting the movement of goods but also diverting fuel supplies away from public services. Nevertheless we finally got there, and the equipment is now installed and already saving lives. Now we are ready to start fund-raising again to install more equipment to keep babies alive!

Whether you can give a lot or only a little, every contribution is of value, and every contribution can make a huge difference – of life and death.

Thank you to all our supporters and donors who have helped to make this happen, and if you are new to DESTA, please join us!

Solidarity in diaspora

This Saturday DESTA ETHIOPIA organisers were privileged to celebrate the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin with Bristol’s strong and vibrant Tigrayan community. It was an uplifting experience, not simply because of the simple joy of the occasion, but also because of the strong spirit of mutual support that binds this community – and the entire diasporan network – together. As they get established in the UK they are now moving towards building support for those in need back in Tigray. DESTA ETHIOPIA looks forward to forging stronger links with Bristol’s diasporan community in the future.

Good news for Tigray’s mothers and babies!

Greetings and huge thanks – as always – to all our supporters, and if you have just joined us, welcome aboard the good ship DESTA ETHIOPIA! Over the next few blogs we’d like to share with you some of our exciting new ventures, and we invite you to come along for the trip…

We are proud to announce that Fresemae’tat Primary Hospital will soon receive a new, desperately needed incubator machine with funds from DESTA ETHIOPIA. This adds to the growing list of equipment our charity has provided to reequip the hospital after it was seriously trashed and looted during the recent war (you can scroll through our previous blogs if you have not been following this story). The glimpse of daily life in the hospital you can see in the video below was captured by Welday, our on-the-spot colleague in Hawzen, with the permission of the hospital authorities, so you can see where your money is going. A big THANK YOU to all our supporters for helping to make a big difference to these women’s lives!

In recent weeks DESTA ETHIOPIA has received a number of extraordinarily generous donations: from long-time friends and supporters such as Simone Mizzi from Malta, UK donors Sam Fogg, Sir Paul Ruddock, and others. One anonymous Desta supporter abandoned her significant birthday celebration plans to donate the funds to the charity instead. Another supporter donated a large and unexpected windfall, telling us it had enabled her to ‘share a dream’.

Maybe you would like to ‘share a dream’ too? JOIN US TODAY!

Desta in Warwick!

This friday Stephen and Lisa will be in Warwick to give an illustrated talk on how their conservation work in Ethiopia led to the founding of the humanitarian charity, Desta Ethiopia. The event is being kindly hosted by Fr. Patrick and the Catholic parish of St. Mary Immaculate, and entrance is free (for further details please see below).

If you are in the area why not come along? We’d love to see you!

Desta in Valletta!

A call-out to all our Maltese friends and supporters: Stephen and Lisa will be giving an illustrated presentation at 6 pm on Friday 23rd January on the subject of Ethiopian wall paintings and the work of Desta Ethiopia. The event is kindly hosted by Din l-Art Ħelwa at their premises at 133 Melita Street, Valletta, free of charge and open to everyone.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Merry Christmas!

Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas (Lidet, or Genna) is celebrated on 7th January, so this Christmas greeting is early for some of our colleagues, supporters and contributors across the world, while others do not celebrate Christmas at all. Nevertheless, all of us know the joy of welcoming in new life, and all of us have the capacity to feel tenderness and compassion towards those who need our protection and help, especially when they are at their most vulnerable. In that spirit we wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and a happy and hopeful New Year!

Desta Ethiopia on TV!

Back in April we posted our first blog – “Picking up the pieces” –  describing our first steps in helping to rebuild capacity at Howzien’s primary hospital. You may remember that the hospital was trashed and looted during the war (scroll down here if you want a reminder). We began liaising with the hospital committee in 2024 to work out how we could help most effectively with the resources available, and settled first on provision of a much-needed chemical analyser. Next we provided seven computers. This month Desta contributed a further twenty computers. These are vital for a wide range of applications including digital patient record-keeping, care management, health monitoring and diagnostics. We are proud to announce that Desta’s partnership with the hospital was showcased on the region’s TV news channels this Thursday….

…and we have ambitions to do more!

Maternity and neonatal care is greatly in need of improvement, and rehabilitation of the hospital’s operating theatre is also an urgent requirement. We have already come a long way, and we are confident that with tenacity, hope, and your continuing help, we can realise our goals.

A big THANK YOU, as ever, to all our supporters, and a call out to everyone else: PLEASE JOIN US!

Back to school!

The Ethiopian New Year – Enkutatash – has just begun (on 11th September) ushering in new hope, and a new academic year. The great news is that primary education is free. The downside is that pens, exercise books and other essential school materials are not. This is a prohibitive expense for many, and for around a third of primary school age Ethiopian children education is just a dream.

Over 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) reside in camps in Adigrat near the Eritrean border, having fled the fierce fighting in Western Tigray during the war. Although hostilities officially ceased in November 2022, large swathes of territory along the border between Tigray and Amhara remain contested or under occupation, making a return home impossible. Many left their homes with nothing, many lost family members to the conflict. Living conditions in the camps are bad and deteriorating, life is precarious, and the future is uncertain. This is where education comes in.

Since 2023 we have been working together with the Catholic Diocese of Adigrat to provide school materials for IDPs in their care. We currently provide basic supplies to allow 380 of the most vulnerable children in the camps to go to school, giving them a chance to progress towards a better life.

We are a very small charity but in the right situation, and with the right partners, a little goes a long way. This simple, cost-effective intervention – made possible by you, our Desta supporters – is a game-changer for the future of these vulnerable children.

So, we are sending out a big THANK YOU to all of you for your contributions, whether these are one-off or regular monthly donations, anonymous gifts through JustGiving, or merchandise purchases at events. We are enormously grateful not only for your financial support, but for your love and compassion. Please keep it coming!