Annual Report 2005

Food for children As was noted earlier, DAHWs longest running project is in Bisidimo, in the Ethiopian Highlands. As in previous years, DAHW has been involved again in 2005 with the provision and distribution of therapeutic food supplements for children under five years of age. Again and again there is no rain in the region around Bisidimo and the crops wither away. This leads to droughts and hunger. Undernourished children are more susceptible to illnesses such as Tuberculosis. Plans are now underway to construct new wells in order to improve the water supplies. Bisidimo‘s wells are not deep enough to provide sufficient water for the settlements next to the hospital if the drought doesn‘t come to an end. Geological expertise was sought and with the help of the Federal State Oromiya four new deep wells have been created. Bisidimo‘s future depends on them.

Better rights for Leprosy villages DAHW has supported several Senegalese villages in their endeavours to become communities that hold equal rights within the scope of a social programme since 1978. Years of effort by social workers and village inhabitants have paid off and now more and more villages have attained an equal status to others in 2004 and 2005. These settlements comprising 7,600 inhabitants were founded as early as during colonial times in order to isolate the ill and until recently were excluded from all state and regional country development program-mes. During the past ten years, amongst other things DAHW social workers organised training courses for the village locals in the fields of self-organisation, formation of village groups and an administrative village structure. The ownership of the plots of land in the village of Sowane was transferred to the families in 2004. The intention is to ensure that there is full participation in the district administration by elected village representatives in the coming years. Three further Leprosy villages (Koutal, Fadiga and Teubi) followed suit in 2005 and their inhabitants now also own small plots of land. Some inhabitants have already independently been able to purchase a plot of land and have made a modest income in the two largest villages, Mballing and Peycouck, which are closer to larger towns and provide better income possibilities.

Medical care in Southern Sudan Medical care in Southern Sudan remained critical in 2005 after the end of its civil war. Only twenty percent of the population have access to basic medical care. Until now, it has been primarily the work of churches and relief organisations to provide medical care. Unfortunately, however, it by no means covers the needs as until now the state is missing as a partner. As a result, more than 2,000 cases of Tuberculosis are being treated in 15 regional DAHW projects. However, the number of unreported cases of new infections in the entire rebels‘ area is considerably higher, at least five to ten times higher. Amongst other things, DAHW provided medicine for treatment centres and financed 4-wheel-drive vehicles in order to enable the treatment of people in remote areas which were difficult to access in 2005. DAHW supported a Leprosy clinic in Rumbek where severely disabled are given assistance. This relief work will also be continued in 2006. It was also very difficult to find local, qualified staff in 2005. Many doctors and health workers fled or were killed during the decade-long conflict. DAHW is training health staff in Uganda for the Southern Sudan to help bridge the gap.