Operation Ethiopia

We have paused posting about our Medical Mission the past few days because we have been busy ATTENDING FUNERALS of our beloved hostages in Israel, and mourning with our country. Six hostages, who survived 330 days of unimaginable horror in Hmas captivity were EXECUTED by their Hmas captors a few days ago, before they could be rescued.

Our hearts are shattered.

As a humanitarian organization, the silence of fellow humanitarian organizations around the world this week like UN Women UNICEF Save the Children US who advocate for the rights of women, children, human beings - is painful.

NGOs fighting for the rights of children could have issued a statement these past 10+ months about Kfir Bibas – the world’s YOUNGEST hostage who turned ONE in captivity, and his big brother hostage Ariel, who turned 5. Organizations that fight sxual violence could have spoken out about the brutal rpes of daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers, and wives, video'd by the perpetrators on the 7th.

10 days ago in Ethiopia, our Israeli volunteer team provided Eyecare to internal refugees in DP camps, among the hundreds of patients we treated that week.

When our Israeli volunteers arrived at the camps in Tigray and saw signs and stickers of UNICEF “for every child,” the American Red Cross and United Nations organizations, we felt a searing stab to our hearts. Because these organizations abandoned OUR country's hostages, have not provided them with basic human rights as required by international law of visitation, bringing them needed medications, and more. UN's UNWRA actually PARTICIPATED in the October 7 atrocities, including murdering and then kidnapping the body of our friend Yonatan Samarano.

Operation Ethiopia is one of hundreds of Israeli NGOs who go around the world to bring humanitarian aid to those in need – donating our expertise and time to help people of ALL faiths and ethnicities, with no distinction. We will continue doing this good work which we love, in the way that WE DO, and we hope that our actions will INSPIRE others to do the same.

Here are some SMILES to take you into the weekend! See a few of our 501 DELIGHTED previously-blind patients whose eyesight we RESTORED at our Cataract Campaign in Mekelle, Tigray last week!

Cataracts are the LEADING CAUSE of PREVENTABLE BLINDNESS in Ethiopia, where a staggering 1% of the population is blind. We are working to change that.

Thanks to Cure Blindness Project and Quiha hospital for your cooperation and coordination. THANK YOU to The DEAR Foundation Switzerland for your GENEROUS funding of this campaign!

Thank you our amazing talented photographer Abel Gashaw for capturing the joy and feeling of what we do.

We were EXCITED and HONORED to be NBC Ethiopia TV last week, during our Israeli Medical Mission to Ethiopia!

ድንበር ተሻጋሪ የህክምና በጎ ፍቃድ አገልግሎት! NBC ማታ @NBCETHIOPIA National Media SC is here to support, the success of our country's transformational journey; to develop a civic-democratic political culture; which will be f...

We spent the last day of our MEDICAL MISSION in one of the IDP camps in Tigray, treating patients in our Mobile Eyecare Clinic.

There are nearly A MILLION internally displaced people / refugees in Tigray following the recent, brutal Ethiopian civil war.

The conditions in the camps are QUITE DIFFICULT. Tarp tents meant to house people for four months have been "home" for more than 3.5 years. They do not provide protection from the down pouring rain, we're told there's no school for kids, and there's inadequate food and medical care.

We were glad to be able to provide some care and treatment and before flying back home we met with coordinators of the camps to see how we can expand our efforts treating patients there during our next mission.

Our ISRAELI VOLUNTEER TEAM has landed back in Israel after a packed, intense, medical mission 💪 🇮🇱 💙!

We loved working with local Ethiopian volunteers for the first time, seeing patients together in the Ethiopian Jewish community and at the Mother Teresa Mission, and on our last day at displaced persons' camps in the Tigray region housing THOUSANDS from the recent civil war.

Together as a team of Israelis, Ethiopians, Jews, Christians working together we treated 544 patients in our Mobile Eyecare clinics!!

Additionally in cooperation with Quiha hospital and Cure Blindness Project we performed 501 SIGHT-RESTORING cataract surgeries and 33 Trachoma surgeries!

THANKS to our DONORS without whose financial 💰💰 support our work would not be possible!

THANK YOU to the The DEAR Foundation Switzerland for generous sponsorship of our Cataract Campaign!!

Thanks to all our VOLUNTEERS who took time from their busy lives to spend this week working hard with us in Ethiopia!

Thanks for bringing LIGHT into the world!

Medical teams, major investments on horizon in Ethio-Israel ties
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( E P A )
In a bid to strengthen bilateral relations, the Israeli Embassy in Ethiopia is not only fostering diplomatic ties but also facilitating the arrival of medical teams to provide essential eye care and other medical treatments.

Speaking to The Ethiopian Herald, Israeli Chargé d’affaires to Ethiopia Tomer Bar-Lavi emphasized the embassy’s dual focus on deepening ties and enhancing healthcare in Ethiopia.

“One of the key initiatives is ‘Operation Ethiopia,’ which delivers vital eye care services in hospitals nationwide,” Bar-Lavi stated. Additionally, Israeli medical experts are sharing their knowledge with Ethiopian doctors in various fields.

Bar-Lavi indicated that Israeli surgeons, particularly those involved in the ‘Save a Child’s Heart’ initiative, are performing surgeries and training Ethiopian …
https://press.et/herald/?p=100915

Can you imagine going BLIND because you developed cataracts and could not afford surgery?

Cataracts left UNTREATED eventually obstruct one's vision ENTIRELY, and the world goes DARK.

This is the reality FOR MILLIONS in Ethiopia.

This week we ran a LIFE-CHANGING Cataract Surgery Campaign in the Tigray region of Ethiopia that RESTORED EYESIGHT to 500 blind people – who can now see again!

Our patients ranged in age from 8 (congenital cataracts) to 87, came from as far as 300k and as close as locals.

The JOY on each of their faces when we removed their eye patches and they could SEE again was PRICELESS!

With restored eyesight our patients can SEE their loved ones again, return to work, care for themselves more independently, and live their lives more fully each day!

Thanks so much to The DEAR Foundation Switzerland for their generous support that made this Cataract Campaign possible!

Thanks to Cure Blindness Project for their cooperation in this incredible effort, and to Quiha hospital in Mekele, and the care and professionalism of the staff that made this campaign so successful!

DAY 3 AUGUST MEDICAL MISSION:

This morning in the busy Eye Clinic of St. Paul's Millinium Medical Ctr., Prof. Morris Hartstein consulted on complicated ophthalmic surgical cases with Dr. Sebli.

Dr. Sebli Eshe was trained in Israel by Dr. Morris thru Operation Ethiopia's doctor training program and is the ONLY female Oculoplastic Surgeon in all of Ethiopia!

The Israeli Embassy sent a press team to the hospital to cover our work and they interviewed Prof. Morris Hartstein about this week's Medical Mission and how our work is helping build diplomatic ties between Israel and Ethiopia. Our mission was featured on Ethiopian TV and this morning the Ethiopian Herald featured us here:

https://press.et/herald/?p=100860&sfnsn=wa

After a busy morning we packed up to fly to Mekelle for our Cataract Surgery Campaign - but first were HONORED to be invited to the Israeli Embassy.

Tomer at the embassy told us how important our work is in building diplomatic ties between our countries, ever more important in these times.

No words to describe the INTENSITY and EMOTION of this Medical Mission!

Working with 3 local Ethiopian volunteers from Ethiopia has added a meaningful dimension - cannot believe we all first met just yesterday morning! Some of them had never met people from Israel OR Ethiopian Jews before.

TODAY we went to the Mother Teresa Mission of Charities, in a location that houses 500 people who THEY describe “the poorest of the poor,” "people who have no one - no families to take them in." From single mothers, babies, the aged, from the “healthy” to the very "differently abled" and infirm.

Our pace was INTENSE pace, examined 239 patients working for 5 hours with no break, seeing wide range of eye disease and issues. People who simply needed reading glasses - seeing their eyes LIGHT UP when we put on a pair and they saw a page clearly was PRICELESS!

The Sisters / Nuns who work there come from other countries and commit to 10 years of work before returning even once to see their own families. They dedicate their lives entirely to “serving the poor.”

Sister "I" who we worked all day told us her life is entirely in the service to Gd, that “the poor are ALL of our responsibility” and she and the other Sisters dedicate their entire lives and worldly resources to them.

Their policy is to not allow ANY PHOTOS of their patients or larger facility, they DID allow us to photograph our own volunteer team and their patients in non-identifiable ways.

BUT we said a TEARFUL goodbye to Sister "I" she told us she was OVERWHELMED not only by our work but the LOVE AND CARE we showed each patient, she showered us with blessings for Israel, promised she will continue to pray for us.

AND (!!) when we gathered to take our OWN group picture she said – "maybe I will make an exception this time" and she JUMPED IN the photo!

WE were all so moved and touched by our day, and know we will be back here to work again.

DAY 1 AUG. MEDICAL MISSION: Our Israeli medical team landed Addis at 4.45am Sunday and by 9.30 were running our Mobile Eyecare Clinic in the Addis Jewish community!

NEW this time we had 3 local Ethiopian volunteers join us - together we examined and treated almost 250 patients, working non-stop for nearly 5 hours!

A packed, exhausting, very special impactful day. Working with Ethiopians, Israelis, Christians, Jews, all together to treat hundreds.

DAY 1 AUGUST MEDICAL MISSION:

We landed Addis Ababa from Tel Aviv at 4:45am Sunday, and by 9:30am (no small feat getting hundreds of pounds cleared thru customs!) we got to work in the JEWISH COMPOUND of Addis Ababa!

We were thrilled that three local Ethiopian volunteers joined us and two young people from the Jewish community, and we examined and treated close to 250 patients!

We returned home EXHAUSTED but ELATED with all the people we treated, helped and met. Many asked us about the war in Israel, we distributed "Bring them Home" bracelets to all the kids, and after our clinic two community members who have waited DECADES to move to Israel, with family who live in Israel, invited us into their homes. A packed, exhausting, very special impactful day.

Our Israeli Medical team is ON OUR WAY to Addis Ababa! Our FABULOUS volunteers are Dr. Roee, Dr. Mor, Dr. Morris and Dr.-to-be Adi!!

We will hit the ground running once we land - we have 300 patients waiting for us in the Addis Ababa Jewish community!

A FIRST for us - 4 local Ethiopian volunteers will be joining us in Addis working alongside our Israeli team!

THANKS 👏 to our AMAZING volunteers who helped us prep for our August MEDICAL MISSION, and our MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS who gathered last night for a pre-trip TRAINING SESSION!

Tomorrow night we fly 🛫 to Ethiopia to bring Eyecare to hundreds!

NEW THIS TRIP - we'll be working in the Jewish community of Addis Ababa, the Mother Teresa Missionaries of Charity, AND four local Ethiopian volunteers will be JOINING US, working side-by-side with our ISRAELI team in our Mobile Eyecare Clinics!

Stay tuned for updates - which will mostly be on https://www.instagram.com/operationethiopia/ due to frequent blockages of Facebook when we're in Ethiopia 😉.

We're LEAVING Israel for the first time since Oct. 7 to bring Eyecare to hundreds in Ethiopia.

We went to the Bring Them Home Now tent in Jerusalem today to buy pins and bracelets for our Israeli medical team 🇮🇱 to wear as we represent Israel in Ethiopia.

We unexpectedly met the fathers of both Yosef-Haim Ohana and Segev Kalfon, brutally taken hostage at the Nova. After telling them their sons are in our daily prayers and hearts, we showed them photos of the JEWISH community of GONDAR, from just YESTERDAY saying SPECIAL KINOT (prayers) for the hostages on the 9th of Av.

They were SO MOVED. They could NOT BELIEVE all the way in Ethiopia that fellow Jews were PRAYING FOR THE RETURN OF THEIR LOVED ONES.

We spoke about our medical mission and that we also bought loads of bracelets and pins to distribute in the JEWISH COMMUNITY of ADDIS ABABA.

We gave them whatever strength that we could. Please KEEP AWARENESS of our hostages' plight STRONG - each of us in ANY WAY that we can. BRING THEM HOME NOW.

For the first time since Oct. 7, our ISRAELI MEDICAL TEAM is heading back to Ethiopia to bring EYECARE and EYE SURGERIES to hundreds!

Our Israeli 🇮🇱 Ophthalmologists - who are all VOLUNTEERS - will be running Mobile Eyecare Clinics in the Jewish Community of Addis Ababa AND at the Mother Teresa Mission of Charities - screening for eye diseases, distributing medications, eyeglasses, and MORE to people without medical care!

We'll also be running a SIGHT-RESTORING Cataract Campaign in Mekelle to help HUNDREDS of BLIND PEOPLE regain their EYESIGHT!!

Mekelle, in the Tigray region, suffered brutally during the Ethiopian civil war, is STILL the home to tens of thousands of internally DISPLACED people, and we are SO GLAD to be able to be COMING SOON to provide them with care!

Thanks to The DEAR Foundation Switzerland for their very generous support of our Cataract Campaign!

Our mission is AUGUST 19 - 23 - stay tuned here and on INSTAGRAM for updates.

THIS. IS. ISRAEL. Our Tel Aviv morning meeting - a ROUNDTABLE of Israeli NGOS working in Ethiopia - opens with the ironic observation that as our country awaits possible “response” by Iran, we Israelis have gathered today to discuss how we can maximize our humanitarian impact in the developing world.

The meeting is a sit-down with Israeli Ambassador-elect to Ethiopia, former MK Dr. Avraham Nagusse.

Each organization introduces themselves. One stands out. The Fair Planet representative says he's here in place of their founder Dr. Shoshan Haran. No explanation is needed – Shoshan was brutally kidnapped into Gaza with her family Oct. 7, released in a hostage exchange in late November. He noted that after her family’s horrific abduction, the NGO agreed that she would want them to carry on and continue Fair Planet's work, which they did.

The NGOs, all of us members of Society for International Development - Israel - an umbrella group of Israeli non-profits ranges from medical aid to agriculture to economic sustainability.

Mingling after the meeting, a common theme was that in the wake of all the ATROCITIES we have individually and collectively experienced and still ARE EXPERIENCING – coming together for this roundtable, discussing how to bring more LIGHT into the world through our work, feels JUST RIGHT. 🇮🇱🙏🏻🇪🇹.

WE'VE received LOTS of Q's about when our next VOLUNTEER TRIP will be.

Since Oct. 7 all trips were cancelled, with us and our volunteers involved in the war effort at home. We've focused our Ethiopia work since then on surgical campaigns and doctor-training.

BUT we're heading BACK to Ethiopia in August with 3 Israeli doctors to bring Eyecare to HUNDREDS! Security situation pending, we hope to resume Volunteer trips at the end of 2024.

We'll be bringing Volunteers to NEW areas than we have in the past since Gondar, Amhara is still under a "state of emergency."

The best way to stay updated on future trip dates is to fill out a "volunteer" form on our website, https://www.operationethiopia.com/volunteer

In the mean time, follow us here for updates on our August mission!

“My impression about the HOLY LAND grew even further – it is an AMAZING LAND with supportive PEOPLE everywhere.”

Dr. Mulluken just returned to Debra Birhan, Ethiopia after 10 weeks training in Oculoplastic surgery with Operation Ethiopia in Israel.

In addition to gaining excellent surgical sub-speciality skills, beautiful relationships were formed between him and our Israeli medical team and support staff.

We shared the (unfortunate) common experience of living through wartime - him during the Ethiopian Civil war and us currently. He found Israelis to be warm and helpful in even everyday tasks like navigating public transport.

Over a Shabbat meal we learned more from Dr. Mulluken about Ethiopian Orthodoxy and connections he made in Israel at the Ethiopian monastery and Church of the Holy Sepulchre ⛪️, as well as his dad's experience serving 30 years in the Ethiopian army.

Our doctor training program, generously supported by American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) gives Ethiopian ophthalmologists the training to treat patients in their own communities and ALSO beautifully builds bridges and relations between our countries and our religions ✡️ ⛪️ 🇪🇹 🇮🇱.

For the FIRST time since Israel was brutally attacked Oct 7 🎗️, WE'RE returning to Ethiopia 🙏🏻.

Our mission of ISRAELI OPHTHALMOLOGISTS - all volunteers - will be PROVIDING CARE to people of ALL FAITHS in Ethiopia, just four weeks from now.

As we continue to pray with all our hearts for the immediate release of our hostages, the safety of our soldiers, and for everyone in our country – we will carry them in our hearts 💞 as we represent Israel in Ethiopia, in villages and in hospitals, using our skills and resources to help people with no access to medical care.

Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

Families of hostages held by Hm@s are asking us to SURGE GOODNESS INTO THE WORLD THIS WEEK 🫶🏾 💚!

Our beloved hostages are living in UNIMAGINABLE DARKNESS - help us REPAIR and BRING LIGHT into the world 🌍, and through our efforts, bring them HOME!

Do a GOOD DEED this week in the merit of bringing our hostages HOME. YOU can make a difference🎗️💞🎗️!

For more information visit: https://weekofgoodness.com/

INCLUSIVITY is one of our CORE VALUES.

We're a PROUDLY Jewish ✡️ and Israeli 🇮🇱 organization that treats people of ALL FAITHS - Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike - in Ethiopia 🇪🇹. We bring Eyecare and Eye surgeries directly to those in need, including in remote villages where people have the least access to care.

Our Israeli doctors and laypeople are all volunteers, who travel to Ethiopia several times a year to bring quality Eyecare to all 🙏🏻 ❤️ 🙏🏻.

Imagine going BLIND because you could not ACCESS and AFFORD cataract surgery!?

That is the REALITY for THOUSANDS of people who live needlessly in DARKNESS in Ethiopia.

It's why we run CATARACT CAMPAIGNS to RESTORE eyesight - and along with that a person's independence, self-sufficiency, hope and joy.

We have RESTORED EYESIGHT to 2,154 people 💜 to date - and are gearing up for our UPCOMING campaign in August!!

June is .

For a $65 donation you can provide EYESIGHT to one person, changing their life forever! (link in first comment)

Thank you to The DEAR Foundation Switzerland, the largest supporter of our Cataract Campaigns to date, enabling thousands to live their fullest, best lives.

WELCOME to Israel 🇮🇱 Dr. Muluken!! After long delays due to wars in BOTH countries, we’re THRILLED to have brought our 20th Ethiopian Ophthalmologist to train in Oculoplastics in Israel!

Dr. Muluken from the Ahmara region (which was heavily impacted by the civil war) is here for 3 months training with Israeli Oculoplastic surgeons at המרכז הרפואי שמיר - אסף הרופא and Sheba hospital. He's hit the ground running 🏃🏼‍♂️ , in busy Eye clinics and alongside Israeli surgeons in the Operating Room!

Thank you American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) for funding this IMPACTFUL training program which gives Ethiopian doctors the subspecialty skills to care for patients in their own communities!

Give a warm welcome to Dr. Muluken 👏!

NEVER AGAIN IS NOW.

HONORED to meet with the Malawi Minister of Labor 🇲🇼 , the eloquent Hon. Agnes NyaLonje and her team, while here in Tel Aviv!

Malawi is a young country (1964!) that’s has had relations with Israel 🇮🇱 since day 1!

They were interested in how Operation Ethiopia conducts our vision screenings and eye clinics, stating MANY similarities to the eye health challenges in Malawi and Ethiopia.

We shared our knowledge – including the various devices we use for vision screenings, implications of untreated vision problems in kids and adults and what can be done, and LOOK FORWARD to connecting with their Ophthalmic team to assist further.

They LOVE ISRAEL, are religious Christians and feel a kinship for our shared value for HUMAN LIFE. They admire Israeli innovation and Israel's determination in coming to a DESERT and SEEING THE POTENTIAL, having the perseverance to make it BLOOM 🌷.

We look forward to more cooperation with Malawi and are always happy to SHARE our knowledge and experience to help other countries and communities!! ❤️

Last week 34 women and 22 men received LIFE-CHANGING eye surgeries at our Oculoplastic campaign in Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia!

These complex eye operations included DCR, Ectropion, and Fornix reconstruction and were all carried out by Ethiopian ophthalmologists trained in Oculoplastic surgery by Operation Ethiopia in Israel!

We are so thrilled to have made such an impact on so many grateful patients!

Proud of our work this week in Mekelle, and the quote shared by our partner HCP Cureblindness could not be more true 🙏🏻.

This week we're in Mekelle, Tigray region in northern Ethiopia running our Oculoplastic Surgery Campaign, providing life-changing operations to over 40 people, many of whom suffered terribly during the Ethiopian civil war.

Our ultimate goal is to give the people we work with the SKILLS TO HELP THEMSELVES, and this campaign is an example of EXACTLY THAT.

Unable to send our Israeli surgeons to the campaign due to the war in Israel, we brought together ETHIOPIAN EYE SURGEONS who Operation Ethiopia had trained in Oculoplastics in Israel as part of our doctor training program.

Dr. Asrat Sime, Dr. Habtamu Assfa, and Dr. Aemero are performing all the surgeries at the campaign at Quiha hospital in Mekelle, and instructing and training residents as well!

Operation Ethiopia organized and funded this amazing campaign, and the surgeons we trained are carrying it out.

Thanks to American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) for their generous support of our doctor training program!

Thanks to HCP Cureblindness for their partnership and cooperation with logistics on the ground.

Thanks Abel Gashaw our incredibly talented Addis-based photographer and valued member of our team.

We will be sharing more updates about this impactful campaign later this week - Stay tuned!

For nearly two years a brutal war was fought in Tigray, Ethiopia. Dr. Haftamu, who we brought to Israel in March 2023 for four months of training in Oculoplastic surgery was caught up in that war, together with his wife and three young kids. They were cut off for over a year with NO phone service, no school, no hospital income, and scarce food supplies.

Dr. Haftamu who now practices ophthalmology at Quiha Hospital in Mekelle, Tigray region as one of TWO ophthalmologists serving over 8 MILLION people, will be one of the three lead surgeons in our Oculoplastic surgery campaign at Quiha hospital NEXT WEEK!

There’s a large backlog of patients needing complex oculoplastic eye surgeries in the wake of the war. Starting Sunday and for ONE WEEK we’re bringing together three Ethiopian eye surgeons – from Mekelle, Addis Ababa, and Bahr Dar, all trained in Oculoplastic surgery in Israel by Dr. Morris of Operation Ethiopia to operate on 40 patients, several whom were injured in the war.

We are SO HAPPY to be providing life-changing surgeries to those who need.

Great thanks to American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) for funding our incredible doctor training program. To date this we have trained 19 Ethiopian ophthalmologists in ophthalmic surgical subspecialties at Shamir Hospital in Israel!

Stay tuned for updates!