Dear All,
we are now living a hard time. After the Covid-19 crisis we hoped we could breathe a sigh of relief, but war and energy speculation are putting a strain on us. Everyone is making small and big sacrifices. But even if it is difficult for us, it is even more to Africa. There, this situation has dramatic effects because populations are already very poor: there is neither a welfare system, nor any kind of social parachute.
Over the last three months I’ve been to Ethiopia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Sierra Leone. Unfortunately, these countries face a similar situation. Africa seems going backward: Silently, unseen, without a voice. You can’t see any of this, doesn’t seem to exist, no one talks about it.
What goes unseen is that in a country such as Sierra Leone the National Emergency Medical Service (NEMS) is malfunctioning and working marginally. It was put into action two years ago also with the support of CUAMM. The gas oil for the ambulances went from 8,000 to 22,000 leones per liter, enough for the first 4-5 days of the month. Then, the system crashes: we lose dozens and dozens of mothers that would need an urgent caesarean section.
What goes unseen is that at the Wolisso hospital, in Ethiopia, the cost of a pair of sterile gloves has reached 1 euro. In a day, on average, 350 pairs are used for ordinary hospital activities.
What goes unseen at Tosamaganga, in Tanzania, is that diabetes medications cost have tripled in just a few months.
What goes unseen is that in South Sudan the government is no longer able to pay salaries, the international donor funding is allocated somewhere else. You can feel the tension in the air. Someone continues to work, hoping that something comes along soon, others take up any kind of job to feed their children. How can a hospital stay operational without healthcare personnel?
Karamoja region, northeastern Uganda: what I am witnessing here, from where I am writing to you, is that ‘too many’ children are dying due to a severe malnutrition that is affecting numerous regions.
However, what you do not see (What goes unseen) is also the daily and hard work that we keep doing next to the one of many local colleagues, despite all. A persistent, silent, invisible and hidden work that keeps going, in a very tenacious way.This is what we ask you, we need your support. It is too much of a challenge to deal with on our own, a commitment that goes through the eight countries in which we operate. For each country, we have selected a hospital that is struggling more than the others are.
Chiulo in Angola, Wolisso in Ethiopia, Beira in Mozambique, Bangui in the Central African Republic, Pujehun in Sierra Leone, Lui in South Sudan, Tosamaganga in Tanzania, Aber in Uganda.
In order to cope with the increasing gas oil (for generators and transport), medicines and salaries costs, our need is approximately 100/150,000 euros for each hospital: for the next six months, totaling 1 million euros.
What goes unseen is the dramatic poverty in which a large part of population in Africa is plummeting. Next to each of you, we want to continue to do our part, close to those most in need.
A heartfelt thanks for what you’ll be able to do and for being with us November 19th in Rome for our Annual meeting. We will be all together to tell, also to Pope Francis, “What you can’t see”. I hug you.
Father Dante
