Author Archives: julieastebbins

Its hard to describe the mixture of feelings associated with leaving Addis. I so enjoyed working with the team at Cure and getting to know them as friends. They are an amazing bunch of people. I will miss seeing them every day. There was a staff retreat on the Friday of the last week. WeContinue reading “Wrap up”

Sam is 9 years old. He is an ordinary boy (meaning he loves football!) living in the north of Ethiopia. One night, his home is attacked because he and his family are from a different tribe. They murder his father. He and his mother and 2 younger brothers are forced to flee their home. TheyContinue reading “Bahir Dar”

Goats on a tanker. Yep actual live goats on an actual tanker truck, driving down the road. I wasn’t fast enough getting my phone out to take a photo, but it really did happen! I think that is, thus far, the craziest thing I have seen in Ethiopia. I assume they were tied on somehow,Continue reading “Babogaya”

You know that feeling when you are not sure whether or not you are going to be allowed on the plane, and therefore whether you will spend the rest of the week in Addis Ababa or Jimma? Me neither! At least, I didn’t know that feeling until last Tuesday… A couple of weeks ago, IContinue reading “Jimma”

Life in Addis Ababa is never dull! There is always so much to do. The Cure Hospital does such great work looking after so many children with so much need. The combination of Covid and the threat of civil war reaching the capital meant the hospital was shut down or curtailed in activity at variousContinue reading “Adjusting”

Its been just over a week since I arrived in Addis Ababa. I landed early on Sunday morning (6th March). There was a glorious sunrise over the hills surrounding Addis as I landed. I was met at the airport by one of the orthopaedic surgeons, who drove me to the hospital where I’ve been staying.Continue reading “Addis Ababa”

I’ve just completed my latest block of shifts. It was pretty tiring. I finished my last shift yesterday morning and still feeling tired! We basically were doing more of the same again. Setting up ventilators to go on patients, quality assurance testing, trouble-shooting equipment, responding to questions and problems, as well as helping out withContinue reading “Teamwork”

Its difficult to describe the range of emotions and experiences over the last few days. A “roller coaster” doesn’t even really capture it because that would imply it was one emotion at a time (up or down)! But here goes.. I arrived in London on Friday and met up with my team of 6 scientistsContinue reading “Nightingale”

So it turns out not so much waiting! After anticipating an extended period of being on the “reserve” list for 2 different hospitals, I have now been called up to active duty. I received an email with my rota for the Nightingale Hospital yesterday morning. The normal pattern is 2 x 12 hr day shifts,Continue reading “Launch”

After a flurry of activity last week, this week has been a little different. I went into London again on Sunday evening to attend induction at the Nightingale on Monday. Induction covered the usual stuff for a hospital job as well as lots about working in PPE. They have even come up with standard handContinue reading “Waiting”