4 Jul 2012

ETHIOPIA/MALNUTRITION

Ethiopia’s “small” rains – the ones that help farmers cope during the lean season – have failed this year, leaving many Ethiopian families in a precarious situation. (UNICEF)

Posted at: July 4, 2012 12:02 am

Duration: 02:22

Available in: SD

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STORY: ETHIOPIA/MALNUTRITION
TRT:  2.22
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: English / Oromo/ Nats

DATELINE: KORRE ROGICHA, ETHIOPIA, MAY 24, 2012.

SHOTLIST:
1.	Wide shot, Shilime walks to her home
2.	SOUNDBITE (Oromo) Shilime Erbo, Mother
"We are worried about this year's harvest. The crops are thin and not in a good condition."
3.	Various, Shilime at home with her daughter
4.	SOUNDBITE (Oromo) Shilime Erbo, Mother
"I was confused as to what I should do. I don't have resources, I don't have money."
5.	Various Shilime at the local health clinic

6.	SOUNDBITE (Oromo) Worke Bati Julati, Health Extension Worker, Korre Rogicha Health Post 
"The situation with the rain at this time is very scary. They don't have any food to give at home. Their food stocks have gone down. Because they don't have anything to feed them at home, the situation with the rain is very worrisome."
7.	Various, health clinic, children being treated
8.	SOUNDBITE (Oromo) Worke Bati Julati, Health Extension Worker, Korre Rogicha Health Post 
"In the past the children were in a very bad state. But now, this health post has been established, and now there is great improvement, children are not dying."
9.	Various, Shilime leaves health clinic

STORYLINE:

The rains are late in Ethiopia. The corn harvest is suffering, and so are the farmers that depend on it.

The big 'kiremt' rains normally run from June to September, producing the main harvest. The small 'belg' rains, from February to April or May, produce a smaller harvest helps farmers cope during the lean season. This year the small rains have failed, placing many Ethiopian families in a precarious situation.

Shilime Erbo, a single mother of two, sits outside her hut in Korre Rogicha Village, contemplating their family's future. Korre Rogicha's farming economy is sustained by the two rainy annual seasons.

SOUNDBITE (Oromo) Shilime Erbo, Mother
"We are worried about this year's harvest. The crops are thin and not in a good condition."

Shilime Erbo, a single mother of two, is already in a precarious situation—last year's drought left her family without vital reserves of food to tide them through the lean season.

Her 18 month old daughter Shegitu Tule became dangerously malnourished.

SOUNDBITE (Oromo) Shilime Erbo, Mother
"I was confused as to what I should do. I don't have resources, I don't have money."

She brought Shegitu to a UNICEF-supported village health post, where the health extension workers provide outpatient therapeutic feeding.

SOUNDBITE (Oromo) Worke Bati Julati, Health Extension Worker, Korre Rogicha Health Post 
"The situation with the rain at this time is very scary. They don't have any food to give at home. Their food stocks have gone down.  Because they don't have anything to feed them at home, the situation with the rain is very worrisome."

Worke Bati Julati is one of 34,000 health extension workers in 15,000 health posts throughout Ethiopia. They provide health, nutrition, sanitation and hygiene services.

One week later Shegitu is benefitting from her regimen of ready to use therapeutic foods.

SOUNDBITE (Oromo) Worke Bati Julati, Health Extension Worker, Korre Rogicha Health Post 
"In the past the children were in a very bad state. But now, this health post has been established, and now there is great improvement, children are not dying."

Before the health clinic was established families had to walk for two hours to the nearest clinic, a journey that meant many more children died.

Children are surviving now, thanks to this clinic which is close at hand.

Filed under ETHIOPIA UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund.