Have you ever heard of those times when people used to bury an average of 12 bodies in one church graveyard? There is a history of people who have lost not one or two but seven of their loved ones in a matter of few months. Painful scenes such as one forced to carry corpses on a cart were also common. In the 1990’s these and similar traumatic events were common in the north and other parts of Ethiopia, and it’s all because of the deadliest killer MALARIA.
HDAMA founder and Executive Director, Abere Mihrete (Hon. Dr) and people around him were the main witness of similar heart breaking scenes. What he saw with naked eyes and the terrible stories he heard were unbearable. It was at this point that mankind came to action by those with good hearts to stop the dying mass.
It took them few days for Abere and the people around him to get together and create the old Anti Malaria Association, and now the HDAMA. In the first movement they were able to raise over 500 thousand Birr of individuals and organizations. The biggest challenge they faced when contacting communities were the poor perception of malaria and the lack of the anti-malarial medicines. The Association led by Abere with the FDRE Ministry of Health was able to mobilize volunteers and travel to the villages to protect themselves from the murderous killer of the time. The Association then expanded the support and began providing the appropriate medicines and community-based services. With all these and other extensive efforts, the Association has reached millions and saved hundreds of thousands of people who were suffering and dying from malaria.
Winning the trust of its beneficiaries, partners, stakeholders, members and volunteers, the HDAMA has now stretched its bottom cause of malaria, to global development of health and environmental concerns. Now, it is the time to return to all these 25 years of humanitarian files. We are here to thank our supporters, to review our history, to reflect the challenges we have faced and to share our accomplishments. Above all, we are celebrating our anniversary here to reach the communities most affected and prepare a better future, mainly from the help we are getting from all of you!
