A WASHING machine does not seem like a luxury to most Australians, but across the Indian Ocean in a small but busy women’s hospital in East Africa, the need for this ordinary piece of machinery is great.
Written by Jessica Nico
Having just returned from two months volunteering at the Edna Adan hospital in Somaliland, former Fremantle MLA Adele Carles saw first hand the good work the midwives and volunteers did in the war-torn area.
Ms Carles said she saw how the work of the hospital had reduced mother and child mortality rates in Somaliland and that Ms Adan was pushing for the end of female genital mutilation.
“It was a life changing experience for me and it kind of shook me out of my first world cocoon,” she said.
“I was essentially Edna’s right hand woman for two months, doing everything from writing international funding proposals to Edna’s speeches, but I also did hands- on work like sorting, organising and distributing international donations.
“I also participated in a global 10-day workshop funded by the Norwegian Government to establish a five-year strategic plan to end FGM in Somaliland – this was a highlight as I got to work with people tackling FGM across the globe.”
The hospital’s need for two washing machines has led Ms Carles to hold a fundraising event in Fremantle this weekend with the help of performers such as DivaLicious and dancers from North Fremantle’s Dance Central.
The fundraiser will be held at Curtin Theatre from 6.30pm on July 16.
Tickets start from $20 and are available from www.trybooking.com. Visit www.ednahospitalfoundation.org.