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About Us
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Our Vision
A country free from avoidable eye health problems.
Our Mission
Generate evidence, and implement innovative, community-oriented, and integrated eye health programmes to reduce avoidable eye health problems in Ethiopia.
OUR SERVICES
What We Do?
We generate evidence on eye health challenges, management strategies, and their impacts through epidemiological, clinical, and implementation research.
We empower eye health workers and communities with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities needed to improve eye care services, vision rehabilitation, and research in collaboration with local and international academic institutions.
We deliver integrated, comprehensive eye care service to reduce avoidable blindness and other disabling eye conditions through awareness, early identification, and effective referral across the health system.
We deliver vision habilitation/rehabilitation programs that help restore functional abilities and improve the quality of life of people with low vision or blindness.
Ongoing Projects
Events
Publications
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Funders & Partners
Our Team
Staff Members
Board Members
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Heran Abebe, BA, MA, MPH
Chair
Mrs. Heran holds a BA degree in Sociology and Social Anthropology and dual Masters in Gender Studies and General Public Health.
She has over fifteen years of progressive work experience from grassroots implementation to senior-level management of social development projects focusing on gender and social inclusion. She is a qualified trainer in advocacy skills in reproductive health, engaging men in social norm change, comprehensive response to gender-based violence, and gender and social inclusion mainstreaming in policies and programs.
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Mesele Damtie, BSc, MPH, PhD
Board Member
Dr Mesele Damte Argaw is a public health expert with more than 25 years of practical experiences. He received PhD in Health Studies from the University of South Africa.
He has led several health systems strengthening programs including Trachoma, Malaria, Maternal and Reproductive Health, Nutrition, Child, Youth and Adolescent Health and Development. He collaborates actively with the Federal Ministry of Health of Ethiopia, Regional State Health Bureaus, and development partners and contributed to the development of national strategic plans, guidelines, and training manuals. He has authored and co-authored more than 31 peer reviewed journal articles.
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Alemayehu Teklu, MD
Board Member
Dr. Alemayehu Teklu is a senior Associate Professor in Pediatrics and Child Health with more than 12 years’ experience in academics, clinical care and research at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia.
He studied Human Medicine at the Gondar College of Medicine and Health Science, specialized in Pediatrics and Child Health at the University of Gondar, and received a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Dr Alemayehu is a founding member of eHealth lab Ethiopia, a Center of Excellence in Health Informatics and implementation research established in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the University of Gondar aimed to develop, adopt, evaluate, and support the implementation of innovative health information technologies. His group has won projects from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, World Health Organization, the Global Vaccine Alliance, and the African Forum for Research and Education. He has worked in 9 international research grants and published over 30 quantitative and qualitative research articles.
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Birhanu Assefa, BSc, MPH, MA
Board Member
Mr. Berhanu Assefa, former Vice Chair of Eyu Ethiopia, is an epidemiologist and monitoring and evaluation expert with a BSc in Public Health, MPH in Epidemiology, and MA in Measurement and Evaluation.
He received an Executive Education certificate on Public-Private Partnership from Harvard Kennedy School of Government and completed the International Training on Program Evaluation from the World Bank. He is currently Partnerships and Program Development (P&PD) Manager at UNOPS Bangladesh. He has also served as P&PD Team Leader at the United Nations Office for Project Services for Ethiopia, Sudan, and Djibouti. Berhanu is a founding member of the Public Health Officer Association (PHOA) and Ethiopian Evaluation Associations (EEvA). He is an executive Board member for PHOA and served as President of EEvA for two years. He is an active member of the Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia.
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Dessalew Emaway, BSc, MPH
Board Member
Mr. Dessalew Emaway is a public health practitioner with about 20 years of progressive work experience in program management and technical leadership in community and primary health care systems, RMNCH programs, community engagement, and digital health.
Currently, he is Projects Director for two projects in L10K: improving PHC service delivery project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), and the electronic community health information system (eCHIS) for HEP performance improvement project funded by the Children Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). Previously, he worked as Project Director at Marie Stopes International Ethiopia for a Family Planning-by-Choice project funded by DFID. Dessalew holds a BSc and Master’s degrees in public health from Alemaya and Addis Ababa Universities.
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Rgbie Gebrehawrya, LL. B, MA
Board Member
Mrs. Rigbe is a diversity and inclusion advocate with over 14 years’ experience working on disability rights and gender justice through research, advocacy, project management, training, and human resource management.
She is a Mandela Washington Fellow and has served on the East Africa Regional Advisory Board for the Mandela Washington Fellowship. She holds a Master of Social Work and a Bachelor of Laws. Despite having a physical disability herself, Rigbe developed an interest in disability rights advocacy after working for an NGO on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. She currently serves as the Commissioner for Disability Rights and Rights of Older Persons at the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. Previously, she worked at the U.S. Embassy Addis Abeba as a Senior HR Assistant and Disabilities Advisor. She has volunteered as a legal aid counselor at the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) and is currently an expert member of the Working Group on the Rights of Older Persons and Persons with Disabilities in Africa. She is a board member of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network), co-founder and board member of the Ethiopian Lawyers with Disabilities Association, board chair of Setawit, board advisor of EWLA, and board member of Eyu-Ethiopia. She has also served as board chair of EWLA, a member of the National Experts Board/Advisory Group of the Resource and Support Hub Programme, and a member of the UN Women Civil Society Organizations Advisory Group.
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Selamawit Abebe, Bsc, Msc
Board Member
Selamawit holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies from Erasmus University Rotterdam and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Addis Ababa University. She is an experienced professional who has worked with government institutions, UN agencies, and local and international non-governmental organizations in program coordination, research, teaching, and social work. She has in-depth knowledge and practical expertise in gender, reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, and children’s rights.
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Tadele Getahun, BA , MBA
Board Member
Tadele Getahun holds an MBA in Finance from Addis Ababa University, a Master’s degree in Development Studies from Indira Gandhi National Open University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Jimma University. He is an experienced finance and operations professional with over 18 years of progressive experience in financial management, accounting, and organizational operations. Tadele has held several leadership roles in international and local organizations, including serving as Head of Finance Operations and Accounting at Mastercard Foundation. He has also worked as Director of Finance and Operations at ACDI/VOCA Ethiopia Program, Finance Manager at Ipas Ethiopia, and Administration and Procurement Manager at the International Training and Education Center for Health. Earlier in his career, he served in finance and administration roles at EngenderHealth Ethiopia Program, ActionAid, Dashen Bank S.C., and the Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia. In addition, he has contributed to academia as an Instructor at Dessie College of Business and Management.
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Tezeta Meshesha
Board Member
Tezeta Meshesha holds an MA in Journalism and Communications from Addis Ababa
University and an MPP & Tech in Public Policy from Politecnico di Torino/ITCILO. She is an
experienced development communicator with extensive expertise in advocacy, policy, and
strategic communications for sustainable change. Tezeta currently serves as Subregional
Communication Specialist at FAO, leading the implementation of the SFE communication
strategy and strengthening advocacy and visibility. She has also held leadership roles in
communications and knowledge management at AMREF Health Africa, Save the Children
International, EngenderHealth, and the International Rescue Committee.
Support Us
Donate
The easiest way to support our cause is to donate to Eyu-Ethiopia! We sincerely appreciate all contributions and are grateful to our donors. If you are interested in fundraising, please contact info@eyuethiopia.org and we will be in touch with a fundraising kit that includes publicity information and educational materials.
Volunteering
We are grateful for the time and effort of volunteers in Ethiopia and elsewhere. If you are interested in joining our team of volunteers, please fill out this form.
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