Lenny Henry dot com - Blog : Archive...

Welcome to my blog : Archive

Here is an archive of all my past blogs, just incase you missed any! To view my latest blog please click here

Day 1

Posted Sunday, March 06, 2005

Just arrived in Addis Ababa after a long and exhausting day’s travel. It’s dark outside but the city looks like I remember it.

I’ve been to Africa many times in the past 20 years but I can’t believe this is the first time since the very first Red Nose Day, that I’ve been back to Ethiopia.

The last time I was here was just after the famine and it was crazy, there were people all over the place, kids without families, aid workers, camera crews. Comic Relief was just trying to help feed people - now we all know a bit more, want to change a bit more. Just hope we can find a way to do that.

I’ve come along this time with a great Red Nose Day supporting family from Bristol, the Chaplains, Barry and Gail and their two daughters Cassie and Vicky, who we’ve brought over to see where the money they’ve raised has been spent. It’s part of a special documentary to mark the 20th anniversary of the first Red Nose Day. God I feel old!

Tomorrow we’re off to visit St.Matthew’s Children project, it works with a local organisation called JECCDO. They look out for the kids who’ve been orphaned by the war with Eritrea and the ones that have lost their parents from HIV and AIDS. I think it might be a tough day.

DAY 2

Today we went out with Fantaye who works as part of JECCDO home help scheme. Everyday she visits people who are housebound with HIV and AIDS, helps them feed themselves and cleans their houses. She was an absolute star. The girls only 20 and she’s so cool. I felt completely humbled by what I saw.

On the first home visit we went along with Fantaye to the house of Kinfe Getu. He’s 30 and is dying from AIDS. About four years ago his wife died, we’re not sure if it was from AIDS but it seems more than likely.

Kinfe lives in a tiny, dark room, alone. He is completely bedridden. Fantaye tries to visit him at least two or three times a week. I suppose she offers him a tiny piece of normality, a small link to the world outside his room.

Me and Barry cleaned the room and swept the floor while Cassie, the eldest daughter of the Bristol family, looked after Kinfe.

It was really tough on Cassie, she’s never been anywhere like this before and while

she was talking to Kinfe he begged her not to forget him and through tears she said she wouldn’t. I don’t think any of us will. It was heart breaking.

Allam the woman we went to visit next was also completely bedridden. Cassie and Fantaye cleaned and changed her, while me and Cassie’s Dad Barry just tried to make ourselves useful.

I was trying to make a fire for her and it just wouldn’t catch, so there I was huffing and puffing over this fire and all these women are just looking at me going “He sweats a lot that boy!” They were filming me too, it was like “Day 4 and Lenny is still playing with twigs!”

Cassie was fantastic in what was a very difficult situation - I don’t think I could have handled it as well as her when I was just 20.

Allam was in a lot of pain. She doesn’t get any medicine as it’s been decided that she’s too far gone to help – imagine that decision being taken about one of your relatives. She can’t even use the toilet anymore because she’s in so much pain, Fantaye didn’t even have any painkillers to give her. It was horrific.

Allam had a little boy Abel, just five years old. He was the cutest thing. When we arrived at the house he shook everyone’s hand. He lives alone with his mum, apparently Allam has no other family to take him and once she dies he’ll be orphaned and out on the street. Allam is terrified by the thought of this but as she’s so ill there is very little she can do about it.

St Matthew’s, the project Fantaye volunteers with, also tries to find homes for these orphaned kids. I just hope they can find one for Abul when the time comes and he finds himself totally alone.

We got back to the hotel quite late. I love this place, it’s heart and it’s strength - but it’s tough and it takes its toll.

But meeting people like Fantaye makes me so sure about what Comic Relief is doing. It’s incredible to think that just 20 quid will keep her out there at the sharp end with people like Allam and Kinfe for over a month - a whole month of the most vital care you can imagine - there has never been money more well spent.