“When I saw the change the workshop here at CURE Ethiopia brought to those we serve in the community, I knew I would be here a long time,” said Bayesa.
Bayesa Gadisa was born in a town north of the capital city of Addis Ababa. He is the second born of four to his parents. About seven years ago, a nurse who was working at the hospital referred Bayesa to go to CURE for treatment. Bayesa had polio, and his ankle had become deformed. It became difficult for him to bear his own weight.
Our previous Medical Director, Dr. Eric, performed an operation on Bayesa. After some time, he was walking with his crutch. Dr. Eric’s wife was speaking with Bayesa and asked what it is he did for work. At the time, Bayesa had been working in a wood workshop. She asked if he would be interested in learning how to make ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) and braces for the children who are treated at the hospital. Later on that year, he went to Cheshire for a three-month training program in order to learn how to make those items. Upon finishing training, Bayesa returned to CURE to start at the new workshop in 2010.err