The 150th load
Saturday 23rd March 2024, marked another milestone for PhysioNet, when we loaded our 150th consignment to 31 countries since 2009. This time the Tigray Development Association International (TDAI) in Makelle, Tigray Province, Ethiopia, will be the recipient and the third consignment they have taken.
From our perspective TDAI and the tight-knit Tigray community in the UK constitute an ideal recipient. The photo below includes a good number of Tigray people, some of whom had come from London and Edinburgh, proudly waving their flag.
‘Muscle’ provided by half-a-dozen Tigray men proved invaluable as the container, which had been pre-loaded from a facility in Leeds, needed to be partially unloaded before being filled with the most suitable equipment.
A challenging journey lies ahead. North Yorkshire to a UK port. Then, because of problems in the Red Sea, the long way round by sea via the Cape to Djibouti. Finally the 660km overland to Makelle. It is not surprising then that this, and the two previous shipments, cost nearly £30k! (These costs were paid promptly by a Tigray charity in London.)
The photo above shows Dr. Abraha Derso and his wife Sharon, cutting a special cake. The cake was our way of expressing our appreciation for them mobilising Tigrayan support in UK and also for their contacts in Makelle, essential for getting the first consignment safely to destination. Without their help these shipments simply would not have happened.