Jimma University encourages its staff members to engage in various community service activities beyond the professional services and volunteerism. As part of the community services a team from Jimma Medical Centre (JMC) led by Dr. Rodas Kasahun visited Jimma Town correctional centre to conduct a need assessment specifically focusing on the living conditions and status of women in the centre.
Dr Rodas, is a general practitioner in JMC and alumni of Young African Leadership initiative Regional Leadership Centre (YALI). As YALI also encourages its alumni members to actively engage in community service, the team visited women inmates in the correctional centre to provide psycho-social support. During their visit they found that the women inmates are facing challenging problems of very basic nature which were beyond their expectations which led them to take the initiative to mobilize more resources. They as result decided to expand the horizon of their support beyond psycho-social interventions and managed to generate resources for additional material provisions.
The team has managed to collect 11,635 ET. Birr from hospital staff and received soaps worth of 11, 152 ET. Birr from Jimma University Women and Youth Affairs Office. Materials were later on distributed for the women inmates and their children all in kind. The team provided basic cleaning materials, sanitary pads and under wear for 69 women, and milk and diaper for 12 children. JU is grateful to the team for the initiative and the vital support given to the needy inmates.
