ReachAnother Foundation

Thursday, join Nebiyat Tesfaye, ReachAnother’s Technical Director, for an online conversation hosted by the International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus about mental health and well-being when living with spina bifida and hydrocephalus

We’re grateful to see Nebiyat’s voice and perspective included in this important conversation during Spina Bifida Awareness Month.

📅 October 8, 2026
💻 Online webinar
📣Register → https://loom.ly/a489M68

October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month!

For ReachAnother, this month is a chance to talk about the full path of care: prevention before birth, surgery after birth, and aftercare as children grow.

This October, we’ll be sharing what that continuum of care looks like in Ethiopia and why children and families remain at the center of it all.❤️

ReachAnother was proud to be represented by our Technical Director, Dr. Nebiyat Tesfaye, at the Global Micronutrient Forum in Accra, Ghana.

Nebiyat joined a panel discussion on “The Global State of Large-Scale Food Fortification: Progress, Opportunities, and Challenges”, an important conversation for prevention, maternal health, and healthier futures for children.

We are grateful to have Ethiopia’s experience and ReachAnother’s prevention work included in this global conversation.

This is one of those updates that makes us feel both proud and a little giddy.

ReachAnother is partnering with Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized University Hospital on a major renovation and expansion project for a dedicated Pediatric Neurosurgery Unit in eastern Ethiopia.

We are grateful to Helmsley Charitable Trust for making this next step possible.❤️

Read the full Haramaya University announcement below.

We say our mission is to help children “grow and thrive.” But thriving doesn’t happen on its own.

It takes:
❤️ A system that includes surgery, rehab, and aftercare.
❤️ Multidisciplinary teams who know how to support these children long-term.
❤️ Families who feel seen and supported.

We’re building that system now, step by step. We’re not there yet, but we know what’s possible. And we won’t stop until every child has the chance to truly grow and thrive.

As Ethiopia welcomes a new year, we are thinking about what new beginnings mean. 🇪🇹

For us at ReachAnother, they mean healthier pregnancies, children getting the care they need, families finding support, and Ethiopian medical teams continuing to build a stronger system for spina bifida, hydrocephalus, and pediatric neurosurgery care.

To our friends, partners, colleagues, and families in Ethiopia: we wish you a joyful and hopeful New Year!🌼

መልካም አዲስ ዓመት

Before a child enters a hospital, there is already an opportunity to improve their health.

Through our prevention program, 758 mothers enrolled over the past three months to receive folic acid, education, counseling, and ongoing support.

These conversations with mothers and healthcare providers are an important part of reducing neural tube defects and improving maternal and child health.

One of the good things about this work is that we are never doing it alone!

As members of the International Federation for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, ReachAnother is part of a global community learning together about spina bifida and hydrocephalus care, prevention, inclusion, and lived experience.

This October, our Country Director, Yakob, and Technical Director, Nebiyat, will represent our Ethiopia team at the 31st International Conference on Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus in Montréal, sharing progress from Ethiopia and joining important conversations on assistive technology and youth advocacy.

We encourage our ReachAnother community to learn more and follow along: https://www.sbhconference2026.com/en/home

What’s the cost of a VP shunt? Less than $100. What’s the value of a life saved? Immeasurable.

From April through June 2026, our hospital partners distributed 925 surgical shunts to children who needed them.

That means 925 children received critical care without having to wait for a shunt to become available. We’re continuing to work toward a sustainable procurement system so hospitals can maintain a reliable supply and children can receive surgery when they need it.