ReachAnother Foundation

02/06/2026

Born in Bahir Dar, Barkote was diagnosed with hydrocephalus as an infant and first treated with a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt. But it was the endoscopic third ventriculostomy with choroid plexus cauterization (ETV/CPC) that marked a turning point in his recovery. 🧠✨

Today, Barkote is thriving. He’s in second grade and demonstrates outstanding academic performance. 📚🌟 He continues to receive follow-up care through the multidisciplinary clinic at Gondar University Hospital, one of our Center of Excellence partners. 🏥🤝

Barkote’s journey reflects the power of timely surgical intervention, family support, and sustained investment in Ethiopia’s pediatric neurosurgery capacity. Every child deserves this chance. 💙

02/03/2026

Last week, we were honored to welcome Rotary International International President, Francesco Arezzo, to Ethiopia to visit our Rotary/ReachAnother spina bifida high-risk prevention project at Zewditu Memorial Hospital. 🤝🏥

This partnership has grown over 11 years, led by Rotary clubs in Ethiopia and the U.S., in partnership with Ethiopian hospital teams and our own ReachAnother team. Together, we’ve enrolled 6,000+ high-risk mothers, delivered 1.8 million folic acid tablets, supported 84+ healthy births, funded 170+ surgeries, trained 500+ health workers, and reached 750,000+ people with prevention messages.

01/27/2026

One of the biggest shifts we’ve pushed for is expanding access to ETV/CPC (a shunt-free option for some children with hydrocephalus). 🧠✨
In 2025, 165 children received ETV surgeries across our network of partner hospitals.

It’s a quiet kind of progress that we are incredibly proud of. 💙

New skills are being used consistently, in real cases, by local teams, week after week.

01/23/2026

We all need a little good news! 🌍✨

Ethiopia is officially moving from research to rollout of double-fortified salt (iodine + folic acid), a global first designed to reduce neural tube defects. The trial results are out, the roadmap is in motion, and the push toward national standards has begun. 🧂➡️

For ReachAnother, this moment feels deeply personal. We’ve been in the conversation about fortification for years, with steady advocacy, steady partner and a steady belief that prevention can reach every household. Seeing national leadership move this forward is a reminder that staying the course matters. 💙

Read more here: https://loom.ly/fbYY4Xc

Image source: Nutrition International

Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA – Today, senior government leaders, technical experts and key partners convened for a high-level national dissemination to accelerate the introduction of double-fortified salt with iodine and folic acid (DFS-IoFA) across Ethiopia. “Today marks a historic step in Ethiopia’...

01/20/2026

We’re reposting this because it captures something we’ve experienced firsthand: when Rotary and ReachAnother commit for the long haul, real progress follows.

Our partnership with The Rotary Club of North Atlanta (and our Rotary friends in Addis Ababa) has been thoughtful, steady, and genuinely productive. It's the kind of collaboration where everyone shows up, listens, learns, and keeps moving the work forward. Our ReachAnother team was even in Atlanta in October and had the chance to join a club meeting in person, which made the partnership feel even more tangible.

The post below is a clear, reader-friendly summary of our High-Risk Prevention project. If you have a minute, scroll down and read. It explains why high-dose folic acid matters for mothers at the highest risk, and what it can mean for families in Ethiopia.

01/11/2026

Surgery can save a child’s life.

But what happens next? Can they go to school? Make friends? Walk on their own? Stay healthy?

We’re working toward a future where the answer is always “yes.” Right now, we’re still laying the foundation: building hospital teams, training parents, creating systems that didn’t exist before.

Our mission is clear: survival and thriving. That’s why we work to make sure every child born with spina bifida or hydrocephalus has access to treatment, aftercare, and a future with dignity and possibility.

01/07/2026

🌟 Today, we celebrate Ethiopian Christmas alongside our partners, team members, and friends in Ethiopia 🌟

May this season be filled with peace, connection, and shared joy. We’re grateful for your partnership and continued commitment to improving the lives of children affected by neural tube defects. 💙

01/05/2026

💛 World Folic Acid Awareness Week 💛

This week, from January 5-11, ReachAnother is joining in on raising awareness about the power of folic acid — a simple vitamin that can help prevent serious birth defects when taken before and early in pregnancy.

Early awareness saves lives. Let’s share the message and support healthier beginnings for every baby. Helping flour realize its full potential-the ability to eliminate vitamin and mineral deficiencies--requires active involvement of public private-civic partnerships.

01/02/2026

✨At just 3 months old, Wegatha received her first surgery for spina bifida followed soon after by a shunt to treat hydrocephalus. Today, she’s two years old and making good progress: walking with support, communicating clearly, and meeting new milestones with every follow-up visit.

Thanks to ReachAnother’s multidisciplinary care systems, Wegatha receives coordinated follow-up for clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) and physical therapy. Her caregivers are guided and supported every step of the way with health education and folic acid to prevent future neural tube defects.

It takes a committed team to provide the kind of treatment and aftercare children with neural tube defects need to thrive, and building that team is exactly what ReachAnother is here to do. 💙

12/25/2025

Warm holiday wishes from ReachAnother Foundation!

This season, we’re reflecting on what made the year meaningful — the people who stood with us, believed in the mission, and helped turn care into action. Because of you, the work continues, and the impact grows. We’re grateful to head into the new year together.

12/20/2025

Supporting Ethiopian colleagues to learn alongside international teams, sharpening skills, gaining new perspectives, and building the confidence to lead the future of pediatric neurosurgery in Ethiopia is part of ReachAnother's mission. 🌍🧠

A few months ago we sponsored three final-year neurosurgery residents from Addis Ababa University for a one-month observership in Bangalore, India. Through hands-on exposure and clinical insight into pediatric neurosurgical care, these rising leaders returned with renewed passion and we can already tell they’ll be strong advocates for children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus in Ethiopia.

Investing in people is how lasting impact is built.