My New Face

In June 2006 two surgeons, Martin Kelly and Norman Waterhouse, from the UK-based craniofacial and facial reconstruction children's charity, Facing the World, visited the Tara Centre (the community centre Kate used to run in Gondar). They were accompanied by a film crew from Firecracker Films. The surgeons talked to Kate and examined 11-year-old Mohammed whose face had been disfigured by disease since he was little. The film 'My New Face' was broadcast on UK's Channel 4 on 15 November 2006.

At that time Mohammed was illiterate - he had missed out on an education because his headmaster worried that his disease was still infectious and so refused to let him attend school.

Mohammed's family is poor and receives financial assistance through The Kindu Trust's Sponsorship in the Community Project. Kate set up The Kindu Trust in England in 1998 to help needy Ethiopian children.

In 2006 Kate arranged for Mohammed to attend a six-month weaving course in Gondar.

"Mohammed won't need to endure people's taunts and insults about his face for much longer," said Kate in the summer of 2007. "Now 12 years old, he flew to London in June for treatment in preparation for surgery to rebuild his face, thanks to the London-based charity Facing the World."

Kate's colleague, Marta Bekele, accompanied Mohammed as his guardian and interpreter. They remained in England until December 2007. Mohammed was diagnosed with a form of skin TB. After a long course of treatment at home in Ethiopia, Mohammed returned to London the following year and the surgeons gave him a new nose.

Mohammed is now attending school and has a weaving loom at home in Gondar.

To sponsor a needy child in Ethiopia, please contact The Kindu Trust's London office. The Trust's website is listed in the LINKS section.

Kate is Honorary President of The Kindu Trust.