Duchess of Edinburgh sports £295 patterned dress from ME+EM during solo trip to Ethiopia as she highlights two important causes
The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Ethiopia this week to champion two important cases.
Sophie (58), who is a Global Ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, celebrates the transformative work of international eye care charity Orbis ahead of World Sight Day.
The royal mother-of-two is also in the African country to advocate for another cause – the prevention of conflict-related sexual violence.
During a visit to the Sabacare IDP camp, which is home to more than 16,000 internally displaced people who are mainly women and girls, Sophie observed the crucial work carried out by UNICEF in the region.
For the engagement, Sophie chose a £295 dress from ME+EM, which she paired with Penelope Chilvers wedges.
The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Ethiopia this week to champion two important cases
She learned about the ongoing challenges these women face and the specialized help UNICEF offers, before joining them in some skillful sewing activities.
Sophie also had the opportunity to meet children and spend time with children in a child-friendly space within the camp.
During the visit to Ayder Hospital’s One Stop Center (OSC) for survivors of gender-based violence, the Duchess was shown the range of medical and counseling treatments that have helped hundreds of women amid the humanitarian crisis.
She later visited the Women’s Development Centre, a charity that equips vulnerable women, many of whom are survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, with skills to help them lead independent lives with secure employment.
In the coming days, the wife of Prince Edward is scheduled to tour a rural health clinic and hospital where vital sight-saving medical examinations and surgeries take place every day, thanks to the support of Orbis.
The charity is dedicated to eradicating trachoma, an infectious eye disease that can lead to blindness, in Ethiopia.
During her visit to the Sabacare IDP camp, which is home to more than 16,000 internally displaced people who are mainly women and girls, Sophie observed the crucial work UNICEF was doing in the region.
She also had the opportunity to meet children in a child-friendly space within the camp and spend time with them
Sophie is scheduled to tour a rural health clinic and hospital in the coming days where vital sight-saving medical examinations and operations take place every day, thanks to the support of Orbis
The Duchess of Edinburgh visits Ethiopia to celebrate the transformative work of international eye care charity Orbis, ahead of World Sight Day on 12 October
Sophie is a global ambassador for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness
For the engagement, Sophie chose a £295 dress from ME+EM, which she paired with Penelope Chilvers wedges
Sophie will be introduced to specialists, caseworkers and civil servants who provide essential services to those in need.
In addition, she will meet individuals who have recovered their vision and visit a school where children are educated to protect themselves from trachoma through proper face washing and hygiene practices.
The Duchess will later attend a conference bringing together delegates from government as well as the health and charity sectors.
This gathering will provide a platform for exchanging insights and devising strategies to eradicate the blinding disease permanently.
Sophie and Prince Edward share two children. Their daughter, Lady Louise, was born with a rare eye condition called esotropia, which the NHS says causes a squint in one eye that turns inwards.
When she was 18 months old, Lady Louise underwent surgery to correct her vision. However, it was unsuccessful.
“Her gaze was quite deep when she was little,” Sophie previously told the Sunday Express. ‘And it takes time to fix it. You have to make sure one eye doesn’t become more dominant than the other.’
In 2014, when she was 10 years old, Lady Louise underwent a second procedure, which significantly improved her vision. “She’s fine now – her sight is perfect,” added Sophie.