We are a consortium of partners working in Ethiopia to see Ethiopia free of podoconiosis. Podoconiosis or podo in short is  a form of elephantiasis or swelling of the lower leg triggered by prolonged  barefoot exposure to irritant minerals in red clay soils. Unlike other form of elephantiasis, there is NO infectious cause of podoconiosis (no virus, bacterium or parasite).The disease causes massive swelling and disabling skin changes in the lower legs.