Students at Friend Seminary in New York, "Friends Against Fistula" at their fundraiser on April 18, 2008. From left to right, first two students are un-named volunteers, then Alida Borgna , Nora Kostow, Sophie Golomb, D'meca Homer, Marielle Torres, Tanya Singh.

Throw a party, make a difference

Our popular Circle of Friends program assists groups and individuals in holding fundraising or informational events to support the work of the Fistula Foundation. This form of volunteer fundraising helps ensure that the Foundation continues to restore health and dignity to women devastated by fistula – for as long as there is a need.

Join our circle of friends

To join Circle of Friends, fill out the online application form (or download and complete a printable version of the form). After your application has been approved, you will receive a letter outlining the details of the program. You will then be provided access to specialized materials and tips on fundraising success.

Bring YOUR Circle of Friends Together — Get Event Ideas:

If you aren't sure what kind of event to hold, click here to get ideas for your own event, such as hosting a screening of the award winning film "A Walk to Beautiful". If you have questions, feel free to email us at circle@fistulafoundation.org or call our office at 408 249-9596.

Below are a few examples of successful recent events:

Jeff Blithe, Kate Depret-Guilluame, Tsedale Assefa and Carmela Knepler

Virginia Fundraiser: From talk to action

What started as a conversation at the community pool in Fairfax, Virginia, after viewing the award-winning film "A Walk to Beautiful", turned into an empowering event three months later. The main event, held on September 13, drew a diverse group of dedicated women.

The main organizers, Carmela Knepler and her friend Kate Depret-Guillaume reached out to tens of their own friends opening hearts and minds to the plight of fistula patients and raised $10,000 to support fistula treatment.

Several old friends of the foundation were key participants in the event with award-winning photographer Mary Calvert sharing her photos taken at the Bahr Dar Fistula Hospital and Tsedale Assefa, the chair of the Washington DC Tesfa Ineste Committee, providing her personal account of fistula injuries and treatment.

Mary Calvert's photo exhibit

Tea and Empathy event focuses on Fistula Foundation

What is the most personally embarrassing event you can remember? That was the conversation-starter question posed by the Tea and Empathy event hostess Kat Likkel to a group of talented and engaged professional women gathered in her home. The group came to learn more about obstetric fistula and Kat’s question definitely got the conversation going as women recalled laughter creating episodes of embarrassing emails and personal beauty disasters. But, what became clear after the group had watched a short film about women with obstetric fistula is that none had experiences anything close to the humiliation and loss of basic dignity experienced by women left incontinent by the childbirth injury obstetric fistula.

Kat Likkel, event hostess and Cindy Chupak, co-founder of Tea and Empathy

On a beautiful sunny Sunday in November the women, who work mainly in the entertainment industry, gathered to hear more about lives of women a world away. The event was titled "Tea and Empathy – Women Dedicated to Making a Difference One Tea at a Time — focusing on the Fistula Foundation". The Tea and Empathy group was formed over a year ago to help open hearts and minds, and not just wallets, to organizations and causes of interest. The busy group of women takes time out every two months to learn about and support diverse organizations. Fistula Foundation Executive Director Kate Grant attended the event in Pasadena, giving a talk about fistula and leading a discussion of what can be done to help the approximately 2 million women the World Health Organization estimates still struggle mightily with untreated fistula.