SPRING, 2010
In this issue:
• A Patient's Story - Ethiopia
• Panzi Hospital received deserved attention
• Unitarian Universalists sponsor fundraising dinner
• Foundation Volunteers help keep expenses down
• International Society of Fistula Surgeons: Meeting Builds Support for Fistula Patients
• Foundation and Direct Relief join forces to fight fistula
• CURE Hospital in Afghanistan Sponsors Outreach Campaign
• A Most Meaningful Gift: NY Times' Nicholas Kristof recommends readers make gifts to Foundation
• Charity Navigator gives Foundation 4th Consecutive 4-star Rating
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Foundation Funds Construction of Fistula Treatment Facility in Somaliland
Edna Adan Hospital provides care to needy women
The Foundation is thrilled to be funding the construction of a brand new fistula repair facility at the Edna Adan Maternity and Teaching Hospital in Hargeisa, Somaliland, the first of its kind in the country.
Somaliland, a small country north of Somalia in the horn of Africa, struggles with many challenges including high levels of poverty and maternal mortality. It is estimated that less than 5% of Somaliland's mothers deliver with help from a trained midwife or doctor. Lack of access to good quality emergency obstetric care contributes to high levels of maternal death and disability, including obstetric fistula.
The Edna Adan Hospital, founded by Edna Adan, in 2002, is filling a desperate need women of Somaliland have for quality maternal care. But, the hospital's single operating room is stretched thin covering obstetric emergency cases.
Edna Adan Maternity and Teaching Hospital, Hargeisa, Somaliland
A grant of $150,000 from the Foundation is funding the building of a new Operating Theater Block dedicated to fistula treatment that will significantly increase the capacity of Edna Adan to treat fistula patients.
Edna Adan founder of the Edna Adan Maternity and Teaching Hospital and new nursing graduates
Foundation partner Direct Relief International, who has been a supporter of the Edna Adan Hospital since 2005, is coordinating this project. The grant also will equip that facility, support training of staff and care of an estimated 144 fistula patients. The Foundation is grateful to our partner Direct Relief International for working with the Edna Adan Hospital to expand their fistula treatment and prevention program.
Edna Adan Ismail
Edna Adan is an inspiring advocate for women and girls. She was born in Somalia, and trained as a nurse in the United Kingdom. While she returned to Somalia, she left after the Civil War there began. Her commitment to women's health did not wane and she joined the World Health Organization where she held various key positions advocating for the abolition of harmful traditional practices, such as female genital cutting. She came to Somaliland and built the Edna Adan Maternity and Teaching Hospital from scratch. It opened in 2002, on the site of a former garbage dump, land donated to her by the Regional Government. The hospital is an oasis of healing and care for Somaliland's women.
Board of Directors
Abaynesh Asrat |
Gerald Shefren, MD |
A Patient's Story: Ethiopia
Wubalem was ten years old when her parents decided that it was time for her to get married. At 16 she became pregnant with her first child. Wubalem was scared of childbirth and when labor started it was even more painful than she expected. Women in her village gathered in her house to help Wubalem, but with no success. After waiting for three days her uncle suggested they take her to a hospital.
They started the journey hoping that she would be able to deliver a healthy baby. After they had walked for an hour they arrived at the health center, but after trying for a day to help Wubalem deliver her baby they told her to go to a bigger hospital where they could find a doctor. When they finally got to the hospital that was a four hour drive away Wubalem delivered a still born baby. She was told that she had a fistula which could be treated in Addis Ababa.
Wubalem traveled to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital where she stayed for three months going through two operations to be completely cured. After that she was sent home to her village but was told that she would have to go to a hospital the next time she gets pregnant. Wubalem is now back at the hospital for a different reason: to deliver her baby.
Panzi Hospital received deserved attention
Dr. Denis Mukwege, Medical Director at Fistula
Foundation
grantee Panzi Hospital
Journalist Nicholas Kristof visited Foundation grantee the Panzi Hospital in DR Congo and met with its Medical Director, Dr. Denis Mukwege. Kristof followed the visit with a column in the Sunday, February 7th edition of the New York Times. Titled "The World Capital of Killing" Kristof describes Bukavu as "the world capital of rape, torture and mutilation." In the midst of the carnage, Dr. Mukwege was lauded by Kristof:
"Dr. Mukwege, 54, presides over the 400-bed Panzi Hospital, supported by the European Union and private groups like the Fistula Foundation. He is sometimes mentioned as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize for his heroic efforts to fight the war and heal its victims".
Foundation volunteers help keep expenses down
Jerry Goldstein
The Foundation works hard to keep our expenses down. One way we do this is by tapping our generous and committed volunteers. None of these is more dedicated than Jerry Goldstein who has been volunteering weekly at the Foundation for over six years.
We are indebted to Jerry for his generous support. Jerry is an engaging man with insightful views on myriad topics. Days when Jerry is in the Foundation are always brighter. During our busiest time of year, the holidays, we also have benefited from the help of our family and friends. Many thanks to all of you!
Foundation volunteers provide critical support for Foundation's Holiday mailings
Kevin Cameron |
Bobby Grant Houston |
Doris Apel |
Unitarian Universalists sponsor fundraising dinner
Donors at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, Virginia dinner
The Foundation is always grateful for the generous gift of time and effort of volunteers who sponsor "Circle of Friends" fundraising events for us. It is the inspiring individual who sponsors more than one of these events. In Carmela Knepler the Foundation has that kind of selfless and devoted volunteer. Following the very successful event Carmela co-hosted with her friend Kate Depret-Guillaume in September of 2008, Carmela hosted another event, this time a dinner held on January 16th at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, Virginia. The dinner helped open hearts, minds and wallets to the plight of fistula sufferers and the ways we can all help, and raised over $3,600. Thanks, Carmela and the generous attendees at your dinner. "Asante sana" (Thank you very much in Swahili).
The Mission of the Fistula Foundation is to raise awareness of and funding for fistula treatment, prevention, and educational programs worldwide.
Foundation and Direct Relief join forces to fight fistula
Direct Relief International Team at their
Santa Barbara office
(left to right, Dr. Mike Marks,
Ms. Kristi Bullock, Ms. Lindsey
Pollaczek,
Dr. Hezron Mc'Obewa)
The Foundation is delighted to deepen our partnership with Direct Relief International. Direct Relief is one of the largest suppliers of donated medical supplies to hospitals all over the world. The Foundation has provided grant support to ship medical supplies to the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. The Foundation is building on that relationship by funding shipments of fistula treatment supplies to the following African Hospitals: Bugando Medical Center, Tanzania, JFK Medical Center, Liberia, Jamaa Mission Hospital, Kenya, and the Edna Adan Hospital in Somaliland (see article above).
International Society of Fistula Surgeons
Meeting Builds Support for Fistula Patients
L to R: Foundation Executive Director Kate Grant
with doctors from grantee
hospitals in Afghanistan — Cure Hospital,
Dr. Farzana Wali and Dr. Yousuf
Khan and DR Congo - Panzi Hospital,
Mr. Bercky Masheka, Dr. Kristine
Amisi Notia, and Dr. Mushengezi
Nsimire
Last November, while most Americans were sitting down to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, in Nairobi, Kenya the International Society of Fistula Surgeons met for a three day conference. The meeting provided a superb opportunity for surgeons and health professionals working to confront fistula globally to share lessons learned and success stories. The Fistula Foundation was honored to sponsor surgeons from grantees the Panzi Hospital in the Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo and the CURE Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan to attend the meeting. The Fistula Foundation sponsored a screening of the film "A Walk to Beautiful"; Executive Director, Kate Grant, attended representing the Foundation.
CURE Hospital in Afghanistan Launches Outreach Campaign
Dr. Farzana Wali at the CURE Hospital with a fistula patient
Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal death and disability rates in the world. This is not surprising given the endemic poverty and the severely limited availability of maternal health care during the years when the Taliban was in power. Thus, one of the challenges in addressing the hidden epidemic of fistula in Afghanistan is to help educate Afghan women about the causes of fistula and the availability of care. To this end, CURE Hospital in Afghanistan is launching a fistula education campaign with the goal to inform women suffering silently with fistula that treatment is available. CURE has hired a Fistula Outreach Coordinator to launch community education and outreach activities. The Coordinator is responsible for developing referral systems, identifying transportation opportunities and partnering with referring agencies. The financial support from the Fistula Foundation is enabling the development and distribution of informational brochures, broadcast TV and radio ads in both Pashtu and Dari languages. The ads will provide information not only to potential patients, but also to healthcare workers and NGOS, particularly those in remote areas. With this program, CURE takes one more important step to fight fistula in Afghanistan, and become a national center of excellence in maternal and child health.
A Most Meaningful Gift:
NY Times' Nicholas Kristof recommends readers make gifts to Foundation
Nicholas D. Kristof
On Christmas Eve, December 24th, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Nicholas Kristof did something he had never done before: recommended a short list of charities for year-end giving. Of the nine organizations recommended, the Fistula Foundation was honored to be one. To quote Kristof:
"Do your loved ones have all the neckties/bottles of perfume/sweaters that can be used in a lifetime? Tired of celebrating spiritual holidays with crass commercialism? If so, then perhaps it's time to try a different kind of gift...today I want to bring to show and tell some organizations laboring in obscurity. These groups are also a reminder that the gap in savvy, creativity and effectiveness between the business world and the non profit sector is narrowing - in some cases vanishing."
To read the whole article, please click here."Only 8% of the charities we rate have received at least 4 consecutive 4-Star evaluations, indicating that the Fistula Foundation consistently executes its mission in a fiscally responsible way and outperforms most other charities in America."
Mother's Day reminder
Photo: Ms. Liba Taylor, taken at the Edna Adan Teaching and Maternity Hospital
Mother's Day is just around the corner:
Sunday, May 9.
Honor your mother or another mother in your life with a tribute card. You can visit our website to learn more. We'll also be sending you more information about our Mother's Day cards soon!