Our Team

Michael Juma Aduol joined Fistula Foundation as program assistant in August 2023. He brings to the Foundation more than 18 years of experience in working for community programs. Michael holds a diploma in medical laboratory technology from the Kisumu National Polytechnic, and a diploma in social work and community development from Premese Africa Development Institute. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in sociology at the University of Nairobi.

Michael has a wide range of experience in the field of health and human services. He served as research assistant at Kenya Medical Research Institute, program coordinator at Disciples of Mercy, and HIV counseling and testing coordinator at INUKA International. He has conducted training in HIV counseling and testing, family planning, and results-based monitoring and evaluation. Michael is a proud father of five children, and he enjoys bringing a spirit of collaboration and a spark of innovation to his work.

Kelly Anderson serves with the dedicated team at Fistula Foundation as Vice President of Philanthropy.

Kelly’s commitment to women’s health and social justice began as a sexual assault crisis line volunteer at the University of Michigan. After two decades in leadership roles in rape crisis centers—first in Washington, D.C., and then in Madison, Wisconsin, where she worked to expand service for underserved communities—she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2015 to serve as CEO of the Nepal Youth Foundation.

In addition to her professional experience, Kelly has engaged in related volunteer and community activities. In D.C., she cofounded and served as the president of a small nonprofit that supports women unable to afford medical treatment, spent six years as a mentor at BeFriend a Child, and served on the Washington Area Women’s Foundation grants committee. In Madison, her commitments included chairing the Dane County Commission on Sensitive Crimes and the Community Coordinated Response on Sexual Assault, serving as a board member of the Hancock Center for Dance/Movement Therapy, and fostering and rehabilitating rescue dogs.

Originally from the Midwest, Kelly is thrilled to be able hike and backpack in the stunning mountain ranges of northern California. She finds joy and satisfaction in her role of connecting generous, compassionate individuals with the world of good they can help accomplish.

Dr. Steven Arrowsmith is a urologist by training who joined Fistula Foundation as a medical advisor in 2010. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Ohio. For 35 years, Steve has treated women with fistula throughout Africa and Asia. Over that period, he has helped establish three fistula centers in Africa, performed surgical repairs in 17 countries, and mentored dozens of fistula surgeons.
Steve was co-investigator for a World Health Organization (WHO) clinical trial on catheter management after fistula repair and lead author of “Obstetric Fistula & Other Forms of Female Genital Fistula,” published by the United Nations Population Fund and the Campaign to End Fistula. He has authored numerous academic articles and several textbook chapters on fistula repair. According to Steve, his most important mentors have been women with fistula, from whom he has drawn many life lessons and much personal strength.

Clément Lofumbwa Balilo joined the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as program officer in 2023. He provides technical and operational support to the network, and is based in Kinshasa. 

Clément is a medical doctor who specializes in epidemiology and disease control. He brings to Fistula Foundation more than 15 years of experience in the field of public health. In recent years, he worked for two international-aid organizations, Adventist Development and Relief Agency and United Methodist Committee on Relief. Previously, he worked for the Congolese government at the Ministry of Public Health. There, he coordinated the ministry’s sexual and reproductive health portfolio, including epidemic response and primary healthcare. Clément is passionate about improving the quality of patient care and advancing women’s rights.

Darren Blankenship is glad to join Fistula Foundation as Database Administrator. Darren brings over twenty years of experience working with various Bay Area non-profits and educational institutions. His passion is for systems integration and data integrity, and he is excited to bring this to Fistula Foundation. He holds a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, reading science fiction, and catching up on recent developments in science and technology.

Victor D.  Chibale is a motor vehicle driver in Fistula Foundation’s Zambia office. He provides reliable and safe transportation to Fistula Foundation staff and relevant officials, and delivers mail, documents, and any other Fistula Foundation cargo. He also ensures that all licenses and documents for Fistula Foundation vehicles are valid.

Victor has a class C driver’s license, a certificate in Defensive Driving from the National Institute for Productivity in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and more than 20 years of driving experience. Before joining the Foundation, he worked for Tanzania Zambia Railways Authority (TAZARA) for 17 years. Victor also has an International Certificate in Transport and Logistics and is currently studying for a diploma in the same field.

Emmanuel Chiluba is a Program Officer at Fistula Foundation’s Zambia office. He works with representatives of the Ministry of Health, assists in training and supervising Community Health Volunteers, and holds sensitization meetings for community leaders in Zambia’s Central Province.

Emmanuel holds a diploma in social work, and has over 18 years of experience working with both grassroots organizations and international NGOs. Before joining Fistula Foundation, Emmanuel worked with the Association of Lay Missionaries of Italy, the Churches Association of Zambia, and the Caritas Mpika Catholic Diocese.

Emmanuel believes that community activities need full commitment and participation to achieve our goal: to help the many vulnerable women still suffering from obstetric fistula.

Martin Chiyana works as a Program Officer in Fistula Foundation’s Zambia office. He is stationed in Nchelenge District to cover programs in Luapula Province and some parts of Northern Zambia. Martin works with the Ministry of Health, assists in training and supervising Community Health Volunteers and Safe Motherhood Action Group Members (SMAGs), and holds sensitization meetings for local community leaders to spread awareness about fistula and treatment options.

Martin holds an Advanced Diploma in Computer Science and Information Processing from the Association of Business Managers and Administrators, a certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation from the University of Michigan, and a certificate in teaching methodology from Technical Vocation Teachers College Zambia.

Before joining the Foundation, he worked as a Monitoring and Evaluation Research Assistant on a maternal and child health project at Africare for three years. He also worked as an Engineering IT Planner at Mopani Copper Mines for 2 years and as a Network Benchmarking Engineer at Airtel Zambia and Nutek India for a year.

Martin has a heart for suffering and isolated women and believes there is a better tomorrow for these marginalized communities.

Jordan Chileshe Chomba works for the Fistula Foundation Zambia Office as a motor vehicle driver based in the Eastern Province. He provides transportation and travel logistics to the Zambia team and other relevant officials and helps deliver equipment and materials for the program.

Jordan holds a valid SADC driver’s license Class C and has over 10 years of driving experience, mainly working with security firms and educational institutions. Jordan is touched and motivated by the tremendous work Fistula Foundation does reaching out to suffering women who lack the resources to access treatment.

Bwalya Magawa Chomba joined Fistula Foundation as program manager in 2017, and is now the program director for Zambia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Mulungushi University in Kabwe, Zambia, and a master’s in public health from the University of Lusaka (UNILUS). Bwalya is responsible for supporting referrals for fistula patients to partner hospitals, and serves as a key liaison between the hospitals and the community. In her role as director, she also strengthens partnerships with government ministries and community and faith-based organizations.

Bwalya has been working as a social worker and community development officer for 18 years. Most recently, prior to joining Fistula Foundation, she worked with the Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare in Nakonde District. Bwalya has also worked with Caritas / Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Mpika Diocese. There, she served as a monitoring and evaluation officer, coordinating revisions of project strategies with key stakeholders, and ensuring a shared understanding of strategic and informational needs. During her tenure as district development facilitator with the NGO Africare Zambia, she learned about obstetric fistula and took up an active role in mobilizing fistula patients, successfully referring 200 women for life-transforming surgery.

Bwalya has always believed that local community participation is an important way to achieve sustainable development, particularly in the fight against obstetric fistula.

Jesse joined Fistula Foundation in 2019 and serves as the Program Manager, helping to support dozens of partnerships in over 20 countries. Jesse learned about fistula while serving as community health organizer with the Peace Corps in Ethiopia, where she developed and implemented programs to empower youth with reproductive health education.

She is passionate about gender equality and social entrepreneurship, and has worked on projects ranging from postpartum hemorrhage training in Guatemala to recycling feasibility studies in Indonesia. She holds a BA in International Studies from American University and an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Dr. Andrew Browning AM FRCOG is an Australian trained obstetrician and gynecologist who has been involved with fistula surgery since 1996.

Dr. Browning’s life mission has been to help women suffering with obstetric fistula in Africa.

As a young doctor, he was inspired to become a fistula surgeon after visiting his aunt, Valerie Browning, in rural Ethiopia as she assisted women with terrible childbirth injuries. Deeply moved, he decided to work under the legendary Dr. Catherine Hamlin at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital where he stayed for ten years. Since then, Dr. Browning has started his own charity, which provides life-changing surgery to women across Africa and South East Asia and builds and runs charity maternity hospitals to prevent fistula. The Barbara May Foundation now provides free obstetric care to around 15,000 women a year and also trains midwives and doctors.

Dr. Browning has led a team that has gone on to transform several rundown health centers into safe and functional maternal health centers for poor women and those living in remote regions.

In an effort to help the more than one million women estimated to be suffering with existing obstetric fistula injuries throughout Africa, Dr. Browning continues to provide fistula camps in South Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Nepal.

Dr. Browning also consults on global maternal healthcare issues for the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) and the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO). He is the chair of the Fistula Expert Advisory Group at FIGO. Recently, he was named as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia in recognition of his “outstanding contributions” to improving maternal healthcare for women in poverty.

Hannah Garone joined Fistula Foundation as Donor Relations Manager in June 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, with a specialization in health and environment, from the College of New Jersey. An alumna of AmeriCorps, Hannah served with City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley in 2016–2017. She then worked as a recruiter for City Year, where she cultivated relationships with potential candidates and monitored candidate data. Hannah has also worked as a teacher both locally and internationally, and she brings a passion for relationship-building to her work at Fistula Foundation. That work supports core donor relations functions and project management for fundraising efforts.

Kate Grant joined the Foundation as its first chief executive in 2005. She led the expansion of the Foundation from supporting one hospital in one country, Ethiopia, to its current position as the global leader in fistula treatment. Today, under her leadership, the Foundation supports treatment partners in more than 20 countries across Africa and Asia. Grant has formed partnerships with key organizations such as Astellas Pharma EMEA, Johnson & Johnson, Direct Relief, Engender Health, and The Life You Can Save (founded by Peter Singer). During her tenure as CEO, the Foundation has earned 16 consecutive four-star ratings from Charity Navigator, placing it in the top 1% of nonprofit organizations evaluated. It has also consistently earned an “A” rating from Charity Watch, has been named one of the top 50 charities in the United States by Consumer Reports, and has earned more than 700 five-star ratings on GreatNonprofits. Since Grant took charge of the Foundation, it has helped build new women’s hospitals in Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Tanzania, and has increased the number of surgeries that it supports annually by a factor of 20. In recognition of these achievements, Grant in 2014 was named Nonprofit Marketer of the Year by the American Marketing Association and American Marketing Association Foundation.

Before joining the Foundation, Grant served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee staff and as special assistant and deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). She also consulted to USAID’s mission in Tanzania, the Rockefeller Foundation, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, and the Women’s Funding Network. Grant holds a master in public affairs degree, with a focus on international development, from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, where she was elected chair of the graduate student body. Previously, she was an advertising executive at two leading agencies—Leo Burnett in Chicago and FCB in San Francisco—and managed campaigns for Fortune 500 companies such as Clorox, Levi Strauss, and McDonald’s. She graduated with honors from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. She also completed the Executive Education Program in Nonprofit Management at Harvard Business School. Grant has served on several boards, including the Governing Board of Graduate Alumni of Princeton University. She regularly gives presentations about the Foundation’s work, and has lectured at Princeton University and Oxford University.

Jamie Heisch joined Fistula Foundation as philanthropy associate in April 2023. In that role, she works with colleagues to connect generous donors with opportunities to fund life-changing treatment for women in need. Jamie has several years of experience in providing administrative support, with a focus on helping to manage philanthropic operations. She also has experience in the private sector, where she worked in financial services and provided high-level client support. Jamie holds a bachelor of science degree in environmental policy from Sierra Nevada University, as well as a master of public administration degree, with an emphasis in international development, from the University of Washington. She is passionate about gender equality and helping women who suffer from childbirth injuries to reclaim their lives. 

Shelly Helgeson originated the role of vice president of partnerships at Fistula Foundation. She brings to the role more than 15 years of experience in social entrepreneurship and strategic communications. She also brings a commitment to ensuring that birthing people everywhere have access to quality healthcare.

Before joining Fistula Foundation, Shelly was director of communications and partnerships at Equalize Health. While there, she led the strategy for securing partnerships that expanded the organization’s ability to connect mothers and babies with life-saving healthcare. Previously, she served in leadership roles at the University of San Francisco, where she worked to increase educational opportunities for people historically excluded from higher education, including refugees.  

Shelly has also worked with both large NGOs and grassroots organizations to support community-led development initiatives in Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, and the United States. Her love of communications and storytelling stems from her early career in New York City as a documentary filmmaker, specializing in films that give voice to marginalized communities.

Shelly holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and world religions from Ithaca College and a master of public administration degree from the University of San Francisco. When she isn’t forging great partnerships for Fistula Foundation, she is traveling, making music, and hiking the beautiful landscapes of Northern California.

Nicole Huelar joined Fistula Foundation in the role of administrative assistant in November 2022. She has a bachelor of science degree in industrial design from San Jose State University, and has served in administrative and management roles on a voluntary basis with various organizations. Nicole brings to her role at Fistula Foundation a passion for human well-being and inclusivity. Her work at the organization supports the operations, donor relations, and communication teams.

Thomas Huntington is currently studying to become a physician at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He previously worked as the developer of several mobile applications for Apple iOS, including Nightstand Central, an alarm clock app. He has contributed to colorectal and ovarian cancer research and has volunteered at a nursing home and homeless shelter. Thomas studied violin performance at the Colburn Conservatory of Music and earned a bachelor’s degree in neural science at New York University.

Kalumba Kaputa is a Program Officer at Fistula Foundation’s Zambia office. He collaborates with the Ministry of Health and local grassroots organizations, screening potential fistula patients and referring them to treatment centers for care in Zambia’s Luapula Province.

Prior to joining Fistula Foundation, Kalumba worked for 8 years as a Clinical Officer for the Zambian Ministry of Health, serving as a frontline health provider at Chilonga Mission General Hospital. He has also served in roles at the Mpepo Rural Health Centre and the Mpika District Health Office. Kalumba holds a diploma in Basic Clinical Medical Sciences in Mental Health and Psychiatry from the University of Zambia School of Medicine in Association with Chainama College of Health Sciences.

Kalumba strongly feels that unity and team work are essential for any organization to achieve its key objectives, especially in the fight against obstetric fistula.

Jameson Kaunda is a Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator at Fistula Foundation’s Zambia office. He is responsible for planning and implementing Zambia’s monitoring & evaluation (M&E) activities pertaining to community outreach; the identification, screening and referral of fistula patients; and tracking and reporting surgical, clinical treatment, post-repair follow-up and reintegration activity outcomes.

Over the past five years, Jameson has worked on a number of projects as a Research Assistant and M&E Specialist focusing on HIV; malaria; water, sanitation and hygiene; and maternal & child health. He also previously worked at Africare as an M&E Officer where he helped develop the organization’s Performance Monitoring Plan and M&E systems. Jameson holds a BA in Development Studies from the University of Zambia and is currently pursuing a Master in Public Health at the University of South Wales in the UK. Jameson is honored to be part of the Fistula Foundation team – changing and transforming vulnerable women’s lives, wiping away their shame and restoring their self-esteem and dignity in society.

Cleo Kiros is the Founder and CEO of Wajirat Foundation—an organization that supports vocational and life-skills training for young adults in Ethiopia. Cleo also volunteers in different capacities with organizations that support women and children in the Bay Area and has previously served as a Fistula Foundation board member. She is very excited to rejoin.

Ling Yang Lew serves as senior legal counsel at Apple. She previously worked at the County of Santa Clara, where she served as an advice attorney to the County’s health and hospital system, which provides safety-net health services. Prior to law school, Ling worked in health economics research. Ling is a graduate of Stanford Law School and Duke University.

As Chief Operating Officer, Pam broadly oversees process and IT improvements across the Foundation’s Program, Fundraising, and Administrative functions. Pam joined the Fistula Foundation in 2018 as Director of Strategic Initiatives. In this role, she led the redesign of the Foundation’s web presence to expand the Foundation’s global community of supporters.

Pam brings 10+ years of experience working at the intersection of health, communications, and technology at Stanford Medicine, a leading academic medical center. As Digital Content Lead for Stanford Health Care, she led the content strategy effort to transform the healthcare system’s online user experience and better serve the needs of patients across the care journey. In 2017, she launched a digital content program, supporting care delivery across Stanford’s 250+ complex care clinics and primary care network. 

She also served as lead content strategist on two redesigns of the medical center’s web environment. Both projects received a national Award of Excellence by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), an industry top honor. 

Pam’s commitment to service-driven communications builds on her earlier experience as a journalist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and roles at the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic in San Francisco and Centro Adelante Campesino, a migrant farmworker center in AZ.  

Pam holds a BA in English from U.C. Berkeley and an MPH in Health Management and Policy from U.C. Los Angeles.

Habiba C. Mohamed is regional director of programs, based out of Fistula Foundation’s Kenya office. Habiba joined the Foundation in 2014 as the outreach manager. In this role, she designed and spearheaded the community strategy for the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network in Kenya. Later, she was promoted to country director to oversee the entire network of hospital and community partners. In her role as regional director of programs, Habiba is responsible for the expansion of the treatment network model throughout the African region.

Prior to joining Fistula Foundation, Habiba had worked in fistula programming for nearly a decade. She began her career as a veterinarian, assisting livestock farmers in western Kenya. Through her close contact with these rural communities, she became familiar with the socioeconomic challenges they experience and developed a passion for working with marginalized women. In 2006, she founded Women and Development Against Distress in Africa (WADADIA), a Kenyan nonprofit that advocates for women’s rights and reproductive health. While serving as lead director of WADADIA, Habiba also supported a community program funded by the United Nations Population Fund for six years, and served as a consultant program specialist for One By One, a US-based nonprofit focused on fistula treatment.

Habiba is currently working towards her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Kenyatta University. She holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in the same subject from Mt. Kenya University, and has a higher diploma in Social Work and Community Development. Her research on the psychological effects of obstetric fistula has been published in the International Journal of Sciences, and the verbal screening tool she developed has improved identification of fistula cases.

Florence Changwe Mulenga joined Fistula Foundation as administrative officer in 2022. She handles administrative work, such as tracking expenses and preparing patient logistics, for the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network (FFTN) in Zambia. She also manages calls to FFTN’s fistula hotline, screens potential patients, and refers women to treatment centers.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration, with an emphasis in development studies, from the University of Zambia. Before joining the Foundation, she worked as finance and accounts assistant at Probase Solutions, where she was responsible for daily financial operations and reconciliations for all company bank accounts. 

Changwe Mulenga is honored to join the Fistula Foundation team in its fight against obstetric fistula. She believes that we can achieve anything if we work together toward a common goal.

Nelson Musa is the Program Manager of Fistula Foundation’s nationwide treatment network in Kenya. He brings fourteen years of experience in organizing and community health. Prior to joining Fistula Foundation, Nelson worked as an organizer for Jhpiego, and currently partners with WADADIA (Women and Development Against Distress in Africa), a key Fistula Foundation partner in Western Kenya.

Nelson holds a Higher Diploma in Psychological Counseling from the Kenya Institute of Professional Counseling, as well as a Certificate in Management from the Kenya Institute of Management.

Clement G. Ndahani joined the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network (FFTN) in Tanzania as program manager in 2023. He is responsible for providing strategic direction for the network, and for planning, organizing, leading, and supporting program activities. 

Clement holds an advanced diploma in health services administration and a master’s of business administration degree from Mzumbe University in Tanzania. He brings to the Fistula Foundation more than 20 years of experience in managing public health programs. Most recently, he managed the largest fistula program in Tanzania at Comprehensive Community-Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT). Previously, he facilitated and coordinated fistula projects in six hospitals that were sub-grantees of an initiative funded by Vodafone Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development. In those roles, he worked to overcome barriers to treatment that women with fistula face, coordinated meetings for fistula experts across Tanzania, and collaborated with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health to put obstetric fistula on the national agenda. 

At another point in his career, Clement managed a large HIV/AIDS and disability project that was implemented in seven regions and 15 districts throughout Tanzania. Earlier, he managed development programs for World Vision Tanzania. Today, Clement is proud to help implement Tanzania’s National Fistula Eradication Strategy through FFTN in Tanzania.

Lindsey Pollaczek joined Fistula Foundation in 2014, initially based out of Nairobi, Kenya. She now serves as chief program officer, overseeing the Foundation’s programs in over 20 countries in Africa and Asia. Amongst her accomplishments is leading the successful Action on Fistula program in Kenya, and launching a countrywide program in Zambia that have collectively provided over 15,000 fistula surgeries and strengthened national capacity for treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation.
Prior to joining Fistula Foundation, Lindsey worked with the humanitarian organization Direct Relief, overseeing the organization’s Maternal and Child Health portfolio, where she designed and implemented programs to improve access to essential health services for women and children, particularly the right to a safe pregnancy and delivery, and treatment for obstetric fistula. Lindsey holds a MPH in Community Health Sciences from UCLA and is a Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Fellowship for Health Equity, a program that supports global leaders working to combat health disparity and promote equity.

Charlotte is an obstetrician/gynecologist and internationally accredited fistula surgeon through the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO). She is also a public health specialist, with an MPH from Johns Hopkins University focusing on women and reproductive health. She is currently faculty at the School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Kenyatta University in Kenya, as well as the School of Public Health Department of Population and Reproductive Health.

Prior to her position at Kenyatta University, Charlotte was a program manager for the maternal and neonatal health program at the Reproductive and Maternal Health Services Unit, Ministry of Health in Kenya. She has over 16 years of clinical experience and has practiced as an obstetrician/gynecologist and public health specialist for various organizations in and out of Kenya.

Since 2016, Charlotte has served as the lead surgeon for Fistula Foundation’s outreach at Bomu Hospital in Mombasa, Kenya.

Keerthana (Kee) Rajagopal joined Fistula Foundation as associate program manager in August 2022. Kee holds a master’s in public health from the University of California Berkeley and a master’s in health administration from Pennsylvania State University. In her role on the programs team, Kee supports grantmaking and helps strengthen partnerships with our global network of fistula care providers.

Kee has 10 years of experience in global and domestic health programs. She started her career at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. There, she led project management and implementation for a hospital-wide electronic health record system. She then worked as a management consultant and led several change management healthcare projects at Deloitte in Boston. Most recently, Kee worked at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), where she oversaw the Title V Block Grant Fund for the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division.

Kee is passionate about elevating equity and moving the needle on pressing health issues. Kee grew up in India and currently lives in California with her husband and her three-year-old daughter.

Jackelen Renteria-Bustos joined Fistula Foundation as a marketing and communication associate in August of 2022. She has a bachelor of science degree in business administration, with a specialization in marketing, from San Jose State University, and she has worked as an intern at for-profit organizations. Her passion for creating a positive impact in the lives of others brought her to Fistula Foundation. Her work for the organization supports the donor relations and communications teams, and focuses on building and maintaining connections with donors.

Jing Shi joined Fistula Foundation as finance manager in November 2022. She brings to the organization more than 15 years of accounting and finance experience in the nonprofit sector Previously, Jing served as senior accountant, accounting supervisor, and finance manager at several nonprofits. In those roles, she oversaw day-to-day financial operations, developed a deep knowledge of finance and budgeting, and worked with multiple budget managers and grant managers. She also honed her ability to analyze and compile complex financial data to support management planning and decision making. Jing earned a Certificate of Advanced Accounting Proficiency from the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University and holds a master of public administration degree from California State University, East Bay.

Michael, who joined Fistula Foundation in 2021, has extensive experience as a strategic communication professional. He previously served as director of communication at King Philanthropies, a grantmaking organization that focuses on alleviating global poverty. From 2013 to 2016, he was the senior editor of Stanford Social Innovation Review, a quarterly journal for makers of social change. Before then, he worked at Harvard Business School, where he wrote case studies on corporate strategy and entrepreneurial management. Michael is also co-author, with Boris Groysberg, of Talk, Inc.: How Trusted Leaders Use Conversation to Power Their Organizations (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012). Earlier in his career, he served as the managing editor and as a senior editor of Fast Company magazine. In addition, Michael served as an editorial consultant for business author Tom Peters, among others. He holds a master’s degree in history from Cornell University and a master of public affairs degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Gillian Slinger is a Midwife and holds a BSc in Health Management, an MSc in Public Health, and a Teaching Certificate. After completing her Nurse and Midwifery training in the UK, Gillian worked as a Midwife for 10 years in French speaking Switzerland, before joining Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF/Doctors Without Borders) and Save the Children as a field Midwife and Trainer in numerous countries, including Mali, Chad, DRC, Kenya and Sierra Leone. As part of her MSF duties, Gillian managed maternal health programs in more than 20 countries across Africa and Asia, and had an active role developing projects for women with obstetric fistula.

In the last 15 years, she has become an international activist for fistula and her involvement in fistula work has increased considerably, taking her to New York for 4 years to head the global Campaign to End Fistula with UNFPA, where she was instrumental in establishing the UN approved International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, and bringing her to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) in London in 2014 to undertake her present role, leading the FIGO Fistula Surgery Training Initiative.

Gillian also teaches in the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and has recently served on the Board of Directors of MSF Switzerland

Vanessa Taylor is a screenwriter who has worked in both television, (most recently on “Game of Thrones”), and film. Her feature work includes “Hope Springs,” “Divergent,” “Hillbilly Elegy,” and “The Shape of Water,” for which she received an Oscar nomination. Vanessa has also served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for the California dependency court.

Patricia Nyawa Tembo joined the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network in Zambia as program officer in 2022. She is stationed in Mpika District, where she covers programs in Muchinga Province and some parts of eastern Zambia. Patricia works with the Zambian Ministry of Health, assists in training and supervising community health volunteers and Safe Motherhood Action Group (SMAG) members, and holds sensitization meetings with local community leaders to help them spread awareness about fistula and treatment options.

Patricia holds a degree in secondary teaching from Kwame Nkrumah University, as well as a diploma in social work and a certificate in psychosocial counseling from the University of Zambia. Before joining the Foundation, she worked for World Vision Zambia as a community development worker. Previously, she worked for Caritas Mpika as a field supervisor, and for Plan International as a community development facilitator. Patricia has a passion for helping women who are isolated and suffering, and she is committed to helping women in marginalized groups achieve a better future.

Pascal M. Vahwere joined the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as program manager in 2023. Pascal holds a medical diploma and a master’s degree in family medicine from Protestant University of Congo. He brings to the Fistula Foundation more than 15 years of experience in public health. For five years, he worked for the International Rescue Committee (IRC). At IRC, he held positions that included senior manager of infection prevention and control (during outbreaks of Ebola), head of health projects (with a focus on reproductive health, maternal health, and primary healthcare), and acting field coordinator. 

Previously, Pascal worked as a medical doctor for 11 years at hospitals in the DRC. At those facilities—Heal Africa Hospital, Lume Hospital, and Oicha Hospital—he cared for patients in the maternity and pediatrics departments, as well as the emergency room. During that period, he saw many victims of sexual assault, and worked with fistula surgeons, nurses, and patients.

Pascal is passionate about transforming the lives of women affected by fistula, and is honored to help restore their dignity and their sense of hope. He uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage colleagues to work hard and to succeed.

Lara Veldman joined Fistula Foundation as program associate in August 2023. She holds a bachelor of education degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s in public health degree, with an emphasis on global health, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Lara brings to the Foundation experience in health and gender equity from her work as program associate at Rural Forward, a program that builds capacity for solving health challenges in communities across North Carolina. Previously, she was an intern at EngenderHealth, a nonprofit that advances sexual and reproductive rights. In her role at Fistula Foundation, Lara works to help partners provide as many women as possible with life-changing fistula repair surgeries.

Tarah Walker joined Fistula Foundation in July 2021 as Senior Writer for Marketing Communications. She brings with her six years of experience in nonprofit communications, including media and public relations, content marketing, and internal communications. In addition to her public relations role at ACT, the global education nonprofit, Tarah led communications for ACT’s internal volunteer organization, facilitating donation drives for women’s organizations in Iowa, like the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, and generating positive broadcast coverage for ACT. She has volunteered for women’s organizations like the Iowa Women’s Foundation, using her communications expertise to promote economic self-sufficiency for women and girls. Tarah is a graduate of American University (MA, Strategic Communications) and the University of Iowa (BA, Journalism & Mass Communications). She believes that messages hold immense power and hopes to use her gift for communications to empower donor action and transform the lives of women across the world.

Morgan Walter joined in 2018. She holds a bachelors of arts in cinema from San Francisco State University, with an emphasis in documentaries. In 2012, her first film, “I Agree With Jennifer,” won third place at the Social Impact Doc Fest. This sparked her commitment to documentary filmmaking as a tool for positive change in the world. Since then, Morgan has cultivated experience as video editor working for production houses throughout the Bay Area. She is honored to bring women’s stories to life through video, connecting Fistula Foundation donors to the life-transforming fistula work they are enabling.