In June 2024, I had the privilege of visiting our partners in Kenya and Tanzania along with other Fistula Foundation team members. Fistula Foundation is a nonprofit organization that serves as a bridge between women who suffer needlessly from obstetric fistula and the selfless people who want to help them. By partnering with doctors and outreach workers in 32 different countries, we provide women with the life-transforming care that they deserve. My job as senior program manager involves reviewing grant reports from all the amazing partner organizations we fund. Observing and experiencing our partners’ work firsthand went beyond what any grant report has ever conveyed.
Each partner visit offered a profound window into the lives of the women we support (and the doctors who heal them), revealing stories of pain, resilience, and hope that lingered long after I left.
To the Ends of the Earth
Many women who develop obstetric fistula live in remote, rural areas and often cannot afford the cost of transportation to a distant hospital. Fistula Foundation removes this barrier by covering the cost of transportation. This ensures that patients can access the care they need, regardless of their financial situation.
Obstetric fistula is a childbirth injury that occurs when a woman has a prolonged, obstructed labor but is unable to access emergency obstetric care. As a result, the woman can develop a fistula—a hole between her vagina and her bladder or rectum. If left untreated, the fistula will cause her to leak urine, stool, or both for the rest of her life.
I met patients who traveled for more than 10 hours by bus. They came from the most remote and rural areas of Kenya and Tanzania, and navigated rocky terrain and arduous conditions for the chance to live a healthier, happier life. This journey, daunting as it is, is made possible by the incredible dedication of community health workers who find these women and convince them that treatment options are available, for free.
Once these patients reach the city bus stop, social workers from our partner hospitals personally receive them. They don’t just wait at the hospital; they go to the bus stop and physically assist the patients, ensuring they are safely brought to the hospital for their treatment.
This hands-on, compassionate approach profoundly touched me, illustrating the deep commitment of our partners, and the crucial role of human connection in the work we fund.
Our trip itinerary was packed with visits to four treatment partners (Cherangany Nursing Home, Gynocare Women’s and Fistula Hospital, Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania, and Association of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons of Tanzania) and an outreach organization (Women and Development Against Distress in Africa). These sites are places where miracles unfold intentionally, and where lives are carefully rebuilt.
As a member of the program team, this trip also offered me a cherished opportunity to meet my colleagues from Kenya and Tanzania in person. After countless virtual meetings on Zoom, the warmth of real human connection was incredibly refreshing.
From left to right: Clement Ndahani, program manager for Tanzania; Lara Veldman, program associate; Pamela Lowney, chief operating officer; Dr. James Chapa, president, Association of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons of Tanzania (AOFST) and fistula surgeon at Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania; Kee Rajagopal, senior program manager; Bwalya Chomba, program director for Zambia; Jameson Kaunda, monitoring and evaluation officer for Zambia; and Dr. Mary Luvanga, project coordinator for AOFST), gathered outside the Fistula Foundation office in Tanzania.
A Personal Connection
I gave birth to my second child just about a year ago. The memory of my own childbirth experience provided a deeply personal perspective on my encounters with fistula patients. In contrast with my experience, these brave women faced harrowing childbirths, often culminating in the loss of their newborns—a stark reality shaped by poverty and profound injustice.
Still, many of the women I met were proud mothers whose children had survived the ordeal. One image that haunts me is of a young mother nursing her infant—the baby couldn’t have been older than four months—while connected to a catheter. She had recently developed fistula after surviving a difficult childbirth, and she was now in the hospital.
Her determination was palpable as she cared for her baby. Exuding resilience that both broke my heart and filled me with awe, she would gently cradle her child in a baby wrap, moving through the hospital corridors to empty the tub that collected her urine. Witnessing her strength and maternal love in such trying circumstances profoundly moved me, reminding me of the harsh realities these women face, and the critical importance of Fistula Foundation’s mission to help heal them.
Another woman I met was Everlyne (pictured with me and my colleague Habiba above and below), who suffered with recto-vaginal fistula (RVF) for seven years. RVF is a distressing condition that leads to involuntary fecal leakage.
Everlyne is a tomato seller in her local market. The uncontrollable effects of her condition caused her customers to shun her, and she was eventually barred from selling her goods. Everlyne’s turning point came when she discovered treatment options at Cherangany Nursing Home, a Fistula Foundation partner.
She is now on the road to recovery, and fondly refers to her surgeon, Dr. Nathan Matasi, as her son. Today, Everlyne is eager to resume her business. Like many others we help, she aspires to live a profoundly modest life—simply selling tomatoes in peace.
Amid these stories of hardship, what truly touched my heart was the indomitable spirit of these women.
Despite the deep anguish they experienced, there was joy; despite the isolation caused by fistula, there was solidarity among survivors; and despite the heavy burden of their pasts, there was a remarkable lightness in their demeanor. These interactions highlight the resilience and strength that define the human spirit, reminding us of the profound impact of compassion and support.
The Presence of a Higher Power
Another standout moment for me was meeting Letitiyo at Gynocare Women’s and Fistula Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya. Dr. Hillary Mabeya, the founder of Gynocare and an expert fistula surgeon, affectionately introduced Letitiyo to our team as a member of his family. She comes from the Samburu District (~250 miles from Gynocare) and is a shepherdess who moves continuously in search of new pastures for her livestock.
Letitiyo has been receiving treatment at Gynocare since 2012—even before Fistula Foundation began supporting the hospital. She has undergone multiple surgeries for her complex fistula, and her condition has been discussed at length in the medical community. In fact, Letitiyo has become such a staple at Gynocare that she even learned to speak Swahili during her stays at the hospital. She is currently preparing for what Dr. Mabeya hopes will be her last surgery. This one should make her completely dry.
I believe in God, but witnessing Dr. Mabeya’s unwavering commitment to Letitiyo’s recovery made me truly FEEL the presence of a higher power in him! It’s one thing to endure a decade of pain and multiple surgeries, but it’s quite another to be THIS dedicated to providing life-restoring care to one woman.
After five days filled with meaningful conversations, I left overwhelmed with both personal and professional fulfillment. My time in Africa with colleagues was a tapestry of emotions—we laughed, we danced, we shed some tears, and, most importantly, we listened. I take so much pride in what we do at Fistula Foundation, and I say this with a deep sense of humility.
How to Help
1. Learn more about obstetric fistula.
Find out how obstetric fistula happens, why so many women suffer, and what you can do about it.
2. Donate to Fistula Foundation’s ongoing challenge match. For a limited time, all contributions—up to $100,000—will be MATCHED to support surgeries for women across the Fistula Foundation Treatment Network in Tanzania.
3. Share this story. You don’t have to travel to Kenya to take action!
Tell other people about fistula, and let the power of storytelling inspire a new wave of generosity.
Originally published on Girls’ Globe on September 10, 2024. Republished with permission.