This summer, thanks to support from people like you, our longstanding partner HOPE Foundation opened the first dedicated fistula center in Bangladesh. Your gift to Fistula Foundation helped to make this dream come true. CEO Kate Grant was on-site to celebrate the historic launch, and made this video to share her experience with you.
Forged from Hope
Many years ago, Dr. Iftikher Mahmood from Bangladesh told Kate that he would build a hospital for fistula patients in his home country. The facility, he said, would be a place dedicated to some of the most vulnerable people on the planet. Kate told him that if he made it happen, she would be on hand to mark that momentous occasion.
This summer, that day arrived. For years, Dr. Iftikher had dreamed, planned, and worked to raise funds. With support from Fistula Foundation donors like you (along with other donors), he built that hospital—HOPE Maternity and Fistula Center—in Cox’s Bazar, a city that lies in a region wracked by extreme poverty and abysmal maternal health outcomes. It is the first dedicated fistula center in Bangladesh, and it stands as a lighthouse in a storm for women who would otherwise suffer from neglect. On May 31, Kate was there to celebrate the facility’s historic launch.
Making Miracles Happen
Thank you for helping HOPE Foundation achieve this historic milestone. Because of you, women in Bangladesh now have access to a brand-new, 75-bed facility to begin their fistula-free future.
The opening of this facility reminds us of the power of hope. It is often the first thing to go when the going gets tough. But it is a muscle that can be exercised: The more you use it, the stronger it gets. Dr. Ifthiker never lost hope, and neither should any of us as we fight to end the suffering caused by fistula.