“I strive to teach other women the importance of giving birth at a health centre for their safety and well-being. I don’t want any woman to suffer the same pain I experienced.”

Amara’s childhood was a happy one and much the same as all the other girls in her remote village in northern Ethiopia. She played with her friends and walked miles to school to receive an education. Nothing could have prepared her for the pain and anguish she later endured as a young woman.

Amara married a man from a nearby village and soon became pregnant. She did not visit a health centre for antenatal care. When she went into labour, both her mother and mother-in-law insisted that she give birth at home.  

A devastating outcome

Amara experienced a prolonged labour for seven agonising days. On the eighth day, others in her village told Amara about the services available at her nearest health clinic. The journey was difficult and dangerous:

We made the journey on a traditional stretcher, which made it even more painful and unforgettable. The clinic was far from my home and when I arrived, I learned that my baby was stillborn.

Amara’s prolonged, obstructed childbirth caused a double fistula. This horrific birthing injury takes the form of a hole between the birth canal and the bladder and rectum.

Tragically, 93% of women who suffer an obstetric fistula will give birth to a stillborn baby.

Due to a lack of quality healthcare, particularly in Ethiopia’s remote and rural regions, it is estimated that tens of thousands of women are living with untreated obstetric fistula injuries causing them untold physical and psychological pain.

Isolated and ashamed

Amara returned home without her baby and struggling with incontinence. Her husband left her that same day and never returned.

Amara’s family felt powerless to help her. Fistula had never been seen in their community before. They used makeshift clothing to try and manage Amara’s incontinence. Her mother and brother walked miles every day to fetch water to wash her clothes. Because of the terrible smell, Amara’s neighbours whispered to each other about what they considered ‘a sin.’ Amara felt desperate and ashamed.

Fortunately, the nurse who assisted Amara at the clinic knew about the life-changing obstetric fistula repair surgery offered at Hamlin’s Mekele Fistula Hospital.

When Amara arrived, she was welcomed by the staff there and helped to take a bath. This made a huge difference to how Amara felt. She said:

Seeing other women with similar conditions made me feel refreshed and emotionally supported even before I received treatment. I began to develop confidence that I was going to recover.

Free treatment and a fresh start

Due to the severity of her condition, Amara was transported to Hamlin’s Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital for complex fistula surgery. She was completely cured and received skills training and financial support so she could open a small shop when she returned to her village.

Amara’s life has been completely transformed. In her own words:

My life has changed completely. I was fully cured and I remarried and became pregnant again. I returned to this [Hamlin] hospital to ensure a safe delivery. Now, I am eagerly waiting to give birth and can’t wait to welcome a healthy baby.

An advocate in her community

Amara now lives with her new husband and is looking forward to a brighter future. Her shop is successful and helps to provide for her new family. Inspired to help other women, Amara has become a safe birthing advocate in her community.

I strive to teach other women the importance of giving birth at a health centre for their safety and well-being. I don’t want any woman to suffer the same pain I experienced.

You can help women like Amara access life-saving treatment at one of Hamlin’s six fistula hospitals by making a donation towards our work.