As a young girl in rural Ethiopia, Tadelech* dreamed of becoming a doctor. But she had to leave school early, to help her family. Her dreams were put on hold – and then shattered when she experienced a childbirth injury.
Tadelech shared her story whilst waiting for fistula surgery at Yirgalem Fistula Hospital in February 2025:
“My name is Tadelech. I am now 17 years old. I left school after 6th grade [aged 12] because my family needed me. I usually helped my parents with household tasks or at the local market. I wanted to continue learning, I hoped to become a doctor, but my parents insisted that I stop my education to start working.”
People get better at this place
“When I was 16, I got married. Almost immediately, I became pregnant. The labour lasted for five days and my baby died. I was leaking urine and faeces so I was taken to the hospital for treatment.
I went to two different hospitals, but they said they couldn’t do anything more for me. They sent me here [Yirgalem Fistula Hospital] by ambulance and said ‘people get better at this place’.
When I first arrived, I was scared. But after staying here for some time, it got better. I made a friend who helped me feel welcome.”
The staff here look after me well. They help me to wash and change my clothes, they take good care of me. In the other hospitals, people asked things of me, but here they truly looked after me.
Building a better future
“When I get better, I want to go to town. I will sell things and start a business. I aspire to take steps toward building a better future. One of my goals is to become self-sufficient and provide for myself.
For those who are helping me to recover, I want to say ‘May God also help them in return’. Their kindness and efforts have made a significant difference in our lives, and for that, we are deeply grateful.”
Help more women like Tadelech reclaim their lives
With your support, we can help even more women like Tadelech currently waiting for surgery at Yirgalem Fistula Hospital.
*Patient names have been changed to protect the privacy of the women we serve
Image credits: Maheder Haileselassie
