FALL, 2009
In this issue:
• Dr. Hamlin wins Right Livelihood Award
• A patient's story - Afghanistan
• Foundation helping fight fistula in Angola
• A Walk to Beautiful wins 2009 Emmy
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Campaign 2010: Help More Women Get Life Changing Treatment
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You will be pleased to learn that this year the Foundation made a major move that will help us ensure more women in need get treatment. Because you and so many other caring women and men have responded so generously to our appeals, the Fistula Foundation has expanded our mission to fight fistula globally, while remaining the largest current supporter of the Hamlin Fistula Hospitals in Ethiopia.
As you know, the World Health Organization estimates there are between two and three million women with untreated fistula, often leading lives of desperation and despair—simply for want of an inexpensive operation that could dramatically change their lives. Our long term goal is to ensure that any woman with a fistula gets the treatment she deserves.
You can help meet this challenge by participating in Campaign 2010, launching this month. The goal of Campaign 2010 is to double the number of women we are able to help outside of Ethiopia in 2010. Will you help?
This year we're already funding fistula treatment programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, and Angola, and next year we hope to expand even further. The progress we've made with your help is exciting, but there is so much more to be done! The Fistula Foundation can rise to the challenge—but only with your continuing help.Dr. Hamlin wins Right Livelihood Award
Dr. Catherine Hamlin
On October 13th, Dr. Hamlin was awarded the "Right Livelihood Award" by the organization of the same name based in Sweden. The Award was established in 1980 to honor and support those "offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today". Dr. Hamlin is one of four recipients this year. Other honorees include: David Suzuki of Canada for his work on climate change, Rene Ngongo of the Democratic Republic of Congo for his work to preserve rainforests and promote sustainable use, Alyn Ware of New Zealand for his work on nuclear disarmament and peace education. This is a wonderful tribute to Dr. Hamlin's pioneering work. The Foundation is honored to be the largest current supporter of the Hamlin Fistula Hospitals in Ethiopia.
"The plight of women... continues to be as severe and heart wrenching today as the plight of the first fistula patients we saw half a century ago. For this reason we continue to love and care for them, to alleviate their suffering and to cure them of their physical and psychological injuries."
— Dr. Catherine Hamlin
A patient's story — Afghanistan
Patient Gul at CURE Hospital
The Foundation is supporting the work of the highly respected CURE Hospital in Kabul Afghanistan. Along with Women's Hope International in Switzerland, the Foundation is one of the largest supporters helping build fistula treatment capacity and training in this conflict ridden country. We asked our friends at CURE to provide us with a story of one of their recent fistula patients. We want you to hear the story of Gul, a twenty five year old mother who lived with her fistula for more than a decade before she was cured by the capable surgeons at the CURE Hospital. Here is Gul's story:
When I was 13 years old, my father arranged a marriage for me to a person who had another wife. I felt hopeless. At the time of my marriage I had not gone through puberty, but my husband wanted me too much... after a year of marriage I became pregnant. When my labor started, it continued for two days. In the place where I live there was no clinic or doctor. My husband took me to my father's house. My father then killed a sheep and placed the sheep skin on me as a part of a traditional treatment used in our area. After three days of wearing the sheep skin, I delivered a still-born baby.
After delivery, I was not able to control my urine. At the beginning I thought I would soon recover from this illness, but after a few months I told my husband that I still could not control my urine and I had a bad smell. Then he took me to a local doctor. This doctor was not able to diagnose my problem.
After a couple of years, my husband transferred me to Kabul for treatment. I was operated on but not cured. Later, my husband took me to Quetta, Pakistan and again, I had surgery but was not cured. During this time I was sick, I had 8 pregnancies and six of my children are alive today. I received many surgeries and was not cured. I became very upset and depressed.
One day one of my neighbors who had the same problem like me came to my house... she had been operated on at CURE hospital in Kabul and had finally been cured... When my husband arrived home I told him this story. He told me we would go as soon as possible. After a four day journey by bus we finally arrived at CURE Hospital. Because I had received so many previous operations, my surgery at CURE was very complicated... Thankfully, the second operation was a success and now I am dry and I am happy. I am smiling and some days I am feeling like a Queen. Many thanks to all of the CURE doctors and to those who sponsor the hospital. I hope you can find more sponsors so that you can continue to help more women with this problem.
"I am smiling and some days I am feeling like a Queen. Many thanks to all of the CURE doctors and to those who sponsor the hospital. I hope you can find more sponsors so that you can continue to help more women with this problem."
— Gul, former fistula patient treated at CURE Hospital in Kabul Afghanistan
Foundation Helping Fight Fistula in Angola
One of the Foundation's newest grantees is the Central Medical Evangelical Hospital in Lubango, Angola (CEML). The CEML is a new private 43 bed hospital located in Lubango, Angola, the capital of the Huila Province. The Founder of the Hospital is Dr. Stephen Foster, who is a second generation missionary. Dr. Foster is a Canadian surgeon who was raised in Africa and has spent his thirty plus professional years in Angola.
Dr. Stephen Foster, founder of the Central Medical
Evangelical
Hospital in Lubango, Angola
The 30 year civil war in Angola led to the devastation of many services, including medical services. As the country emerged from decades of conflict, it became apparent to Dr. Foster that a private hospital with ready access to air transport was needed in the southern part of the country. The goal is also to develop a series of remote clinics in areas not readily accessible by vehicle, but with access to an airplane landing strip. CEML was financed by donations from private parties, USAID and Samaritan's Purse in the US. Franklin Graham, head of Samaritan's Purse, dedicated the CEML in 2005.
The Foundation provided a $50,000 grant to help expand the fistula treatment capacity of the CEML, helping underwrite the projected 75 fistula surgeries and the cost of the waiting shelter on the CEML campus.
LATEST NEWS
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Foundation Executive Director represented the Foundation at the Obstetric Fistula Working Group (OFWG) meeting in Tanzania in late August. The OFWG was established in 2001. The organization's secretariat is in New York at the UNFPA (United Nations Fund for Population Activities). The goal of the group is to enhance collaboration, knowledge sharing, and to build stronger data on fistula and capacity for prevention, treatment, reintegration and advocacy.
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The Foundation was honored to be included at a meeting in New York City with the global leaders in maternal health. The so-called H4 combines the forces of UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Health Organization and the World Bank and to confront the tragedy of maternal mortality. Approximately 527,000 women die yearly due to pregnancy and childbirth. Tragically this figure has stayed relatively steady in recent decades warranting the attention of the large development organizations with the resources to arrest this situation. Strategies that help prevent maternal mortality also help prevent fistula.
Board of Directors
Abaynesh Asrat |
Gerald Shefren, MD |
Holiday Giving Ideas
This Holiday Season we have a few ideas for those on your gift
list.
We provide a way for you to show you care about the recipient and
women who need your help.
You can order any of these gifts online at our website at www.fistulafoundation.org, or by calling our office toll free at 866 756 3700 if you live in the U.S. or 408 249-9596 between 8 am and 4 pm Pacific Time weekdays. If you wish to send a gift for the Christmas Holiday, please place your order with us no later than Monday, December 14. Help restore health and dignity to otherwise forgotten women.
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Dignity Necklace
The silver-plated Dignity Necklace incorporates a single cultured pearl — a universal symbol of health and purity — into a drop pendant. The necklace can be worn for special occasions or can be casually elegant with your favorite pair of jeans. It comes packaged in a lush black velvet jewelry box perfect for gift giving. The necklace makes a wonderful gift and is yours with a donation of $150 or more.
Dignity Bracelet
The silver-plated Dignity Bracelet incorporates the Fistula Foundation logo and the word Dignity in English on one side and in Amharic, the most common language in Ethiopia, on the other side of the central bead. For any donation of $125 or more you can receive a Dignity Bracelet or send one to a recipient of your choice.
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Dignity Earrings
With any donation of $65 or more you can receive a pair of silver-plated Dignity Earrings or send a pair to a recipient of your choice. The earrings are designed to match with the Dignity bracelet so they can be worn together or separately.
Dignity Bracelet and Earrings Gift Set
With any donation of $150 or more, we will send a gift set to a recipient of your choice. (This is a special offer, providing a savings of $40 if requested separately.)
"Blue Flower" Scarf
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The floral scarf was custom-designed by the Fistula Foundation in cheerful hues of blue, green and gold. It has a discreet signature in the bottom corner "The Fistula Foundation from despair to dignity". It is a full 3 feet by 3 feet square, so it can be worn as a shawl or a scarf. It is 100% silk. With a donation of $95 we will send the scarf to a woman who you want to honor with a unique gift.
Love-a-Sister Tribute Gift
We encourage you to consider providing a gift equivalent to the cost of complete treatment for a woman suffering from fistula. Since the Foundation began this program over 2000 women's treatment has been covered by our "Love-a-Sister" supporters. For a gift of $450, we will send the person who you want to honor an 8 1Ž2" x 11" four-color certificate on high quality paper that acknowledges that this life changing gift has been made in their honor.
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Tribute Card
We invite you to make a gift in support of women with fistula in honor of someone you care about. For your donation of $10 or more we will mail a custom card to someone special in your life.
A Walk to Beautiful News
A Walk to Beautiful wins 2009 Emmy
A Walk to Beautiful is the recipient of the 2009 Emmy® Award in the category of Outstanding Informational Programming — Long Form presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The awards ceremony took place in New York on Monday, September 21 at Lincoln Center. The award went to the 52-minute version of the original film that premiered on NOVA (PBS) on May 2008. Congratulations to our partners at Engel Entertainment for this prestigious award. You can learn more about how to buy a DVD copy of the film at our website www.fistulafoundation.org.