2011 — Continuing to Grow

A highly successful fundraising year in 2010 enabled the Foundation to continue to help more women in more places than ever before. While maintaining support to existing grantees, we were able to expand support into more countries and are now helping in 15 countries and 38 facilities. Grants were awarded in 2011 to:

• Afghanistan: CURE International Hospital in Kabul
• Angola: Central Evangelical Medical Center in Lubango
• Bangladesh: Hope Foundation in Cox's Bazaar
• Chad, Center for Reproductive Health with WAHA - International
• Democratic Republic of Congo: Panzi Hospital, HEAL Africa
• Ethiopia: Aira Mission Hospital, Gondar University College of Medicine and Health Sciences with WAHA - International, Hamlin Fistula Hospitals
• Guinea Bissau: National Fistula Center, Bissau with WAHA - International
• Kenya: Dadaab Hospital and nearby refugee camps for Somalis seeking asylum, Nyanza Regional Hospital in partnership with DRI, Gynocare Fistula Centre with One by One
• Niger: Djanga Fistula Centre with Worldwide Fistula Fund
• Nigeria: Evangel Vesico-Vaginal Fistula Center (Bingham University Teaching Hospital) in Jos
• Senegal: National Training and Fistula Reparation Center, Dakar
• Sudan: Dr. Abbo Khartoum Training Hospital Fistula Center with WAHA - International
• Tanzania: Arusha Lutheran Medical Center, Lake Tanganyika Health Clinic and Women's Dignity

The Foundation remains the largest funder of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia and are proud to be the largest private charitable foundation supporting fistula treatment globally.

The Fistula Foundation continues to qualify to use the Better Business Bureau's seal for meeting all twenty of the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability and the Foundation is in the top 3% of US charities — those who have earned six consecutive 4-Star Charity Navigator ratings for stellar financial stewardship.

The Fistula Foundation gives women back their lives. We help build hospitals, train surgeons and pay for surgeries. We rely almost entirely on individual donations. We still have a long way to go but with your support we can continue to help many more women.

2010 — A Year of Expansion

A record fundraising year in 2009 enabled the Foundation to help more women in more places than ever before.  The Foundation is now supporting fistula treatment at the following stellar hospitals:

• Afghanistan: CURE International Hospital in Kabul
• Angola: Central Evangelical Medical Center in Lubango
• Bangladesh: Hope Foundation in Cox's Bazaar
• Cameroon: University Teaching Hospital in Yaonde with WAHA- International
• Democratic Republic of Congo: Panzi Hospital
• Ethiopia:  Aira Mission Hospital
• Kenya: Nyanza Regional Hospital in partnership with DRI
• Niger: Central Maternity Hospital in Zinder and Niamey National Hospital Fistula Pavilion with WAHA - International
• Nigeria:  Family Life Center Fistula Hospital in Mbribit Itam
• Senegal: Kedougou Hospital with WAHA - International
• Somaliland: Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in partnership with DRI and National Borama Fistula Hospital
• Tanzania: Bugando Medical Center; Kenya: Jamma Mission Hospital; Liberia: Liberia Fistula Project; Uganda: Soroti General Hospital — Delivery of Essential Supplies for fistula repair.

The Foundation remained the largest funder of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, providing more than $1 million to support the operation of the Main Hospital in Addis Ababa and is the sole supporter of the Hamlin Hospital in Harar.

• Ethiopia:  Hamlin Fistula Hospital, Addis Ababa, Hamlin Fistula Hospital; Harar Fistula Center

The Foundation earned the Better Business Bureau Seal in September 2010.  The Foundation earned its fourth consecutive 4-Star Charity Navigator rating for stellar financial stewardship.

We are the largest private charitable foundation supporting fistula treatment globally.  We do not receive funding from the US government, or any government.  Almost all of our funding — 99% — is charitable donations from individuals living around the world.  While many are funding one woman's surgery (either as a one-time donation of $450 or a monthly donation of $37.50) our average donation is less than $100.  Our supporters know that their donations will be wisely invested along with those from other caring friends to help many women. 

2009 — Fighting Fistula Globally

In February 2009 the Fistula Foundation broadened our mission to fight fistula worldwide.  The Foundation is the largest private charitable foundation supporting fistula treatment globally. 

• The Foundation remains the largest funder of the Hamlin Fistula Hospitals in Ethiopia; the Foundation's new mission is to raise awareness of and funding for fistula treatment, prevention and educational programs worldwide.
• The Foundation provided $1.083 million in direct support to Hamlin Fistula Hospitals in Ethiopia in 2009.

The Foundation made its first grants outside of Ethiopia to support the work of outstanding partner organizations in developing countries in Africa and Asia treating otherwise forgotten women.  We provide grants to support fistula treatment, medical staff training and hospital construction to the following organizations:

• Democratic Republic of Congo:  Panzi Hospital
• Afghanistan:  CURE International Hospital in Kabul
• Angola:  Central Evangelical Medical Center in Lubango
• Liberia, Kenya and Tanzania:  Direct Relief International (DRI) providing supplies to hospitals in these countries
• Somaliland: Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in partnership with DRI

2005-2008 years of growth

In 2006-8, the Fistula Foundation furthered its mission by funding a variety of programs and projects at Hamlin Fistula Hospital, becoming the largest financial supporter of the Hospital's operations.  The Foundation funded the following:

Capital Projects:

• The construction, building and furnishing costs for the new Fistula Hospital in Harrar, Ethiopia, serving fistula victims in an underserved region and providing emergency obstetric care to women at high risk of obstructed labor.
• The building of Nurses Quarters near the Bahir Dar Fistula Hospital and maternal health unit upgrade
• The construction, building and furnishing costs for Nurses Quarters near the Harrar Fistula Hospital
• The Construction of primary buildings for the Hamlin Midwifery School
• Incinerator for the Bahir Dar Fistula Hospital
• Expansion of new mini-hospital at Bahir Dar
• Physiotherapy Center at AAFH

Running Costs:

• Over $2.2 million USD in Operating Support of the Hamlin Fistula Hospital to help fund life-restoring surgery for thousands of patients
• Yearly running costs for the new Harar Hospital ($170,000)

Milestones 2005-2008

• In 2005, the Foundation Board elected Ethiopian-American, Mr. Kassahun Kebede, as Chair of the Board and hired its first full-time Executive Director, Kate Grant. 
• New York Times Writer, Nicholas Kristof wrote an inspiring article about the Hospital, and in December 2005, the Oprah Winfrey Show aired another show about the Hospital, this time featuring Ms. Winfrey's visit to the Hospital, titled "Oprah goes to Ethiopia".
• Since 2006 the Foundation has consistently earned the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Seal for meeting all twenty of the BBB's Standards for Charity Accountability. 
• In 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 the Foundation also earned consecutive 4-Star ratings from the charity rating service "Charity Navigator".  This places the Foundation in the top 8% of nonprofits evaluated by Charity Navigator. 
• The Foundation completed annual audits and published its financial statements and tax returns on this website.  In 2007 the Foundation was awarded a "Google Grant" from the internet powerhouse Google, providing the Foundation with free advertising on the Google network.

2000-2004 the Founding and Early Years:

• The Fistula Foundation was founded as American Friends Foundation for Childbirth Injuries in 2000 by Richard Haas and his daughter Shaleece. The Haases visited the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital and were moved by the oasis of healing created by Dr. Catherine Hamlin and her late husband, Dr. Reginald Hamlin. They returned to California and established a US-based non-profit dedicated to supporting the treatment and prevention activities of the Fistula Hospital.
• In 2003, a highly praised New York Times Op-Ed by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Nicholas Kristof, lauded the work of Dr. Hamlin and raised awareness of and funding for the hospital.
• In January 2004, the Oprah Winfrey Show invited Dr. Hamlin to speak about the plight of fistula patients in Ethiopia. In the first six weeks after her appearance on the show, over 6,000 donors contributed $1.3 million through the Fistula Foundation to Dr. Hamlin's cause.