Imagine not being able to read or write your own name or contact your family in an emergency? This was the reality for Abebech. In her remote village in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, Abebech grew up helping her family on the land instead of attending school. After getting married and becoming pregnant, Abebech planned […]

Biftu had a happy childhood growing up in a rural area where her family relied on farming. Soon after she got married, Biftu became pregnant and was excited to become a mother. But Biftu experienced a harrowing labour, enduring two excruciating weeks at home before her family finally took her to a health centre. Staff […]

Our patients love receiving your kind messages of love and support. Knowing they have your care and support from across the world gives them strength and courage during their recovery. Whether you send your messages to us in the post or online when making a donation, each one is delivered and attached to a beautiful […]

Adanech sustained a devastating obstetric fistula during the birth of her seventh child, which left her incontinent and in immense physical and emotional pain. Unable to face the judgement of others, Adanech withdrew from her family and friends. “They [Hamlin staff] helped me triumph over pain and isolation to stand tall as a beacon of […]

Without an understanding of obstetric fistula and its causes, survivors are often subject to severe social stigma due to their smell, perceptions of uncleanliness, a mistaken assumption of venereal disease and sometimes infertility. Women are trapped in a life of pain, shame and isolation. Nearly all patients at Hamlin’s fistula hospitals report psychological issues associated […]

Mother. Educator. Believer. These are what Kelemi has become since receiving life-changing surgery at Hamlin’s Yirgalem Fistula Hospital. But it was a long journey to get here. When Kelemi and her husband found out she was pregnant, they were very happy. Like every woman in her remote village, Kelemi planned to give birth at home […]

Kedida is one of the lucky ones. Pregnant with her first child, and recognising the signs of labour, she made her way by public transport to the Watar Hamlin-midwifery clinic. Gadissie, a newly graduated Hamlin Midwife, was there to welcome her. Having completed practical placements in several rural clinics while studying for her BSc Midwifery […]

As we approach the holiday season, we look forward to celebrating with our families and friends; sharing a festive meal together and reflecting on the blessings of the past year. But families elsewhere in the world do not have as much to be thankful for. When a woman in Ethiopia does not receive the medical […]

Hanan is proud to call herself a Hamlin Midwife. She recently graduated from the Hamlin College of Midwives with a BSc degree in Midwifery and has returned to her home state of Benishangul-Gumuz in northwestern Ethiopia. She is looking forward to serving the women in her community. We caught up with Hanan after her graduation ceremony […]

Bizuyie finds the courage to rebuild her life following obstetric Fistula. Bizuyie is still unable to talk about the time she sustained a severe obstetric fistula injury 25 years’ ago. But we know her bladder was destroyed and the nerves in her legs were damaged, leaving her with difficulty walking and the need for a […]