Hoping for treatment, Anifa went back to the hospital with hope that she would find a solution to the newly found problem. Unfortunately, the cost of treatment was too high for her to afford, and she resigned to the fact that this was her new life. She gave up on finding a solution.

Resigned to her fate, Anifa found ways to manage her new status. She isolated herself from friends and relatives and only confided in her husband who was extremely supportive. It was their family’s secret. Anifa could not host, neither could she attend any social gatherings for fear of making a mess and embarrassing herself. She could neither work because of her situation which often left her reeking of urine. This therefore meant that she could not afford diapers to shield herself leaving her to use rags and pieces of clothe which often resulted in burns and sores in her private parts and limiting her movement. Anifa’s only consolation was that at least she had her husband’s support who would often help her clean up after making a mess and feign not smelling the pungent smell that often engulfed their house.

One afternoon while going about her day at home, Anifa heard on Radio Citizen about the medical camp in Webuye county. She decided to take a chance and call the number that was being shared. Upon making the call, she shared her problem and was invited to the medical camp, unfortunately she could not afford the fare and missed the opportunity. She however did not lose hope as she now knew there was a solution for her problem.  When she heard about the medical camp in Thika, she was determined to attend it. She arrived at Thika Level 5 Hospital on 10^th June. She was screened and approved for surgery. Anifa  successfully went under the knife on 11^th June 2024 and is overjoyed with her progress.

She is grateful to M-PESA Foundation, the Flying Doctors Society of Africa, and Royal Media Services for the help she and women like her have received.  She regrets not speaking up to get the correct information earlier and urges all suffering from fistula to be open and seek help.

Betty first developed fistula while delivering her first child in February 2020. She had prolonged labour. Her water had broken, and she suffered labour pains for 2 days before she finally delivered the baby.  When labour began, Betty was in excruciating pain. She went to hospital as she thought her delivery time was close. When she got to the hospital, the doctor admitted her but told her to wait and left her unattended. Whenever she tried to inform the nurses of her pain, they ignored her. She then felt the urge to push the baby out and walked herself to the delivery room where she still did not receive any assistance. Without any support, Betty lay on the bench and pushed out the baby. The baby let out an ear-splitting cry that then attracted the students on training to run to her aid.

During the delivery, Betty had suffered tears which were stitched. However, after three days the stitches came apart. During these three days she also realized that she had uncontrolled flatulence through her vagina and had a foul smell. She went back to hospital, but they did nothing to assist her. The nurse who attended to her informed her that the stitches were poorly done and because it had already healed, there was nothing that could be done.

Her situation was quite embarrassing, and she was sinking into depression. She could not mingle freely and was confined to the routine of going to work and returning home. Her husband who she thought would be her strongest support system abandoned her. He worked in a different town and reduced the frequency of coming home. She tried to keep busy at work which helped her get her mind off her problems. She explained her situation to her employer, and they indulged her. Despite being able to attend work, she was still unable to freely mingle or have a social life.

Betty decided to get pregnant with hopes that during her second delivery, the problem would be corrected. This was however not the case. Betty delivered her second child in October 2021 via caesarean section which did not offer her a solution to her problem. The doctor who assisted in delivery informed her that the stitches were not professionally done but did not offer a solution. This was heart breaking for her.

One afternoon in May, Betty received a call from the matron at the district hospital informing her about the medical camp, and she purposed to attend. She came to the district hospital for screening and assessment and was identified as a good candidate for the surgery.

Betty says she is feeling better and is now comfortable to sit with others. She is extremely grateful and wishes God’s blessings upon M-PESA Foundation, Beyond Zero, UNFPA, Royal Media Services and Flying Doctors’ Society of Africa. She urges women to get help and not feel embarrassed to speak out about fistula because it does not choose its victim.

Juliet developed fistula in 1988 when delivering her last child. She underwent a caesarean section which resulted in her developing uncontrolled urine flow. Because of her lack of economic capability, Juliet could not seek medical attention and resigned to her fate and accepted her new normal. She did not seek any medical attention.

Juliet lived a life of solitude. She could not socialize with her friends and family neither could she participate in activities she enjoyed such as going to church. Her husband is deceased, and her children already married, and she therefore was on her own. Her children were not able to complete their education and do not have stable jobs. They are therefore only able to assist her with small things such as purchasing soap.

Because she was unable to hide her condition, the women in her community took it upon themselves to help her whenever they could. They mobilized each other to cook and fetch water for her whenever necessary. This kept her going and made life a little easier for her.

While sitting in her home, one of her community members visited her and informed her about the medical camp at Tharaka Nithi which she purposed to attend. Juliet went through successful corrective surgery on 25^th May. She is very happy with the results.

Juliet states that she will take it upon herself to empower women and advise them to seek medical treatment. She is grateful to Flying Doctors Society of Africa, Citizen and all other partners. She thanks them from the bottom of her heart and urges them to continue helping others.

Having successfully delivered two children, Stella did not anticipate developing any complications. Like any other mother, she was excited to meet her bundle of joy. At the time of delivery, Stella encountered some challenges. Her child was too large. The baby was four-kilograms heavy and caused her to suffer tears during delivery. The doctor attending to her was not thorough in stitching the wound causing her more problems than good. Because of the poor stitching, Stella was unable to pass stool neither could she control her urine flow.

Stella tried to seek medical assistance severally but kept getting turned away because the wound had already healed. She sought help at the District Hospital and the doctor who attended to her told her that he would transfer her to Eldoret Teaching and Referral Hospital. He however gave a caveat and stated that it would be costly. Due to her limited finances, going to Eldoret for treatment was not an option for Stella.

To manage her condition, Stella had to remain hydrated and to eat light foods. She was extremely embarrassed by this situation. She could not interact with others because she was afraid of soiling herself. Her self-esteem took a plunge and she sat in solitude most days. She did not feel like a complete woman.  Luckily, her husband was extremely supportive. At first, she did not share her problem with him, but he noticed that she was always sitting outside, and he tried to find out what the problem was. When she shared with him, he stood by her and assisted her to find solutions for her. He got her a bucket to use while in the house. He stood by her and encouraged her.

While performing her household chores, Stella heard about the Flying Doctors Society of Africa’s medical camp on Innoro FM. She was determined to attend and not miss out on the opportunity. She travelled from Eldoret and successfully got surgery on 24^th May 2022. She couldn’t be happier with the results. She feels confident and has an improved self-esteem. Stella says that she now feels like a complete woman.

Stella is excited at the possibilities the future holds. She is grateful to the Flying Doctors Society of Africa. She also encourages women suffering fistula to be bold and come out to seek help.

Francisca Chepng’eno is a 39-year-old mother of two living in Bomet. She has a heavy accent that slightly strains our communication, but we push through. Francisca sounds a bit tired; she is still recovery from her surgery.

Francisca first suffered fistula in 2002 during the delivery of her second child. She suffered prolonged labour and had to go through a caesarean section. After the surgery, she realized that she was unable to control her urine flow. She had suffered ureterovaginal fistula. She informed her doctor who advised her to seek treatment after three months. He further advised that she should look for funds to facilitate the treatment as it is expensive. This broke Francisca’s heart. She accepted her fate and tried to live a normal life.

Because of lack of funds, Francisca has been at her home and working on her farm which is her primary source of livelihood. Because she is a single mother and the sole-bread winner of her family, she did not have the luxury of seeking treatment for herself. She had been unable to mingle with others due to her condition. To try to manage the situation, Francisca had to wrap herself with worn out clothes to avoid any leakage. Further, whenever she happened to be away from her house, she would moderate her liquid intake to reduce the chances of her messing up and embarrassing herself.

Francisca received a text message about the medical camp in Kajiado and made the five-and-a-half-hour-long journey from Bomet to Kajiado to receive treatment.  27^th April 2022 will forever be a memorable day for Francisca as it is the day, she successfully received the corrective surgery. She is excited with the results and cannot wait to go back home and resume normalcy. She is eager to socialize with family and friends, fully enjoy life and to finally dress well.

Fransica is grateful to the M-pesa Foundation, Flying Doctors Society of Africa and urges women suffering from fistula to come out and seek medical help.

When a baby comes into the world, it is a joyous occasion. There is often jubilation to welcome the newest member of the family. This was however not the case for Taabu when she delivered her baby in 2015. Taabu was expecting twins. Before the birth of the children, she was excited to receive her two bundles of joy. The joy was however short lived as her labour was marred with misfortune.

During labour, Taabu delivered the first child normally but unfortunately the child was still born. As if that was not enough, the second baby was not properly positioned to be delivered through natural birth forcing Taabu to undergo an emergency Caesarean section. During the procedure, there was a mistake and she developed vaginal fistula.

Unfortunately, Taabu has lived with this condition for 17 years. Because she had no proper understanding of her condition, she went on with her life and tried to accommodate the medical condition. She went on with her job as a casual labourer and tried to maintain her life as normal as possible. While her husband may have not abandoned her, he was not too concerned with her because he did not understand the condition.

Taabu was alive to the fact that she could not simply wish away the condition and tried to seek for medical help from different medical facilities, but nothing changed her situation. All she received were bags of medication which she took religiously but they offered her no permanent solution.

When the medical help bore no fruit, Taabu sought spiritual help and went for prayers to correct her condition. She still saw no change. She asked her friends and other women but none of them had a solution for her.

A week before the medical camp, while listening to the radio as she was going about her day, Taabu heard about the medical camp. She purposed to attend. 28^th March 2022 will be a memorable day for Taabu as it is the day, she receives normalcy in her life. Her corrective surgery was successful.

Taabu is excited at the possibilities the future holds. She is grateful to the Flying Doctors Society of Africa. She also encourages women suffering from fistula to be bold and come out to seek help. She states that she will take it upon herself to empower women about fistula and encourage them to come forward.

Hers is a special story. Jasmila lived a normal, fulfilling life until 2017 when she went to deliver her baby. She was enveloped by the joy of being a new mother. She had great prospects for her growing family. Unfortunately, her joy was short-lived. Jasmila had to undergo a caesarean section and delivered a still-born child. To add salt to injury, she suffered a bladder injury which resulted in fistula. Jasmila was unable to control her urine flow.

She sought medical assistance and was given some medication. She was also asked to exercise to strengthen her pelvic muscles. These helped with the urine flow; however, her menstrual blood would flow out of the urethra instead of the vagina. This experience was not only uncomfortable but also traumatic especially because the flow was unmanageable. She went for several medical examinations but nothing solved or eased her condition.

Her condition severely affected her family and social life. She could no longer relate with her husband which strained their marriage. Further, she could not mingle with family and friends. Her movement and relations were constrained.

She reached out to friends and family for assistance but the reception was not the best. Some told her that she was cursed and needed to seek spiritual intervention. Some even recommended that she should reach out to native doctors for assistance. This only added to her misery and frustrations.

Luckily, Jasmila caught wind of the medical camp hosted by the Flying Doctors Society of Africa and presented herself at the clinic for help. She was assessed and scheduled for corrective surgery. On 28^th March, Jasmila underwent the corrective surgery and is currently recovering.

Jasmila feels as though she has been given a new lease of life. She has high hopes for herself and her family. She promises to demystify the myths and change perceptions around fistula and empower women within her community.  She is extremely grateful to the M-pesa Foundation and Flying Doctors Society of Africa for coming to her rescue.

Marie has been suffering from fistula since June 2019. She had been living a difficult life until she received help through the Flying Doctors Society of Africa. Marie did not know she had a problem until two months after delivery. She would often pass gas through her vagina and only thought of sharing the problem with her mother after another two months. Her mother told her that she was passing gas because she was not eating well. On hearing this, her church members began cooking and delivering food to her, but, of course, the problem did not go away.

Her husband began mistreating and hurling insults at her. “Our marriage was already sailing through troubled waters, but things got worse when I became unwell. He refused to talk to me or even eat the food I cooked. He would only speak to me when he wanted his conjugal rights fulfilled.” Marie states bitterly. She says that during this time her then 7-year-old daughter would console her and tell her that everything was going to be okay.

Marie’s husband refused to get her any medical assistance or provide for any of her needs. She had tried to get her family members to intervene, but it had all been in vain. Being a housewife, she did not have any source of income to cater for her medical needs. She also could not get any employment because of her condition. “Who will employ me while I constantly pass gas?” She asked. She first shared her problem openly with her spiritual mother in February 2021. Her biological mother had suggested that she waits for COVID-19 restrictions to ease, after which she could travel to Rwanda to seek medical assistance. In Rwanda, H.E. First Lady Jeannette Kagame has a programme that assists women with fistula.

While waiting for COVID restrictions to ease, Marie began experiencing incontinence. This was in April 2021 and she knew she needed to act fast. She was not ready to continue living in the hell that her marital home had become neither could she afford diapers which would be necessary if the problem persisted. Her spiritual mother encouraged her to go to Kenyatta Hospital to seek medical help. The church would cater for the medical expenses. She began going for clinical visits on 10^th May unaware that there was a medical camp for fistula patients.  There were several medical tests required which she could not afford. She tried to reach out to her husband’s family for financial assistance, but her begging calls fell on deaf ears.

While attending the medical clinics she had to leave her children at home with their father who was not the best caregiver. Getting back home to hungry, dirty and crying children was not uncommon. Her eldest child even missed school on several occasions. She was constantly worried about the well-being of her children while she received treatment.

When she learnt about the medical camp a week after first attending the clinic she was elated. She ensured that she arrived on time for admission to the program. Lucky for her, her spiritual mother took her children in for the duration that she was in hospital for the surgery.

She looks forward to resuming a normal life and is grateful to Safaricom Foundation and Flying Doctors for the assistance she was accorded. She is further looking forward to getting a job and supporting herself and her children. She states that a problem shared is a problem half solved. She urges other women to speak out often and share their challenges; they never know who could be their source of help.

Adelaide Khabere Ganira is a 46-year-old mother of two daughters, aged 26 years and 24 years. Originally from Kaimosi in Western Kenya, Adelaide is a businesswoman who operates in Kiserian, Kajiado County. Adelaide has lived with a fistula for the last two decades. She talks about this journey.

“My experience began after I delivered my second child. While my first delivery was in hospital, I gave birth to my second child at home. I remember that day very clearly. On one night -about eight days to my Expected Due Date, my waters suddenly broke. This was followed by intense contractions.

Ripped Apart

I was at home with my mother, and unsure about what to do, she quickly rushed to the neighbour’s house for help. The neighbours however didn’t seem to know what to do as it was clear I was in the final stages of labor. Baby was just minutes away from arriving

When my baby started crowning, my screams grew louder and louder. My mother then became intensely worried that the baby’s head was getting stuck. Fearing that she would lose both her daughter and her grandchild, my mother quickly inserted her fingers inside me and manually extracted the baby. The pain was unbearable. I felt myself ripping apart.

Thankfully, baby came out safe.

Surgery not an Option

I however didn’t go to hospital immediately after the birth, only doing so two weeks later when I took my baby to the children’s clinic. While there, I told the doctors that I was having trouble controlling my stool. I would also pass wind unintentionally.

The doctor informed me that my birth experience at home had caused me to have a condition whose repair required surgery. He didn’t tell me the name of the condition. I was young and with no job, and neither did my mother have any money. Surgery was therefore not an option.

To manage my condition, I would be very selective about the foods that I ate. I only consumed foods that would not require me to pass stool often.

Marriage and a Third Baby?

My second birth had traumatized me enough, so I made sure I never got pregnant again. I got scared of getting married again because, wouldn’t my new husband demand a child from me? It’s not a thought I dared entertain so I closed that chapter.

I am a hairdresser and one day, as I was plaiting a client, I loudly passed wind. When my client asked me about it, I opened up to her about my story.

She told me that I had a ‘fistula’ -which was the first time I was putting a name to my condition. My client went on to share that her mother too once had a fistula, which was repaired successfully through surgery. She told me to be on the lookout for fistula medical camps which offer free surgeries.

Sharing my Fistula Story with Friends

In 2015, I got information about a free fistula medical camp, but my friend told me that it was only for those who leaked urine (VVF). Since I leaked stool only (RVF), I knew I didn’t qualify. However, I started talking more about my condition openly because I realized I was not the only one suffering from fistula. I even told my friends to keep their ears on the ground and let me know about any RVF camp that they would hear about.

One day, as I was plaiting yet another client, an advertisement ran on Citizen TV, calling on all women suffering from VVF and RVF to avail themselves at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi for free treatment. I listened very carefully and after confirming that they were treating RVF cases too, I quickly prepared myself and went to KNH.

A New Lease of Life

At the registration center, I was surprise to meet many other women like me. In fact, what shocked me most that there were many beautiful women who I would never have thought also suffered from fistula. I felt comforted. We spoke about our experiences and encouraged each other. It was a very empowering moment.

I am grateful to the organizers of the VVF/RVF camp, who have given me a new lease of life following my successful fistula repair surgery. I also encourage all those who hear the advertisements on radio and TV to share the information with all their friends and relatives – including those in the rural areas who may not have access to this information and help them access the medical camps.

For years, Tabitha lived with the condition not knowing who to share with her sufferings. As she aged it continued to worsen. One day she decided to confide in her daughter and her daughter in law of her condition. They were very supportive of her and sort to get her treatment. It was during their quest to get their mother treatment that they heard of Makueni Fistula camp for women leaking urine and stool. They went to their mother and brought her to Makueni Mother & Child Hospital.

On discharged sitting between her daughters, she is very happy that she is not leaking anymore and she laughs as she is being explained the exercise that she has to do to strengthen her muscles. She looks over to her daughter and tells her to keep reminding her of the same. She says “it was not too late for her; she has control of her urine and stool until the toilet”