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FDSAs key intervention in the area of Medical Outreach is in conducting of surgical repairs for a condition known as Obstetric or Vesico Vaginal Fistula. This intervention is done in the form of VVF Surgical Medical Camps held periodically throughout the year in various hospitals.

Kenyatta National Hospital, being the largest VVF repair centre in the country receives over 400 VVF related cases each year, close to half of the 1,000 VVF cases nationally. The funding is earmarked for a project, run by FDSA aimed at reclaiming women’s dignity as well as protecting families and marriages from disintegration – a key consequence of VVF. A significant part of the project includes training of local specialist gynecologists, surgeons and registrars in fistula surgery as well as building capacity on the ground to handle Fistula.

Obstetric (or Vesico Vaginal) fistula is a devastating condition affecting poor rural women and girls. It manifests as an abnormal communication between the urinary bladder and vagina, which leads to uncontrolled, continuous leakage of urine and/or fecal matter. The condition most often occurs as a complication of obstructed labor but can also be caused by radiation, surgical trauma or accidents.

Inadvertently, majority of VVF incidences occur due to lack of access to qualified health care personnel during the labor period especially in cases of obstructed birth process.  The situation is usually worse off for new mothers, especially teenage mothers because their pelvis is still too small for the baby to pass through. Obstructed labor can therefore lead to injuries to the mother, child or both. This condition has perverse effects on the emotional well-being of the sufferer and completely destroys the individual’s social capacity. Obstetric fistulas affect women of all ages and account for 8% of maternal deaths worldwide.

The Flying Doctors’ Society of Africa (FDSA or The Society) was established in 1971, to raise funds for the spread of Medical Outreach in Africa through a membership scheme which guarantees free evacuation services to paid-up members. The Society also raises funds through fundraising activities, selling branded merchandise as well as donations. The Society is a charitable organization which puts to good use all unutilised subscriptions not spent on evacuations by funding Charity Evacuations and Outreach Programmes that ensure Medical facilities are accessible across the region. Since its inception, the Society has contributed the equivalent of 1 billion shillings to the spread of Medical Outreach in Africa.

FDSA works hard to ensure people all over East Africa have access to life saving medical attention. Part of the proceeds from membership subscriptions are used to help people like Rose. Become a member or donate today and help by being part of the solution.

Rose* is a 6 year old girl who was brutally raped by a neighbor from her village in rural Wajir, Northern Kenya. The impact of the attack on Rose and her family has been huge. Rose has received limited medical treatment through the efforts of the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW).

Rose had initially been assessed by a doctor on the ground at Wajir. However, given the remoteness of the area she lives in, and the fact that there is no counselor or gynecologist available for her, she was unable to access the appropriate medical treatment. This would have been necessary both for her own well being, and for the purpose of gathering evidence for the subsequent court case against her attacker.

FDSA contacted COVAW with a proposal to carry out a free charity evacuation of Rose to Nairobi Womens Hospital in Nairobi, which was done on the weekend of 16th and 17th November 2013. FDSA partnered with the Emergency Medical Services of the Kenya Red Cross to carry out the evacuation by road ambulance. The evacuation was successful and Rose was admitted at Nairobi Womens Hospital where she had access to counseling and professional gynecological care that she would not have had in Wajir.

FDSA works hard to ensure people all over East Africa have access to life saving medical attention. Rose’s case is one of others that FDSA exists to assist with. Part of the proceeds from membership subscriptions are used to help people like Rose. Become a member or donate today and help by being part of the solution.

(*Name has been changed to protect her identity)

FDSA and OWIT joined forces to set up a Movie Night to raise funds to help fight Fistula in Kenya. This is done by funding a Medical Outreach programme that identifies gaps in health care systems and develops methods and intervention to support hospitals through pre-planned visits by specialists, who provide expert advice, services and training of professional health workers. Of particular interest to FDSA and OWIT is the area of Obstetric Fistula.

To help raise funds toward this cause, FDSA and OWIT held a Movie Night on 30th November 2012. This is the second event that FDSA and OWIT have put together in the past. Although there were weather and transport issues on the day of the showing, the event managed to collect a net contributed income of KShs. 454,350.

FDSA would like to thank all the individuals who bought tickets or attended the movie. FDSA would also like to thank our sponsors; OWIT, Consolidated Bank, Citi Bank, Genesis Investments and the Awendo Foundation for their support. A big thank you to our members as well who, through their membership, contribute greatly towards the Outreach Program as well. 

So many activities take place during Christmas, ranging from church to social outdoor events. More often than not, history always repeats itself and so we keep doing the same things over and over again every Christmas, year in year out. Am not saying that anyone should go against their culture or ignore the practices put down by ones culture and/or community…but hey, why not try out something different this Christmas? A change is as good as a rest, so they say. I have a suggestion, why not toy with the idea of mountain climbing as this is something most of us hardly do. One can decide to go solo or with a group of friends, if you ask me, I prefer the latter as you get to have more fun especially if you are an extroverted kind of person.

So you may wonder and ask yourself which mountain in East Africa to climb! Without a doubt, Mount Kilimanjaro is the most climbed mountain in East Africa. What people don’t know is that there are also other mountains to explore, say Mount Kenya. Mount Kenya is one mountain one can never regret having climbed especially with its scenery which is very spectacular to say the least. Despite the fatigue and all other things that come with it, one gets to enjoy so many things while climbing this particular mountain.

Before proceeding with your adventure, you may want to get a travel cover for yourself which will ensure that the best first aid is administered to you and that you are airlifted to a hospital in case of any impromptu accidents. The Flying Doctors Society of Africa (FDSA) provides you with this travel cover. So please sign up for our travel cover and let us deal with the unexpected. Happy travels! Happy Holidays!

This Festive season, we are offering a special discount to all our members and clients. If you purchase any new annual or short stay membership between the 1^st and 31^st of December 2012, we are offering you a 10% discount on the subscription!

You cannot afford to be without Flying Doctors cover this festive season. No matter where you travel to, whether to visit your relatives up country, or going on holiday with family and friends, you need this cover. Many who live in East Africa wonder if they will ever need to be airlifted. The truth is, you never know when you will need the service, and for a cost starting at KShs. 1,500, you can avoid the hassle of trying to raise over KShs. 500,000 on short notice for an evacuation expense.

Get your membership today!

Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) refers to an abnormal fistulous tract extending between the bladder and the vagina (a hole develops between the two organs) that allows the continuous involuntary discharge of urine into the vaginal vault. This condition is easily preventable and treatable but awareness is low.Funds got from this movie will go towards funding the VVF campaigns.

Watch the preview below to get an idea of what the movie is about. Come and have a great time and contribute for a good cause

In most cases, December holidays see families and communities coming together and so a lot of traveling and even touring is involved. Hoping the cold season will make way for the warm season (we all want the heat creeping back into our bones), it’s time to stop this nesting and cocooning businesses, and get out there to discover new holiday destinations and festivals within East Africa during the coming December holidays.

While doing your December travels within East Africa, why not get a travel cover for yourself hence be assured that your life will be saved in case you got involved in any kind of accident. Not that this is something one should anticipate for, but then again, you never know when lightning may strike. Become a member of the Flying Doctors Society of Africa, who ensure you get to a well equipped hospital fast and also provide you with expert care in transit which could mean the difference between life and death. As a member of the Flying Doctors Society of Africa you are entitled to one free evacuation per year in case of a life threatening emergency that would necessitate the use of the flying doctors to transport you to a medical facility in Nairobi.

Planning an African safari is not an easy thing (at least not for me) and so, one might find themselves between a rock and a hard place especially if it involves two or more countries. For instance, let’s say you want to do a safari that involves visiting destinations that are located in two different countries say Kenya and Tanzania-am using these two countries as an example since they are the ones I have managed to tour in a single safari. Well, why not look for safari tours that visit both Kenya and Tanzania? This way, you will be able to kill many birds with a single stone! Plus, you are sure to find not only an ideal safari, but also that which will not exert too much weight on your wallet.

There are so many things one can enjoy while exploring Kenya and Tanzania. Usually, rather in my case, the safari departed Nairobi and the first stop was at the Masai Mara National reserve, commonly known to the locals as “The Mara”. In all honesty, I was amazed by this particular place-never knew it was such an intriguing place to be at. Just a sneak peek, Masai Mara is a large game reserve in South-Western Kenya which is marked by circles of trees, cloud shadows, savannas and scrubs. Here is where you will get a chance to witness the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle which normally takes place between the months of July and October. I put it to you that this particular place is worth visiting, so why not mark it in your calendar and give it a try!

The next destination after Masai Mara was Lake Nakuru National Park then Amboseli National Park and finally Tanzania. The places I would recommend you visit in Tanzania are: Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro crater which is full of wildlife. Did I mention that I had a bird’s eye-view of Mount Kilimanjaro’s snowy peaks? Oh yes I did, and it was spectacular! Guess if am to visit Tanzania again, then Mount Kilimanjaro would be my first destination.

Finally, we all need travel covers…just to be on the safe side while doing our travels. Flying Doctors Society of Africa provides you with this. Please click here to see the various membership packages.

Before I made a trip to Burundi, I had this notion that it was not the best country to visit and so there’s no way anyone would have it on their radar screen…this was fueled by an article about Burundi I happened upon while surfing the internet. How wrong I was! On the contrary, this country has some amazing and wonderful things/places to do/visit – things that would tickle anyone’s fancy. Clearly, I had been living under a rock not to know about this bit. Actually I learned a lesson here; that we should not be fast to judge anything or anyone especially just because we heard or read something controversial about them.

In the past few years, Burundi has come out as a major tourist destination which is why you should consider visiting the country some day if not soon. I even have information that will give you some relief…Burundi being part of East Africa, you can acquire travel insurance cover from the Flying Doctors Society of Africa which caters for the health of individuals doing their travels within East Africa. For more information on the different packages, please click here

There are quite a number of places to visit in Burundi that would make your visit much more fun ranging from historic meeting place of Stanley and Livingstone, National Museum of Bujumbura, Kibira National Park and Craftwares Village at Giheta – at least these are some of the places I thought I would recommend to anyone if asked to. However, what I fell in love with the most is the Giheta’s Craftwares village. It’s here that I realized I had a thing for art, too bad I had to learn this after my teen years and only after visiting Burundi. But then again I have no regrets! They say, better late than never. At Craftwares you will gain new insights…you will gain knowledge regarding ivory, leather, wood carving, ceramics, sculptures and what I love the most which is paintings. For a moment, I felt like an artist even though am not really one.

National Museum and the craft-wares village in Burundi

Next time you want to go on holiday, consider visiting Burundi hence experience the good things it has to offer you!

We participated in the launch of the Kenyatta VVF camp on Friday 25^th May, 2012 and are happy to report that the next few weeks will see over 100 women receive this life-changing treatment. We will continue to fundraise so that the women of Kenya and East Africa with this condition can have their lives restored.

With this issue, we update you on the various ways that your membership contribution is helping change lives. Keep up the momentum as it is through you that we are changing lives!