At the time her husband had just finished form four and she was waiting to join a tertiary institution for higher education.

“I was a young girl and I happened to get pregnant out of wedlock. Unfortunately, I was not attended by a professional birth attendant instead, I used a traditional birth attendant,” she says pointing at this as the genesis of her woes.

Since that day Mary says her life has never been the same again as she realized she would no longer hold either long or short calls.

“Initially I didn’t know where I was ailing but I knew all was not well as I couldn’t hold a call of nature,” she says.

Mary describes the condition as painful and shaming as rarely does one concentrate on a work that involves people.

“Fistula is like disability. It hinders you to live life. It suppresses your esteem and alienates you from society,” Mary notes thoughtfully.

She notes that since the time she realized she was ailing from the condition she has lived a reserved life. “I am lucky my husband has been a pillar. She has supported me. I don’t know how life would have been without him while I am in this condition,” Mary wonders.

She notes that most men would abandon their wives if they ever found them in such a situation since being around them sometimes might be heartbreaking.

“Everyone wants a person who is accepted by society but sometimes it’s discouraging when people are kind of sidelining your partner. As a human, you can be tempted to separate from a person with an issue. It takes God’s hand,” she says.

According to Mary’s husband Mulwa Mulei, there is a need for the private sector to partner with the government to help women suffering from such conditions.

“I am not a man of means. I am still young and it’s overwhelming when you have a partner with such a condition. A person suffering from fistula might not be able to focus on her work means most of the time she ends up being at home mother hence support,” remarks Mulei a B.O.G teacher in Kitui County.

He observes that there are a lot of people in such a quagmire, and they are in dilemma on the next step.

“Some might not be suffering from fistula but are in a trap. It’s a responsibility of the government and the society to help people who are stuck especially in health-related issues,” he urges.

He further urges the media to look for health-related content to educate people in the comfort of their houses.

For now, Mulei are grateful for the assistance they have received from the Flying Doctors Society of Kenya, Safaricom Foundation and the Royal Media services for their services.

“When we serve the people well, it is also a way of serving God,” Mulei concludes noting this as the greatest service a person can offer.

Growing up, Isnio was charming and friendly. She loved being in crowds but her once happy life was cut short by a condition she didn’t have knowledge about. She has been forced to live a quiet life. She doesn’t congregate with other women. According to people in her community, she is a bad omen.

“I got a fistula in 2017 during the delivery of my firstborn. At the time I had just turned 21 years old,” Isinio kicks off the interview.

She explains that at the time she didn’t know about fistula leave alone she was ailing from it.

“Like most women in my area, I delivered at home through traditional midwives and therefore I didn’t know immediately that there was something amiss. I realized I had an issue after,” explains Isinio.

Isinio says that initially, she thought it was normal to have injuries after birth although she was not sure of the extent of damage. “I was shocked that I was not able to control my bladder and it was a persistent challenge. I enquired about it from my mother and sisters and they couldn’t understand it. It’s here I decided to seek medical advice,” says Isinio a Garissa County resident.

“It’s at the health center, she visited, she first heard about fistula. I had neither heard about that before nor had I come across someone suffering from it,” she narrates.

“The health center I visited didn’t have facilities to treat the condition they therefore referred me to another bigger hospital but unfortunately, I didn’t have the resources to go for treatment,” she speaks.

After a while, she realized some of her friends and neighbors were not comfortable with her and this saw her withdraw from them. “I knew I had a problem, and I didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. I decided to pull out from crowds,” she notes.

Isinio says how uncomfortable fistula patients are as they rarely know when they have soiled on themselves.

“Most of the time I would spend time alone in the house as I couldn’t do a lot in this condition.

Fistula cripples a person. It not only affects your social life, but it also affects you physiologically,” she notes.

Although the society alienated her, she is happy that her husband stood with her during all that time.

“Relatives didn’t have an issue with me. They gave me their support. They were understanding and they would always look for opportunities to help me,” adds Isinio.

Relief…

For now, Isinio’s life has changed after undergoing surgery to treat the condition. “We have community health workers in my village and it was during their usual visit when they broke the good news about the medical campaign to treat fistula,” she says happily.

“First, I was worried since I thought it was a paid medical camp, but I felt a sigh of relief when they told me it was a free campaign,” she notes.

Isinio says that her husband is not a man of means and they couldn’t have raised the money even in a decade. “They told me about the campaign. I came, I was checked, and doctors found out that

I had a problem. I had been treated and now I am I well,” she remarks.

Isinio urges the government and other humanitarian organizations to look at issues affecting poverty-stricken people and make a difference in their lives.

“I am very grateful to The Flying Doctors Society of Kenya, Safaricom Foundation and The

Royal Media Services for restoring our dignity,” she concludes.

A lot of married women who are not lucky enough to bear children of their own are in most cases divorced. They don’t get the respect they deserve in society.

This was the case with Faham Muhamed. Faham 27, got married for four years but she was not lucky to have a child of her own.

“I am a divorcee. I was married for four years but I wasn’t lucky to have a child” says Faham a

Garissa County resident.

Her lack of a child saw her husband flee leaving her at Kakuma Refugee Camp. “We are refugees leaving at Kakuma refugee camp,” she says.

Faham recalls that it was during her marriage that she realized she had another condition that stirred her marriage woes, perineal fistula.

What’s Perineal Fistula…

Perineal fistula is a malformation that involves a misplaced anal passage that is often narrowed.

This kind of malformation is generally present from birth. Its causes are not known, however,

Researchers say environmental factors such as drug use may play a role.

Children with the condition may exhibit this kind of symptoms; not passing stool on the first day after birth or two, passing stool through a misplaced position, swollen belly and missing or misplaced anus.

Seeking help…

“After two years of marriage I realized all was not well I decided to look for traditional and religious intervention but this didn’t work. It’s here I decided to visit a hospital for advice and I learnt that I have Perineal fistula,” she remarks.

The fact that she didn’t have cash saw her go back into the house and wait for the day that her God will send an angel to heal her.

“Treating this condition is too expensive for people without a stable income. I couldn’t afford it,” she speaks.

Faham notes that she had lost hope of getting treated until she saw a text message from

Safaricom invited her to a medical camp.

“All women are invited to attend this medical camp, where relevant health discussion on fistula will be done, and free treatment will be given to fistula patients. Tell a friend to invite a friend as we all work together to overcome fistula,” read the invitation text.

Faham notes that she was used to living with the condition. “Yes, it was affecting me, but I didn’t have an option,” she notes.

“I went for the treatment. Got diagnosed with perineal Fistula and I got treated,” says Faham happily.

Faham is grateful that she is back on her footing. She points out that the treatment by The Flying

Doctors Society, The Safaricom Foundation and The Royal Media Services as the best gifts she has ever received. “I will now be able to look for a job and at least live a life,” she states.

She observes that most women suffering from rare conditions such as fistula are belittled and despised by the community members. “There is a need for civic education among people in the village. The elderly and the ailing need to earn their respect. Despising the sick breaks, them hence making the situation worse,” she says.

Fahim says she will now go look for casual jobs and at least manage to feed herself as she gets clear on what she wants to do with her life.

Rahab, a mother of one, describes her last two years as hell on earth. “For the last two years I would not leave the house and engage in communal activities,” says Rahab.

Rahab says she thought her fate had been sealed. She never believed a day would come and win her freedom of movement and interaction back. She felt short-changed. She had done nothing with her life when fistula struck her.

“I was married off in my teenage hood. Going with our culture, this was normal. Most girls get married off earlier. Girls are equated with wealth,” says Rahab 20.

“I conceived and when the time to deliver came I went to the hospital, and I was happy to get a gift of a baby girl,” narrates Rahab.

But her joy was short-lived as it was in her first month, she realized all was not well. “I had an issue with controlling urine and even long calls. I would reek of urine. People would avoid me like plague,” she says adding this gave her husband a license to divorce her.

“He didn’t understand that it was not my fault. A fistula is like an accident that can happen to anyone,” she points out.

She adds that some people thought she was cursed and that’s why she was leaking feces and urine, hence avoiding her.

“I had a difficult time. I would stay indoors, and I wouldn’t attend events. Apart from close relatives’ other people would avoid me,” she explains.

Although the withdrawal methods would work for her, she points out its not dependable as there would come a time circumstance that would force her to be in people. “No man is an island. You can avoid people sometimes but not at all times,” she remarks.

For now, Rahab’s story has taken a new twist after attending a fistula camp held by the Flying

Doctors Society of Kenya in collaboration with the Safaricom Foundation and the Royal Media

Services.

“I heard about fistula camp through a health community volunteer who used to visit us. At first, I thought they would charge us, and I was worried because I was not sure I would manage to raise the required amount of money,” she says.

“I visited the camp where I was treated and now am well. I am grateful for this team for they have restored my life,” she says.

Rahab encourages women suffering from fistula not to fear to speak out and look for help. “I would like to encourage women to be their sisters’ keepers. We need to check on each other to live a healthy life,” she says.

Way forward….

“I am grateful. I will be able to hold hands with other women in development-oriented activities,” she says.

While fistula is rarely life-threatening, it can decrease a person’s quality of life. Women and girls with fistula are often unable to work, and many are abandoned by husbands and families and ostracized by their communities, driving them further into poverty vulnerability and decreasing their quality of life.

According to research by the World Health Organization, WHO, most women with obstetric fistula lose their source of income due to their incontinence and become an economic burden to their families. This pushes them to poverty, leaving them in bitterness, trauma, and depression and suffering disappointment.

Edith, a mother of one, has been struggling with fistula for the last two years. She has been in tears. She didn’t know what to do as she had tried her best, to treat the condition.

“I got blessed with my firstborn in September 2021. At the time I was a new graduate and we had just started life,” she opens.

At the time the coronavirus wave had just hit the country and people were restricted from moving from one location to the other. “After delivery, I realized all was not well as I had second-grade perineal tears. I took long to heal,” she says noting she didn’t have people consult as visitors were regulated due to the coronavirus outbreak.

At the time Edith acknowledges that she didn’t have a problem as there was restriction of movement. Her problem started when normalcy started coming back into the country. A lot of friends wanted to visit and as expected with time people anticipated her to start looking for a job.

“When I realized the problem I had was persistent; I decided to visit a gynecologist who broke the news I was suffering from a fistula. I didn’t have much information about the condition, and I decided to research about it,” says Edith 29.

She notes that for a period of one year, she was gathering information on Google on how to manage the condition. “There is little information about fistula, but I have been trying to look for it to know how in case I don’t get treated I can manage it,” she says.

At the time Edith and her husband were straining financially, and they would not be able to treat the condition. In 2022 she went for treatment, but it was not successful.

“I was very much discouraged that we spent a lot of cash, but we didn’t see the results,” she says. This saw her remain in the house only to engage in light duties.

It’s during her research that she learned how Kenya Flying Doctors in partnership with Safaricom Foundation and Royal Media Services have helped treat women living with the condition.

‘I immediately started following them and in early August I got the news that they were visiting Tharaka Nithi county,” says Edith happily.

“I knew this was a golden opportunity I didn’t want to miss. I was eagerly waiting for the day. I didn’t want it to pass me,” she says.

For now, Edith is happy she has been treated and she is ready to go back home and look for a job as she engages in other life activities.

She recalls how she has applied for jobs in two instances and called for an interview only to shy back from them when she recalls her condition.

“The condition is traumatizing. I am not sure I will get my second born anytime soon,” she says.

Edith is grateful that her husband stuck with her during all this time, and she would give the support needed. “I am happy for my husband for he has been my number one supporter. Sometimes I have been down as I didn’t know how life would turn out, but he has always been there for me,” she showers her husband with praise.

I am happy for The Flying Doctors. They have given me a new lease of life. To me this is a second chance to live a normal life,” says Edith happily.

“I am now going to look for a job and try and earn a living like my age mates,” she adds.

She notes that there is a need to create awareness about fistula as most women are suffering silently. “I think a lot of people don’t know about the condition. Some of those who know about it are not aware it can be treated and if they do majority don’t have the means,” she says.

She further says that there is a stigma for people suffering from fistula as they are alienated from others. “There is a lot of misinformation about fistula, there are those who think it’s a curse, some think it’s as a result of family issues, and so on,” she explains.

She advises young people suffering from the condition not to bow down but to press on until they get treated.

“Fistula can be treated. Don’t give up your day of restoration is coming,” she concludes.

Karen, a mother of three, narrates how she has lived in disgrace for a quarter century.  “My journey with fistula started way back in January 1998 when I went to deliver my third-born child,” Karen kicks off our interview.

She says that it all started in the labor ward. “Having borne some other children before I knew well the signs of labor pain and I was aware when it hit me. But unlike my other pregnancies, this was different as I labored more hours,” says Karen 65.

She notes that the long hours of labor pain might have contributed to the death of her newborn.

Karen marks this as a genesis of her woes as since this period her life has never been the same. “My life took a new turn during this period as I have never managed to go back to the woman I was before,” Karen says with a tinge of bitterness.

She says that since this delivery she would not be able to hold short or long calls for long. She has to be close to the washroom or else she will soil herself. “At the early age, it was worse as it affected me both physically and psychologically but with time, I started managing it,” she notes.

“At my age now, I had learned what to do to avoid embarrassment especially when on social gatherings,” she says.

She notes that whenever she knew she had an event she would start planning her diet some days before. “I would cut down on the amount of water I drink sometimes I would as well avoid light food and Instead do hard foods that would take time to digest,” she says insisting the goal was to dehydrate her body.

This has seen her attend some social gatherings without a lot of struggles although she is quick to note it’s a sacrifice. “Do you imagine attending an event, but you avoid food and drink and if you have to take you do it in small amounts?” she pauses.

Karen, a farmer, feels the condition has wasted a better part of her life as it limits her from exploring the world and utilizing her potential fully. “Fistula patients live in fear. They are anxious about what will happen in the next minute, especially in social places,” she says.

Her situation has been made worse by the fact that she has a child living with a disability. “I am not married, and I have a child living with a disability. I am also not different from a person living with a disability since the condition has limited me. I have been praying to God to redeem me from this shame so that I can be able to provide for my child,” she says.

Karen says that she heard about the Tharaka Nithi fistula campaign during the church service announcements. She examined herself and she felt her time to get healed had arrived. “Deep inside my heart, I knew all was not well. I knew I was ailing but I didn’t have money to seek treatment,” she says.

She notes that at her age she had given up on living a better life and it had reached a point she had made peace with her predicament. “I had gotten used to the issue. It reached a point where I made peace with it but I am really happy God has been gracious to me. I am now whole again. I have been treated,” she says with tears of joy rolling down her cheeks.

During those days delivering to the hospital was the safest delivery one could make. Those were the days when women were highly encouraged to deliver in hospitals as health service providers helped to save women from maternal-related deaths.

Although Rose was lucky to deliver at the hospital, all didn’t go well. She suffered from a fistula. “After delivery, I realized it was hard for me to hold either a long or a short call. I was really confused since I had not experienced such in my previous deliveries,” Rose a mother of four opens up.

Rose, once a vibrant woman started distancing herself from her circles since she didn’t want her friends to know what she was going through.  “I decided to keep this top secret. Not even my children and husband were aware of what was happening in my life. I shared my story for the first time with the Flying Doctors team at the Tharaka Nithi Fistula campaign held from August 25 to September 5, 2023. It was my issue,” says Rose, a granny.

She admits that although it was a hard decision, she was at ease with it. “I would have revealed it to my husband, but he is a drunkard he wouldn’t have helped in any way,” Rose points out.

Rose notes that since 1994 she has missed many family occasions all in the name of not feeling well. “I had to shun them all and live alone since I didn’t want shame,” she says.

Change of tune.

But now things have changed. Rose’s life has been transformed by the Safaricom Foundation, The Royal Media Services, and the Flying Doctors Society of Kenya in their Fistula campaign.

“I heard the good news via Muga FM- a Royal Media vernacular station airing in the Ameru dialect. The description of the condition they were promising to treat seemed similar to what I have been suffering from. I listened and I made up my mind to attend the clinic,” she says.

She notes that after doctor diagnoses they found out that she was among women who needed treatment. and she was treated. She notes that for now, she has seen a change.

“I was treated, and my story has changed for good. My story is similar to the women in the Bible who suffered for many years with an issue of blood,” she explains quoting Mark 5:24-35.

Rose, a farmer confesses she never thought there was a cure for the condition since she had never heard about it. “I had not heard about it. Initially, I was hesitant about the treatment. Actually, I was not sure how I would be treated but I am well now,” she says happily.

Although she had made up her mind not to open up about the condition, she encourages women suffering from fistula to visit hospitals and find out more about the condition. “I am sure it’s expensive to treat the condition, but I would like to encourage fellow women, suffering from fistula, to visit doctors for advice,” she urges.

Rose adds that she has always been in a dilemma when travelling with public means for she didn’t know what to do.” I had to miss meals and drinks whenever I was travelling since, I knew if I ate anything, I might mess up. I would carry a lesso whenever I am travelling to avoid embarrassment,” she says pointing that as a management skill.

“You have to be smart whenever you are with people and know when to leave a gathering and even when to join. Fistula patients don’t have the liberty to spend a lot of time in social gatherings,” she adds.

Fistula is a condition usually caused by surgery gone wrong or an injury during delivery. It is estimated that, in Kenya, approximately 3,000 women and girls develop fistula every year, while the backlog of those living with untreated fistula is estimated to be between 30,000 and 300,000 cases.

Sarah, 33, narrates the events of what happened in 2021 as if they happened yesterday.

“Just like most new mothers, I had prepared to receive my firstborn child. I had planned the hospital I will deliver in and so on,” Sarah kicks off the interview.

Sarah a single mother says she didn’t expect that the day she received her firstborn child would change her life negatively. “My child came earlier than expected but I was lucky to have a traditional birth attendant to assist me in delivering,” she notes.

“I suffered some perineal tears during delivery, but I didn’t know they were worse since I was a first-time mother. After delivery, I decided to visit the hospital and it’s here I realized all was not well but the fact that I didn’t have enough resources I couldn’t go on with medication,” explains Sarah.

Local dispensaries are not able to treat the condition and they refer you to a bigger hospital where most of the time are far from residents.

Sarah notes that fistula is so frustrating that it cuts a person’s relationship with her friends and relatives as one doesn’t want to expose herself to the stigma it brings.

“It’s a humiliating condition. It’s automatic that people start avoiding you. You will find that once people realize you have such a condition, they start backbiting you and none of them is bold enough to ask what is happening or ready to help,” says Sarah.

She notes that most people don’t know about fistula, and some think it’s a curse. The fact that people don’t open up about it has made the information about it scarce.

“I think fistula is among the worst condition as it even hinders you from making a living. You live in fear all the time,” she says.

She points out that the condition has hindered her from engaging in a relationship that can lead to marriage. “You can’t even try to entertain a relationship because you might get heartbroken. Few people would start a serious relationship with a person with the condition. A lot of times, to avoid heartbreak, you decide to stay alone even when you see potential suitors,” she says.

Sarah adds that the condition also makes one lose self-esteem hence affecting personality which has ripple effects on a person’s productivity.

She notes that she heard about the Flying Doctors Fistula Campaign via the radio and since she had longed for such an opportunity, she wouldn’t have let it pass.

“I received the information about it via Royal Media Services and that’s when I decided to come and find out whether I could get help. I paid Ksh 2500 from Narok to Tharaka Nithi to come for the treatment. I am grateful I have been treated and so far, so good,” Sarah says joyfully.

Sarah notes that she is expectant, that she will go back to her normal life and engage in nation-building activities like other people.

“I am grateful to God and the Flying Doctors Society of Kenya. They have given me a reason to smile. I am now okay and ready to start mingling with people freely without fear like I used to do before. My focus will now be to look for a better job so that I can provide for my child without straining too much,” she notes adding that she has been in a fistula prisoner for the last four years.

When the day arrived, Pendo was rushed to hospital as per plan. Although she delivered her firstborn the scars, she got in the process have remained to haunt her to date. “I struggled to deliver the baby but by God’s grace I managed to deliver a bouncing baby boy,” Pendo says jovially.

Pendo, 22, notes that at the time she was discharged from the hospital, she didn’t know she had a problem but it was upon arriving home she realized something was amiss.

“I thought it was just normal, perineal tears that occur when a woman delivers and heal after some few weeks but that wasn’t the case for me. I had suffered a fistula while going through the process of delivering. On top, part of my large intestine was injured by the doctor assisting me to deliver. I currently use colostomy for long calls,” explains Pendo.

The experience turned her life upside down. It’s at this time it dawned on her she was suffering from fistula. “It has been a painful journey. A walk of shame. Sometimes I ask God a lot of questions on why he allowed this to happen to me,” says a mother of one.

For now, Pendo is happy that her life will be back to normal as she has gone through a fistula repair surgery sponsored by M-PESA Foundation, The Flying Doctors Society of Africa and Royal Media Services. “This is an answered prayer for me and my husband for it has lifted a burden in our lives,” remarks Pendo.

Pendo, observes that although she has been treated for fistula, she is not out of the woods yet as she still needs help to treat the injury she suffered on her large intestine. “I am grateful I was among lucky people to be treated for fistula but still I need help because my system was tampered with as I have to use a tube while going for a long call,” he notes amid tears.

Pendo notes that if only he can get someone to help her recover from this condition, she will be grateful as she will get back to her hustles. “I would appreciate getting help to reconstruct my large intestines. This will help me go back to my day-to-day activities normally,” says Pendo.

According to Pendo’s husband, Kyengo Mwakamusha, their life was thrown into a dark phase in July 2021. This was in contrast to their expectations; of the warmth and joy the baby brings into a home. “Ours was a mixture of happiness and tears,” he remarks.

Kyengo, a bodaboda operator, notes that treating the fistula is expensive, especially for people doing manual jobs. He urges the government to put more attention to the health care of its people. He notes that most young people doing casual jobs are not in a position to provide their families with health coverage. He points out that good health is the key to the development of any nation.

Kyengo says that they had previously visited different hospitals but they were not lucky to be treated, “We are indeed touched by the generosity extended to us by the Flying Doctors Society of Africa together with partners for their services. They have salvaged us from the valley of shame.”

He further pleads for those in a position to help repair her wife’s system to assist them, “Utumbo wake uko nje hata akienda haja kubwa hutumia pipe,” says Kyengo. (Her intestines were affected during birth and even when going for a long call she has to use a pipe). He notes that he is currently not in a position to raise the money needed to amend that.

Pendo is happy that despite the hardship, pain and shame she has faced her husband has stood with her through it all. “I am grateful to my husband that he hasn’t abandoned me even a day despite the challenges. He has been working around the clock to meet our daily needs. He has been so loving, and supportive to me and my baby. I am thankful to God for him,” says Pendo as she showers her husband with praise.

Pendo notes that if all goes well she will go back to her work and help her husband in providing for the family. “I am good in plaiting and I am sure if I can get the support I can pursue a course in hairdressing so that I can assist my husband,” she notes adding the cost of living has slowed down her husband’s development projects.

“I delivered normally in hospital but I never thought I can be a victim of fistula having delivered children before,” remarks Loise.

I get to communicate with Loise through her daughter, Naomi Ngala, as she is not in a position to converse in Swahili. Loise is used to Giriama Language making it hard to express herself in either Swahili or English. Her daughter, fluent in Swahili and Giriama, is helping with translation.

According to Loise, the last 15 years have been hell on earth. Her activities have been limited around her homestead. She needs to be around her home to manage the condition.  Before she got her fifth child, Loise would help her husband attend their farm. “When you deliver normally with no complications you can go back to your work without worries after three months but this was not the case this time. I realized that sometimes I would pass urine without my knowledge. I think doctors erroneously tampered with my bladder while helping me deliver my last born,” she explains.

She notes that fistula could only be termed as today’s leprosy. “It’s an embarrassing condition. You find yourself leaking of urine. You don’t open up about it because you will be shunned or isolated because of it,” she adds.

Loise says that it is heartbreaking that an act of love can result in an embarrassing condition crippling, a woman’s, life. Women who do develop fistula are left incontinent and often susceptible to social stigma and shame. “It’s unfortunate that a woman’s life can be stopped because of trying to bring another life into the world.”

Seeking treatment…

Although she tried to visit the dispensaries around her village they didn’t help much as doctors in centers lacked sufficient knowledge and resources to treat her. The hospitals that were able to offer proper medication were out of reach. “I tried to seek treatment but the hospitals I would afford didn’t have a specialist. I was not in a position to afford the hospitals I would be referred to. They were as well miles away from my residence and I didn’t have financial support,” explains Loise, a Kiliti resident in Marereni, Kilifi.

At the time she developed this condition all her children were young and no one was in a position to support her or even seek more information about the condition. Her husband also was not a man of means hence making it hard to treat the condition.

Naomi, a second-born child of Loise, realized all was not well with her mother while in high school. “I was distressed by mother’s condition but I couldn’t help. At the time I was at school with no money, and of course naive. Initially, I didn’t ask her about the condition but as time passed she opened up to me,” Naomi says sorrowfully.

When she cleared her high school education Naomi left home and went to look for greener pastures in Mombasa. She aimed to know how she could rescue her mum from the fistula quagmire. It was while in Mombasa she heard of the fistula camp sponsored by M-PESA Foundation, Royal Media Services and The Flying Doctors Society of Africa.

“The first person who came into my mind when I heard about it was my mother. I registered her and followed it up and luckily, she has been treated. We are very grateful she is now free of ridicule and rejection,” says Naomi.

Now Loise has received successful surgical treatment, and she returns home with newfound confidence. Her self-worth has been restored. She will go back and help her husband attend their farm. “My husband knew I was ailing but we don’t talk about it. It’s a shameful thing to talk about. I am happy I will join him in our farming business,” she says.

The Flying Doctors Society of Africa helps women whose bodies have been broken by childbirth, receive life-transforming surgery, and enable them to go back to life the condition had denied them. Fistula is a childbirth injury, caused by prolonged obstructed labor. It usually affects women after first birth, leaving them destitute often turning them into social outcasts.

The average cost of fistula treatment – including surgery, post-operative care and rehabilitation services at the main referral hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi, which is prohibitive for many of those affected is about Kshs30,000. Sadly, most fistula patients are either unaware that treatment is available, or they cannot afford it.