The 2020 Challenge

Let's put the FUN back into FUNdraising. Join family, friends, neighbours and colleagues and pledge together to raise £2020 for Freedom From Fistula during 2020 and help transform the lives of women and children in Africa.

Story

From child bride to entrepreneur - your donations help women like Mesetina

Mesetina was forced to marry at the age of 10. When she fell pregnant her body was not developed enough to safely deliver. She lost the baby and developed a devastating obstetric fistula, suffering for 19 years. During recovery at our centre she took part in our Patient Rehabilitation and Education Programme (PREP) learning how to read, write and manage a successful business. Mesetina was selected to take part in our solar charging station and reusuable sanitary pad projects. She is now healed, financially independent and happy.

You have changed my life. You have transformed me into a new woman. I will forever be grateful

During 2019 we helped thousands of women and children in Africa and with your help taking part in our 2020 Challenge, we can help many more. Here's how your donations help:-

700+ Fistula surgeries completed in 2019, transforming the lives of patients suffering from this preventable childbirth injury.

230+ Patient ambassadors working in local communities to raise awareness and help their sisterhood.

20,000+ Children treated in our outpatient clinic in 2019, including life saving immunisations.

4000+ Babies safely delivered both at our own centre in Sierra Leone and in maternity projects we support in Malawi in 2019.

We have trained nurse midwife technicians in Malawi to help build capacity in the health care system.

We donate reusable sanitary pads to local communities in Malawi and provide training and equipment to former fistula patients to start their own reusable sanitary pad businesses.

We train former fistula patients business skills and help them start solar station businesses to help lift them out of poverty.

We provide maternal healthcare to teenage mums at our Aberdeen Women's Centre in Sierra Leone. Mum's like Yealie. During the summer of 2017 Yealie lost her mother, father and two siblings (Mawa aged 7 and Adama aged 5) in the devastating mud slide that befell Sierra Leone. Alone, Yealie fell pregnant and in August 2019 started to attend our Teenage Empowerment TOCI TOCI classes at AWC. Here she will learn how to look after herself and the baby in a safe and nurturing environment.

Whenever I come to class, I feel happy and have so much fun. I like the way all the staff are concerned about us, even though we are pregnant. I want to be a Doctor when I am older. Today I finished sewing my blanket.

....and so much more.