Emaye - Summer 2023

Summer 2023

Read inside

Midwifery in Metu: Meet Firomi

Surgeon Dr Zehara's hopes for the future

Ending fistula in Ethiopia. Forever. hamlinfistulauk.org

Welcome to the Summer edition of Emaye

In this edition, we are delighted to take you on a journey to Hamlin’s youngest regional fistula hospital - Metu, in western Ethiopia’s Oromia region.

Rahmete, a young mother in rural Oromia, bravely shares her story of fistula. Dr. Zehara the lead surgeon at Metu Regional Fistula Hospital talks about her hopes for the future and we meet Firomi, a young midwife working in the Metu area - making a difference in our work to end fistula.

Since I joined Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia as CEO four years ago, we have experienced a global pandemic, civil unrest in parts of Ethiopia and the same economic uncertainty that is facing people around the world. But despite this, our commitment to women’s health has not wavered. We are more dedicated than ever to ending avoidable childbirth injury in Ethiopia.

We invite you to join us as we work towards this goal by supporting our exciting new programme, Project Zero, through this year’s Big Give Christmas appeal. Project Zero is a new pilot initiative to accelerate the end of obstetric fistula across Ethiopia – district by district. And you can be part of it by supporting the appeal which takes place from Tuesday 28 November to Tuesday 5 December. See the back cover for more information.

As you read this, we will have just finished our annual global programme meeting in Addis Ababa, where we will have welcomed leaders from our sister charities and

partners around the world, including Helen and Greg, the CEO and Chair of Hamlin Fistula UK. We look forward to keeping you updated on the outcomes of the meeting and our exciting plans for the coming year! This work wouldn’t be possible without your support in the UK. From myself and all my team at Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, thank you.

Tesfaye Mamo, CEO Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia

Phone

Web

@hamlin-fistula-uk

Spotlight on Rahmete’s Story

Rahmete was 20 years old happily pregnant with her first child and filled with excitement. She was about to start a family with her husband.

When it was time for her baby to come, Rahmete realised something was very wrong. She laboured for three agonising days at home until she was too exhausted to go on. However, Rahmete lived in a remote rural village in Oromia, a day’s walk from her nearest hospital. There was no nearby medical team to help her.

In rural regions like Rahmete’s, maternal healthcare is often not available. And travel is difficult in much of the area, making reaching a clinic or hospital extremely challenging.

Rahmete was supported by her husband to make the long journey to the nearest medical clinic. With the help of staff, she finally delivered her baby but it was too late. Rahmete was heartbroken to discover that her baby had died during the birth. Her heartache didn’t end there.

Rahmete also suffered an obstetric fistula injury that left her unable to control her urine. She was confused, scared and completely devastated. She returned home to her village incontinent and struggling.

Ashamed of his wife’s condition, Rahmete’s husband left her. Sadly, her parents had passed away and her sister didn’t have the financial means to support her. For years she lived in hopelessness and isolation, grieving the loss of her baby and struggling to pay rent on her own.

Until the day she heard about Hamlin’s Metu Fistula Hospital on a local radio station. At the Hospital, surgeon Dr Zehara and her team welcomed Rahmete with kindness,

love, compassion and care – things she hadn’t experienced in a long time. She received a Comfort Pack, clean clothes, nutritious meals and life-changing surgery that not only repaired the hole in her bladder, but also restored her dignity and gave Rahmete her life back. And at no cost to her.

Rahmete now lives happily in Metu town, supporting herself by selling homemade ‘Injera’ (the traditional Ethiopian flatbread) from her home.

Rahmete told us.

Rahmete’s treatment and care was made possible thanks to the generosity of Hamlin supporters like you.

“Now I am leading a happy life free from suffering. I’ve started living like a woman again,”

Pictured right: Rahmete at Hamlin’s Metu Fisula Hospital.

A message of hope

Hamlin’s youngest fistula surgeon, Dr Zehara Sualih

A trained obstetrician and gynaecologist, she is a valued member of Hamlin’s clinical team.

Dr Zehara is firmly rooted in the Metu community. She joined Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia in 2015, after previously working at Metu’s Karl Hospital in obstetrics and gynaecology. She holds a degree in medicine from the nearby University of Gondar, specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology. Her motivation to work for Hamlin is clear:

“It is the best centre in Ethiopia to take care of women in need,” says Dr Zehara.

It was not until she joined Hamlin that Dr Zehara learnt the surgical technique used for obstetric fistula repair, training under Hamlin’s Medical Director Dr Yeshineh and other specialist senior fistula surgeons. The work of Hamlin’s founders Drs Catherine and Reg Hamlin is incredibly inspirational for members of the Hamlin Clinical Team:

Hamlin’s Metu Fistula Hospital opened its doors twelve years ago, making it the youngest of Hamlin’s six fistula hospitals across Ethiopia.

Located by the Sor River in the Oromia region of western Ethiopia, Metu is strategically placed to serve a catchment area of 35 million people - making it a vital access point to quality maternal care. The hospital also works closely with 11 Hamlin-supported midwifery clinics in the region, providing them with training, supplies and acting as a key point of referral for past fistula patients who are pregnant, to provide caesarean sections.

Leading the way at Metu is Dr Zehara Sualih, pictured above, Hamlin’s youngest surgeon.

“I don’t have the words to describe their selfless effort to change the lives of poor women. Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s work has enabled a lot of women to live again and move forward,” says Dr Zehara.

Becoming an even better fistula surgeon.

In the eight years since she joined Metu Fistula Hospital, Dr Zehara has performed over 800 fistula repair surgeries. Thanks to Hamlin’s status as a centre of excellence in maternal health, Dr Zehara has been able to develop professionally through the Hamlin Urogynaecology Fellowship and the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) surgeon training programme:

When she is not changing women’s lives, Dr Zehara likes to spend time playing with her four children, reading books and watching the occasional movie. Balancing life and work, Dr Zehara has been able to flourish professionally.

“I feel that I am living a meaningful life! I am very happy with my job and the organisation is doing great,”she reflects.

Dr Zehara is working to build a world where fistula has been eradicated. She looks forward with optimism:

“It makes me a better physician to holistically manage women’s birth injuries. My priority is to serve women with up to date, high quality care,”says Dr Zehara.

“Being a female Obstetrician-Gynaecologist, a mother and a friend to Ethiopian women who come to our hospital – I have no other option than to dedicate my life to helping these women and alleviating the burden of their suffering.”

“My hope for the future is generations of empowered women, who can make Ethiopia fistula-free.”

Midwifery in Metu

Meet Hamlin Midwife, Firomi

Firomi, 26, trained at the Hamlin College of Midwifery and on graduating was deployed to Sibbo government health centre in rural Oromia. Crucially this is close to where Firomi was born and raised in the city of Metu, giving her vital knowledge of the community’s local languages and customs. She estimates she has already attended over 2,000 safe deliveries and has dealt with many birth complications that could have required a hospital referral if it was not for her swift interventions.

Firomi is having a busy day. Since she and her fellow Hamlin midwife joined their rural health clinic in 2018, word has got around the community about the excellent maternal health care available and more and more women are coming to the clinic.

Firomi’s long term goal is to achieve a second degree in another related health field, but for now she is busy making a huge contribution to improving women’s maternal health in Metu.

“The high-quality care we are providing at the clinic has brought a significant change in increasing the number of clients seeking our services. This, together with Hamlin’s additional support to equip the clinic, grabs the attention of the community and helps us to get their full trust,” she explains.

“The training we got at the college equipped us both in theory and practice. We already have enough experience before graduation which makes us confident professionals serving our community,” she tells us.

midwives at Sibbo government health centre.

Pictured: Firomi at Sibbo government health centre.

Search for fistula

and measles vaccinations

World Health Organisation to integrate a search for women living with fistula into a national measles vaccination campaign. Launched at the end of last year, Ethiopia’s measles campaign aimed to vaccinate 15.5 million youngsters aged 9 to 59 months, including in hard-to-reach places affected by drought and conflict.

Integrating life-saving services with the campaign

A range of life-saving services were integrated with the campaign, including catchup immunization for under-vaccinated children, nutrition services for children, identification of clubfoot in children, COVID-19 vaccination and identification of obstetric fistula in women.

is integrated with other live-saving interventions such as COVID-19 vaccination and nutrition services.”

- Dr Paul Mainuka, Acting Head of WHO Ethiopia Immunization, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Cluster

Changing women’s lives

As a result of the campaign, the Ministry of Health reported that 1,243 suspected obstetric fistula cases were identified from 12 regions. Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia was involved in the discussion to verify and treat these cases. Our Patient Identification Officers have been working with health professionals in the regions and women are now being referred for treatment at Hamlin

Leaving a gift in your Will

Healing and hope for future generations

Dr Catherine Hamlin’s vision was to eradicate obstetric fistula in Ethiopia. She devoted her life to women living with obstetric fistula, giving them love, hope and the opportunity to regain their lives. It is now up to us to finish what she started – to ensure future generations of Ethiopian women live free from fistula.

By leaving a gift in your Will to Hamlin Fistula UK, you will help to ensure Dr Catherine Hamlin’s vision becomes a reality. Leaving a gift in your Will is a thoughtful and easy way to continue your support. It makes the wellbeing of Ethiopia’s most vulnerable women part of your life’s story.

For more information, visit: Hamlinfistulauk.org/wills

“It is also commendable that the campaign

“Women and girls deserve to be protected from obstetric fistula injuries. Thank you for your support and for considering leaving a gift in your Will.”

- Dr Catherine Hamlin

For one week, from Tuesday 28 November to Tuesday 5 December, all donations to our work made online via the Big Give will be doubled.

Coming soon Project Zero: Road Map to a Fistula-Free Ethiopia

Our Project Zero team in Ethiopia invite you to save the date for the Big Give Christmas Challenge 2023!

Funds raised from the appeal will support the launch of our exciting new programme. Starting in Metu, Project Zero will be a bold

new initiative to accelerate the end of the devastating birth injury obstetric fistula across Ethiopia – district by district. Look out for more information on the launch of Project Zero and how to support the appeal in our Autumn newsletter.