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Current projects in East Africa
HER DIGNITY FUND
Every woman matters.
Providing lifesaving maternal healthcare & fistula repair in remote Africa
Around the world, approximately 800 women die every day from birth-related injuries such as fistula. More than half of these are in sub-Saharan Africa. The Barbara May Foundation funds projects that provide dignity and safety for underprivileged women in birth.
Established in 2009, the Barbara May Foundation (BMF) provides funding to Australian medical professionals Valerie Browning AM and Dr Andrew Browning AM initiating and managing projects in remote Africa (Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Northern Uganda) that relieve the high incidence of death and extreme injury such as fistula in pregnancy and childbirth. They provide safety, dignity and hope. Maternal healthcare and medical services are provided at no cost, regardless of race or religion.
Projects supported in Africa
Barbara May Maternity Hospital, Ethiopia
Valerie Browning AM
Vision Maternity Care Hospital, Ethiopia
Dr Birhanu Menber
Kivulini Hospital Maternity Africa (MA), Tanzania
Dr Andrew Browning
Latest News & Articles
Salifu’s Story: From Shame to Hope
After losing her baby Salifu lived with the shame of an obstetric fistula for eight months. Her...
Kahabi’s Story: Twelve Years with a Fistula
During her first pregnancy, Kahabi was in labour for three days. She wanted to go to the hospital,...
Aisha’s Story of Restored Hope
Aisha is a young woman who came to a fistula camp in Tanzania earlier this year. At first she was...
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After losing her baby, Salifu lived with the shame of an obstetric fistula for eight months. Her life was filled with hardship, ostracism and isolation. Thanks to treatment at Kivulini, she is now not only healed, but able to dream of a brighter future for herself and her children.
From Salifu - and from all of us at Barbara May Foundation - thank you for making this life-changing care possible. 🙏✨
Donate today to ensure more women can be treated and have their dignity restored at our next fistula camp.
#FistulaAwareness #maternalhealth #womenshealth #endfistula #birthinjury
Today is Timket in Ethiopia, a special religious festival celebrating the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. We wish all our friends, patients and colleagues in Ethiopia “Melkam Timket”!
Did you know… Ethiopia has one of the richest and oldest Orthodox Christian cultures in the world. Their religious festivals are always an incredible and meaningful experience.
Find out more about the work we do in Ethiopia (website link in bio).
#melkamtimket
Every safe birth is a life saved and a fistula prevented.
At Barbara May Maternity Hospital, incredible things happen every single day – like welcoming Eysa’s healthy baby boy into the world 💙
For women in Afar, access to skilled care can mean the difference between life and death, or a joyful start to life versus ongoing pain and shame of a birthing injury. Thanks to the dedicated team at BMMH, Afar mothers and babies are getting the chance to thrive.
This is why your support matters. Together, we’re making childbirth safer and giving families hope for the future. 💕
#APDA #endfistula #safebirth #maternityhospital #MaternalHealth
Melkam Genna (Happy Ethiopian Christmas)!
In Ethiopia, Christmas is celebrated on the 7th January. We wish all our friends and supporters, our invaluable team and colleagues, and our patients in Ethiopia a very merry Christmas!
In a remote region of northern Uganda building a hospital of this scale is an incredible feat!
Someday soon our muddy footsteps will be replaced with the feet of women who have walked from nearby villages to be able to access safe, skilled and dignified maternal health services FREE of charge.
Excitement is building, and rightly so!
Help us improve maternal health in under-resourced areas in Africa – every donation makes a real difference: https://barbaramayfoundation.com/how-can-i-help/ (Link in bio)
#barbaramayfoundation #MaternalHealthMatters #dreambig #womenshealth #maternitycare
@tekworofoundation
Aisha is a fistula patient who was healed at a fistula camp last year. Here she is just 2 days after surgery. By the time she left, the transformation in this shy young lady was incredible.
To read her full story and see her beautiful smile, visit the link in our bio!
P.S We`ve got more fistula camps planned this coming year - your ongoing support means more women and girls can have their dignity restored.
With @maternityafrica
#FistulaTreatment #maternalhealth #herdignityfund #EndFistula
Your generosity and compassion have been overwhelming this Christmas season 🥰
THANK YOU for your ongoing support as together we change the story of maternal health in Africa 🧡
Thank you to everyone who has supported us this year. Together, we made an incredible difference.
Here’s a special thank you message from the fistula patients at the most recent fistula camps in Central African Republic, South Sudan and Tanzania 🥰
#fistulatreatment #maternalhealth #barbaramayfoundation #merrychristmas #thankyou
@maternityafrica
It’s your last chance to have your donation doubled – if you have thought about giving to our Christmas Appeal, now is the time! 🎁🎄
Help us change the story of maternal health in Africa.
Support a maternity hospital in Africa today: Link in bio
*All donations will be matched up to a total of $10,000 before 25 Dec 2025
#maternalhealth #midwifelife #charitygift #christmasappeal2025 #barbaramayfoundation
Support our life-giving hospitals in Africa this Christmas:
https://barbaramayfoundation.com/christmas-appeal-2025 and link in bio too!
#christmasappeal #barbaramayfoundation #maternalhealth #nicubaby #newbornbaby #christiangiftideas #meaningfulgifts
Behind every life-changing number is a story of your generosity.
Change even more lives this Christmas – donate today to have double the impact. Every gift given up to $10,000 will be MATCHED this December!
(Christmas Appeal link in bio)
What do you give ‘someone who has everything’ at Christmas? Here’s a unique and meaningful idea:
Give the gift of hope, encouragement and practical support to life-saving hospitals serving poor and vulnerable women in Africa.
Just try and top that! A gift to remember🧡
https://barbaramayfoundation.com/christmas-appeal-2025 and link in bio too!
#maternalhealth #charitygiving #medicalcharity #christiangifts #fistulatreatment #christmasappeal