Stories
Stories of Patients, Workers and Volunteers
Breaking Taboos and Saving Lives in the Deserts of Ethiopia
Meet Mohammad, known locally as the ‘mother’s doctor’ for his care saving lives during labour. But it wasn’t always this way. Traditionally, in nomadic Afar communities, only females can help a mother during pregnancy and childbirth. It is extremely taboo for a male...
Fistula Camp and Training in Nepal
Recently Dr Andrew visited Nepal, where he was able to attend two fistula camps. The first was in a rural area, where Dr Shirley runs a Fistula Centre. It’s an incredible long-term partnership, as Dr Shirley originally trained with Andrew in Ethiopia many years...
Salifu’s Story: From Shame to Hope
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 until she found hope at Kivulini. This is her story. Salifu is from a rural area in northern Tanzania. She has six...
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, but her husband refused, saying he didn’t have money for transport. On the third day, Kahabi became weak and could not stand on her own. She was then taken to the...
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 quiet, extremely shy and her eyes were full of sadness. As a girl, Aisha loved school. However after primary school, her father refused to allow her to continue on to...
Lifesaving Care in the Ethiopian Desert
Late one Sunday afternoon, Fatuma, a 35-year-old mother of eight, was rushed to Barbara May Maternity Hospital in Ethiopia after experiencing severe complications during labour.She arrived in critical condition - weak, in shock, and soaked in blood from heavy...
Christine’s Journey: Fistula Patient Story
Christine is from war-torn Sudan, and her journey to healing has been difficult. At just 19, Christine's small frame meant her baby was too large for a natural delivery. She went for a routine C-section at the local hospital near her home in Sudan, but tragically,...
Lebmogne’s Story: Celebrating Safe Childbirth
Lebmogne was only 14 when she was first pregnant. She laboured for two days but, tragically, gave birth to a stillborn baby. Lebmogne had also developed a fistula and was leaking urine and faeces uncontrollably. She was still just a teenager. Eventually Lebmogne was...
Tensa’s Faith-Filled Story
When Dr Browning AM was in South Sudan earlier this year, he met a fistula patient named Tensa. We are humbled and thankful to be able to share her unbelievable story with you. In this conversation between Dr Andrew Browning AM and Ben McEachen from Hope 103.2,...
Pat’s Fistula Story: “God bless you”
Pat attended a fistula camp recently where Dr Andrew Browning AM and his team were able to operate on her. Today, she can't stop smiling and telling everyone the news of her healing. Here is Pat's story: In her small village deep in the tropical forest, Pat...
Margaret’s Story: 50 years of shame
An obstetric fistula is caused when a woman in obstructed labour isn’t able to have an emergency Caesarean Section. The baby’s head, pressed against the mother’s pelvis without relief, causes a large hole to develop between the birth canal and one or both of the...
Halim’s Story
Halim is around 22 years old and she’s spent her life living in a nomadic village, in the Afar desert in Ethiopia. It’s a harsh life – dry, dusty and incredibly hot – with no comforts whatsoever. In her community, women often walk for hours to get water before the sun...
International Day to End Obstetric Fistula
This International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, we are honoured to share Barachi’s story with you. Barachi is a fistula patient who was living in rural Tanzania for over 40 years, before she finally received treatment.
Her Story: Restoring Hilda’s Dignity
Hilda suffered an obstetric fistula during childbirth as a teenager. Hear her story below. https://youtu.be/UrSzm922En0 Hilda's Story: From Ashamed to Ambassador! When Hilda was fifteen, she was married and soon fell pregnant. After three days of labour, Hilda...
Her Story: Loretta’s Fistula Healing Journey
Loretta is from Chad, right in the centre of Africa. She had been living with a fistula for three years and is now a widow. Loretta had already used all her savings to travel from Chad to Cameroon to be operated upon, but devastatingly, that operation...
Success Story: Agness
Her Story - these profile stories cover the experiences of the women BMF are helping every day in Africa. This story does not include an image of Agness to honour her privacy. Agness, aged 25, was married in 2018 and got pregnant with her first child. Unfortunately,...
Success Story: Birtukan
Meet Birtukan, who lives outside Barhirdar. During her fifth pregnancy her baby was dangerously small. Thankfully, she had been attending the clinic in the BMF sponsored hospital in town. During this time, severe fighting broke out around her village as part of a...
Success Story: Boui
Meet Boui, 16, who lives in remote South Sudan. The young married bride had her first pregnancy and went into labour, however, after four days in labour her family were eventually persuaded to take her to the mission hospital several hours away. On arrival, Boui...
Success Story: Nembris
Meet Nembris who lives in remote Tanzania. Nembris is the second wife of her husband's four wives. Thirty years ago, on her fifth pregnancy she struggled in labour at home, eventually delivering a stillborn child after four days of labour. She also...
Success Story: Anna
Anna is among the many women who have attended Maternity Africa’s Kivulini Maternity Hospital for maternal health services this year. During her third pregnancy Anna’s husband unexpectedly passed away. After this time living with her in-laws became incredibly...
How can you help?
Programs supported wholly or in part by the Barbara May Foundation include:
. The building and operations of the Vision Maternity Care Hospital in Barhir Dar, Ethiopia.
. The operations of the Barbara May Maternity Hospital in Mille, Ethiopia.
. Kivulini Maternity Centre – Maternity Africa, Tanzania. This centre provides obstetric services and an extensive fistula repair program which includes significant outreach programs.
. Midwife Training Programs
. Tertiary education of local medical professionals.