Program Fact SheetThe Fistula Foundation, Ethiopia

September 2011

Program:TheFistulaFounda4on

Website:www.fistulafounda-on.org

Mission: TheMissionoftheFistulaFoundationistoraiseawarenessofandfundingfor4istulatreatment,prevention,andeducationalprogramsworldwide.HistoryoftheOrganiza4on:Dr.CatherineHamlincametoEthiopiain1959withhernowlatehusbandDr.ReginaldHamlin.Together,theyfoundedtheHamlinFistulaHospitalsin1974inthe

nation'scapitalcityofAddisAbaba.Today,itisthelargestfacilityintheworlddevotedexclusivelyto4istulacare.RichardHaasandhisdaughter,Shaleece,startedAmericanFriendsFoundationforChildbirthInjuries,laterknownasTheFistulaFoundation,aftervisitingtheAddisAbabaFistulaHospitalandbeingmovedbytheoasisofhealingcreatedthere.TheyreturnedtoCaliforniaandestablishedaUS‐basednon‐pro4itdedicatedtosupportingthetreatmentandpreventionactivitiesoftheFistulaHospital.In2003,ahighlypraisedNewYorkTimesOp‐EdbyPulitzerPrizewinningauthor,NicholasKristof,laudedtheworkofDr.Hamlinandraisedawarenessofandfundingforthehospital.

InJanuary2004,theOprahWinfreyShowinvitedDr.Hamlintospeakabouttheplightof4istulapatientsinEthiopia.Inthe4irstsixweeksafterherappearanceontheshow,over6,000donorscontributed$1.3millionthroughtheFistulaFoundationtoDr.Hamlin'scause.

WhereTheyWork:BesidesEthiopia,TheFistulaFoundationworksinAfghanistan,Angola,Bangladesh,Cameroon,Congo,Kenya,Niger,Nigeria,Senegal,andSomaliland.• Ethiopiaisoneoftheworld'spoorestcountries.Itisavastcountry—twicethesizeofTexas—withonly3,000milesofpavedroadsandapopulationof88million.

• Despitethediversityofthepeoples,thedynamiccultureandhistory,andthedramaticlandscape,thevastmajorityoftheEthiopianpopulationisimpoverished.Mostekeoutasubsistencelivingandhavevirtuallynoaccesstohealthcare.1

• EthiopiaisintheHornofAfrica,whererefugees4leeingdroughtandfaminearepouringinfromneighboringSomalia.

• LocatedinEastAfrica,Ethiopiaisdividedinto13self‐governingregions,eachwiththeirownlanguages,culturesandtraditions.

Dr.CatherineHamlin

• AmharicisEthiopia'sof4iciallanguage,buttherearenearly80locallanguagesspoken.

• Almosttwo‐thirdsofEthiopianpeopleareilliterate.Theeconomyrevolvesaroundagriculture,whichinturnreliesonrainfall.2

• Ethiopia'smainexportsincludecoffee,hides,oilseeds,beeswax,sugarcane.CoffeeiscriticaltotheEthiopianeconomywithexportsofsome$350millionin2006,buthistoricallylowpriceshaveseenmanyfarmersswitchingtoqa‐‐a4loweringplantusedasanamphetamine‐likestimulantandanillegalsubstanceinmanycountries‐‐tosupplementincome.3

• Today,Muslimsaccountfor45%ofthepopulation,EthiopianChristianOrthodoxfor35%,andotherreligionsincludinganimismaccountfortheremaining20%ofthepopulation.

• AddisAbaba(‘NewFlower’inAmharic)isthecapitalofEthiopia.

• UnderEthiopia'sconstitution,thestateownsalllandandprovideslong‐termleasestothetenants;“thesystemcontinuestohampergrowthintheindustrialsectorasentrepreneursareunabletouselandascollateralforloans.”4

HistoryoftheRegion:• Ethiopiaistheoldestindependentcountryin

Africaandoneoftheoldestintheworld‐‐atleast2,000years(maybetracedtotheAksumiteKingdom,whichcoalescedinthe4irstcenturyB.C.)5

• UnlikemanyAfricancountries,theancientEthiopianmonarchywasnevercolonized“withtheexceptionofashort‐livedItalianoccupationbyMussolinifrom1936‐41.”6

• Ethiopia'sRiftValleyisknownasthecradleofhumanity–fossilsoftheoldestknownuprighthominid,the3.5‐million‐year‐old'Lucy',werefoundtherein1974.7

• RecordsofEthiopianrulersdateback5000years,andtheQueenofSheba'sson,MenelikI,isregardedasthe4irstemperor.Menelik'sdynastycontinuedintotheearlytwentiethcenturywhenHaileSelassietookoverrule.8

• Accordingtolocaltradition,ancientEthiopianswereJewish.EthiopianOrthodoxyarrivedasearlyas330A.D.anduntiltheMarxistrevolution,therewereOrthodoxclergyinalmosteverytowninthecountry.9

2

Ethiopia:TheNeedforFistulaSurgery• FistulaisaseriousprobleminEthiopia.• Thematernaldeathrateisamongthehighestintheworld.

• Havingmanychildrenisextolled.AndanEthiopianwomanislikelytomarryasateenagerandgivebirthtosixchildren,notcoun-ngthoseshewillloseduringpregnancyorwithinthefirstfiveyearsoflife.

• PregnantwomencustomarilydelivertheirbabiesathomewithonlyafemaleelderinaFendance.

• Theclosestskilleddoctormaybehundredsofmilesaway.

• Thenumberofobstetriciansandgynecologistsisabysmallylow‐justoneforroughlyevery530,000people.

‐‐TheFistulaFounda-on

Youngpa-entsattheHamlinFistulaHospital.

TheProject:DFW'sdonationswillbeusedtotransformthelivesof66Ethiopianwomenfromonesofdevastatingisolationandincontinencetoonesofhealthanddignity;thesewomenwillbetreatedforthechildbirthinjury,obstetric@istula,attheHamlinFistulaHospitalsinEthiopia.

TheHamlinFistulaHospital,alsoknownastheAddisAbabaFistulaHospital,wasfoundedinresponsetothehiddenepidemicof4istula.

TheHospitalisknowngloballyasacenterofexcellencein4istulatreatmentandanoasisofhealingforthewomentreatedthere.Thewomenwho4indtheirwaytotheFistulaHospitalhavesufferedbothphysicalandpsychologicaltraumas.TheHospitalisdedicatedtotheirholistictreatment,fromrepairingtheirinjuriestorestoringtheirdignity.

Tohelpwomenintheprovinceswhoneed4istulacareandtoprevent4istulas,theFistulaHospitalhasbuilt4ivenewregionalhospitals.

DiningforWomen’sdonationswillprovide66needywomenwithfree,safesurgerytorepairtheirdevastatinginjuriesandalsoprovidepost‐operativecare.Thiscarewillgivethesewomenasecondchanceatlife,returningtheirhealthanddignityandenablingthemtocontributetotheirfamiliesandcommunity.

3

WhatisFistula?

Obstetricfistulaisthemostdevasta4ngandseriousofallchildbirthinjuries.Ithappensbecausemostmothersinpoorcountriesgivebirthwithoutanymedicalhelp.Somanyare

younggirls.

Complica-onsfrompregnancyandchildbirthareamongtheleadingcausesofdeathanddisability

forwomenofreproduc-veageinEthiopia.

ObstetricfistulawaseradicatedintheUnitedStatesmorethan100yearsagothankstoemergencycesareansec-onsurgery.

ARerenduringdaysofagonizing,obstructedlaborawoman'sbodyisliterallybrokenby

childbirth.Duringlaborcontrac-ons,thebaby'sheadisconstantlypushingagainstthemother’spelvicbone—causing-ssuetodieduetolackof

bloodflowtothisarea.Allofthatpushingcreatesahole,orinmedicaltermsa"fistula",betweenthebirthpassageandaninternal

organsuchasthebladderorrectum.Awomancannotholdherurine,andsome-mesbowel

contentaswell.

Herbabyisunlikelytosurvive.Ifshesurvives,awomanwithfistulaislikelytoberejectedbyherhusbandbecauseofherinabilitytobearmorechildrenandherfoulsmell.Shewillbeshunnedbyhercommunityandforcedtoliveanisolated

existence.Thesewomensufferprofoundpsychologicaltraumaresul-ngfromtheiruFerlossofstatusanddignity,inaddi-ontosufferingconstantlyfromtheirphysicalinternalinjury.

‐‐TheFistulaFounda-on

Sinceitsincep-on,surgeonsattheHamlinFistulaHospitalhaveoperatedon35,000girlsandwomen,atnocosttothepa-ents.

ProjectBudget:$31,404.39

$450isanapproximatecostperpa-ent. Thisincludes:

• Surgery• Post‐opera-vecare• Rehabilita-on• Transporta-on costs(forexample,busfarehome)• Newdress

$450isanaveragefigure;more complicated surgeries,eg.trea-ngbothvaginalandrectalfistulas,extensivescarringandnervedamage,canbemorecostly.

HowTheyMeasureSuccess:SurgeonsandhospitalsthatreceivegrantfundingfromtheFistulaFoundationarerequiredtoprovideregularanddetailedreportstotheFoundation.Thesereportsincludedetailedbudgetsdescribingtheirspending,andnarrativedescribingtheiractivitiesandservicesprovidedaswellasanychallengesencountered.

Inaddition,theFistulaFoundationasksdoctorstosharetheirperspectivesascareprovidersandtosendonepatientstoryeachyearandaphotograph.

Successmeansrepairingpatients’4istulas,puttinganendtothesufferingcausedbytheirphysicalinternalinjury,andhelpingthemovercomeprofoundpsychologicaltraumaresultingfromtheirlossofstatusanddignity.

4

TheFistulaFounda-onworksto

empowerdedicatedlocaldoctors

indevelopingcountriesby

providinggrantstocoverthecosts

ofpa-ents’fistulasurgery.

Surgeryfor66Women*[$450perpa4ent]

$30,000

Educa-onalDVDs $1,000

Envelopes $92.39

Postage $312.00

Total $31,404.39

Eachpa-entreceivessurgery,post‐opera-vecare,rehabilita-on,transporta-oncosts,andanewdress.

TheFistulaFounda4onFinancialProfileProgramExpenses...80.6%AdministrativeExpenses...9.7%FundraisingExpenses...9.6%

TheFistulaFoundationconsistentlydirectsmorethan75%ofexpensestoprogramandhasachievedafourstarCharityNavigatorratingforfourconsecutiveyears,ranking the Fistula Foundation as one of the top 5% of all U.S. charities.

Sources:

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1The Fistula Foundation http://www.fistulafoundation.org/wherewehelp/ethiopia/about.html

2BBC World News http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13349398

3CIA World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/et.html

4Ibid

5Ibid

6Ibid

7The Fistula Foundation http://www.fistulafoundation.org/wherewehelp/ethiopia/about.html

8Ibid

9Ibid