Barefoot by the River

An obstetric fistula (an abnormal opening between a woman’s genital tract and her urinary tract or rectum) occurs when a mother has a prolonged, obstructed labour, but doesn’t have access to emergency medical care, such as a C-section. She often labours in excruciating pain for days. Tragically, her baby usually dies.

Every year, hundreds of fistula sufferers endure an arduous trek over tens to hundreds of kilometres to seek treatment at the Hamlin Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Many of these women will do this barefoot.

Women who experience obstetric fistula suffer constant incontinence, shame, social segregation and health problems. It is estimated that more than 2 million young women live with untreated obstetric fistula in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa

Hamlin Fistula NZ is committed to providing ongoing support for fistula surgery and for the preventive work of the midwives. The hospital in Addis Ababa has become a centre of excellence to which doctors from other countries come to learn and master the specialist skills of fistula surgery.

Hamlin Charitable Fistula Hospitals Trust is a Kiwi charity which was created in 2005, with the support of Dr Catherine Hamlin, to raise funds for the the Hamlin work in Ethiopia. Initially this was for fistula surgery and establishing the five outlying regional hospitals. With the introduction of midwifery training in 2007, HFNZ has moved to primarily supporting midwifery centres.

​The Trustees and their helpers do all their work as volunteers. Administration expenses are kept to a minimum. The policy is to use 100% of all general donations for the treatment of fistula and the advancement of midwifery work in Ethiopia, to save the next generation of young women from tragic birth injuries