Beyond Fistula

Siantayo is a teenaged girl in Kenya. She has a mother, a father, and eight siblings - four girls and four boys. Siantayo was born with a fistula and has had many surgeries to try to correct it. Now she has a colostomy to manage. She likes studying and feels blessed to have support in her education.

Cynthia is a brilliant girl who was orphaned at an early age. She is the first born in her family. She was born with a fistula and was repaired at the age of 12yrs. She wants to become a doctor so that she can help repair people with fistulas. She also wants to take the responsibility of helping her siblings once she is done with school. She feels very fortunate to have the opportunity to be at school.

Phelistus grew up living with ten siblings and her parents. At a young age, she fell in love with a traveling herds boy and became pregnant. Phelistus had a long, obstructed labor that, sadly, ended in her infant dying. She traveled to Eldoret seeking help for her trauma, and had her wounds surgically repaired. A Little 4 A Lot helped Phelistus with tuition fees and she is enrolled at Madira Girls School. She is currently at the top of her class with straight As, dreams of becoming a science teacher, and expects to graduate in 2018.

Emmanuel is a young boy whose mother is a survivor of obstetric fistula. This condition made it difficult for her to work, and she and her sons were abandoned by the father. He has his grandparents in his life, but he and his brother and mother are houseless and have periods of surviving on only one meal a day. Emmanuel very much wants to learn. When he is not in school he loves playing with his brother.

has both parents, was raped by a family member 2 yrs ago leading to internal damage/fistula. She is not safe at home and is being raised by the women in the Beyond Fistula program as her mother doesn't feel she can be kept safe at home.

Pauline Moraa Pauline is a shy, bright, seven-year-old who is currently doing well in school after recovering from an unsafe family situation. Her loving grandparents sent her to Beyond Fistula due to concerns for her safety, and she has now happily adjusted to life here. The older women at Beyond Fistula are like her big sisters, and she loves her new 'family', as well as the opportunity to pursue her education.