Beyond Fistula

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.

Nivea is fifteen years old from Uganda. Both her parents have low income. She comes from a family of nine children whereby she's the first born.She has both grandparents living. She got fistula when she was fourteen years old and stayed with it for one year before getting treatment. She's dry now. She is willing to learn, and she will like to become a nurse when she grows up. She likes playing football.

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.

Juliet was born the second of eight siblings. She dreamed of being a doctor until, at age 13, she became pregnant. She carried her baby to term, suffering injuries during the birth. She learned of a clinic in Eldoret that could help her. There, she found the medical help she needed and she was able to imagine going back to school. She continues to dream of becoming a doctor. Her parents are now caring for her child to allow Juliet to study. She has eagerly returned to school this year at the Pratrician School.

After Brenda's family was abandoned by their father, she and her four siblings were raised by their working mother. She became pregnant at the young age of 16, and eventually gave birth to a stillborn child. She had a very difficult delivery and required surgery. She was fortunate to find a clinic in Eldoret that provided the surgery she needed to heal. During her recovery, she dreamed of returning to school to study her favorite subject, English, and become a teacher. She is now a studious member of Class 7 at St. Joan's Academy, and is on track to graduate in 2020.

Jackline was born with a fistula. She is the first born in her family and is from a humble background. Her parents are peasant farmers and sometimes the climate conditions are so harsh that they can hardly produce enough food for the family. The parents survive from casual labor. This sometimes can be seasonal. It took her 15 years before she got repaired. Her parents had tried to take her to other hospitals for treatment but were unable to raise the required amount of money for treatment, which caused Jackline to despair. She was lucky to be among the patients who were brought to The Gynocare Fistula Center for free surgery. She was identified by "A Little 4 A Lot" and sponsored to school. She is very grateful and considers herself lucky. She wants to work hard and succeed so that she can help her younger siblings.