Fistula

Fortunately, by the grace of God and with the help of our supporters, we have an opportunity to not only cure this medical condition but also to give these women their lives back. At the Danja Fistula Center, located in south-central Niger, specialized doctors and nurses provide the medical, emotional, mental, and spiritual care that these women so desperately need and can rarely find elsewhere. Women travel to Danja from all over Niger as well as bordering Nigeria to find the help and relief they need.

An obstetric fistula is a passageway that forms between the birth canal and the bladder or colon as a result of complicated pregnancy. The high rate of arranged adolescent marriages and pregnancies along with a general lack of pre-natal care makes this condition far more common in Niger than in developed countries. Following the development of a fistula, women continuously leak urine and/or feces with no ability to control it. Because of this condition, women may be divorced, kicked out of their home, and stripped of their children. They are viewed simply as “unclean”. An impossible situation becomes utterly hopeless. 

Since 2012 the Danja Fistula Center has offered a multi-tiered program to tackle the epidemic of obstetric fistula in Niger. In addition to providing the surgical repair for women, a good deal of effort is invested in a prevention program which provides education in rural villages concerning the causes of fistula as well as transportation for women in prolonged labor. After all, the only thing better than curing a fistula is preventing it from happening in the first place. In addition to efforts made prior to the need for surgery, the Danja Fistula Center offers a unique reintegration program for women following fistula surgery. This program includes 3 months of vocational skills training to teach them embroidery, sewing, and knitting, as well as offering literacy training. By learning a new skill these women who were once outcasts among their people are able to return to their homes as an asset to their entire community. During this post-operative healing time, women are also invited to participate in daily Bible studies with on-site chaplains as well as meet with a counselor to address the psychological trauma endured as a result of social stigmatization. All of this takes place on the grounds of the medical facility where women are given houses to live in and food to eat during their entire stay. This truly is a holistic approach as women are cared for physically, emotionally, and spiritually throughout their time at the fistula center. 

With the help of our partners, through prayer and finances, this beautiful ministry will be able to continue. These women have little if any ability to contribute to the expenses incurred during treatment, so the Danja Fistula Center is 100% donor supported. We ask for your help in spreading awareness about this country and this condition, as well as your consideration in partnering with us financially. For more information visit us on Facebook and Instagram. For giving information click here.

Partners

View pages for some of our partners who have made the fistula work here possible: