Sunday, September 29, 2019

Seeing Tears Turn into Smiles

by Loy Tumusiime, Reproductive Health Program Coordinator

It had been a boisterous day filled with stories and camaraderie. The UVP office was filled with all of our Fistula Ambassadors. It’s one of my favorite activities because I get to hear many stories about successes; our Fistula Ambassadors conduct educational outreaches in faraway places. They cover about 4,000 square miles in eastern Uganda. Today, I got to catch up with Aidah who made the trek to Iganga even though she is expecting her baby any day. As a former fistula patient, Aidah has been reflecting on her previous birth experience.

After a prolonged labor, Aidah left the hospital with what turned out to be a very complicated fistula. Her first husband, distraught by the loss of the baby and his wife’s health condition, left. After one year of living with fistula, Aidah attended a UVP fistula camp and received treatment that resulted in the successful closure of the fistula. She was so grateful for the services, she started conducting informal educational outreaches – before UVP established the Fistula Ambassador program. Once UVP partnered with The Fistula Foundation and established the Fistula Ambassador program, Aidah didn’t have to think about the offer to become a Fistula Ambassador. Her passion for educating women on how to avoid fistula shines brightly six years later.

Now remarried, Aidah is expecting her baby any day and she and her husband have prepared very well with a small savings that will provide them transport to the health center and supplies needed to support a healthy and safe delivery. When I asked Aidah what inspired her to keep acting as a Fistula Ambassador, even traveling in the final days of her pregnancy, she had this to say: “When I see a woman leave the village crying only to return with a smile on her face, I know her life has been changed, just like mine was.”

To find out more about UVP’s fistula program, visit our website. You can support Aidah’s work to educate women in remote places by making a contribution to reproductive health programming!