African Women And The End Of Fistula 

Greenbelt Maryland - Living in a country where the last hospital to treat this disease - which has reduced women in Africa & Asia to walking corpses - closed down over a hundred years ago in 1895, it is disheartening to know that our women especially those living below poverty lines still live with this condition that is not only treatable, but also preventable. 

Obstetrics Fistula is a condition caused by prolonged and obstructed labor, usually lasting days without a C-Section. The baby usually ends up dying, while a hole is formed between the vagina, rectum and bladder due to a shortage of blood supply to the tissues. These tissues soon rot away leaving a hole (fistula), which causes the woman to loose control over her urination and/or bowels. 

In 2004, U.S talk show queen Oprah Winfrey set out to Ethiopia to tell the fistula story to the world. The show succeeded not only in doing just that, but also in putting human faces to the statistics we see today. 

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimated that every minute, one woman dies as a consequence of pregnancy and childbirth. For each woman who dies, another 15-30 women are seriously injured or disabled during labor. The most serious of these injuries is fistula. Today two million women live with fistula worldwide. 

In May 2006, Nenye Productions collaborated with the Fistula Foundation to organize an award evening Celebrating Africa Motherhood (CAM) in honor women and mothers of African descent. The evening was designed to raise awareness and funds towards the eradication of fistula, and ultimately send out a message to women in Africa and worldwide that there is hope and help. 

Hosted by AIT U.S Correspondent Oyiza Adaba and Angelique Shofar of Radio Pacifica, CAM honored Pastor Chrys Johnson, senior pastor of Bethel World Outreach Ministry, Mrs. Rose Mensah CEO of Nina International. Other honorees were Mrs. Jacqueline Kakembo, president of African and American Women's Association and Dr. Chinwe Effiong, Africare's regional director for East & Anglophone West Africa. A special presentation was made to Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as she received the “Mother Africa Award”.  

In a statement read on her behalf by Mrs. Ophelia Johnson, the first female president of an African nation reminded women of Africa that ‘motherhood goes beyond the immediate families and extends to the communities, countries and the entire continent’. She called on African women to continue to uplift the continent. 

Highlights of the evening were traditional African performances, poetry recitation and a fashion show. There were also special presentations by representatives of UNFPA and the Fistula Foundation, both resounding the message of hope. 

The four beautiful and talented ladies behind Nenye Productions, deserving of a standing ovation are Nenye Njoku, Keke Bongos, Klubo Subah & Ewurabena Mills-Robertson. 

For more information on how you can help, visit www.fistulafoundation.org

Article by Oyiza Adaba - a U.S-based International Correspondent and a contributor to this service. Pictures by Chris Bruns

 
Mrs. Ophelia Johnson representing President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia

 
  Nenye Njoku President Nenye Productions

CAM honoree Mrs. Jacqueline Kakembo

Presenter Mrs. Jeannine Scott Senior V.P Africare

CAM honoreee Pastor Chrys Johnson  (Left)  Dr. Chinwe Effiong