These Ladies

Can you imagine how it would feel to be constantly leaking urine? To become outcasted from your community? To have no one speak to you or touch you because you smell, and you leave a patch of wetness where ever you go? To have your husband leave you because apparently you must have committed some terrible sin against Allah or God to have either of them do this to you.

I cant.

I cant imagine how it must feel to have no one speak to me, to have no one touch me or to constantly feel wet from urine running down my legs, to be outed from my community. I dont want to imagine what it might be like, but for these women it is a daily reality. Their stories are all too similar. Each and every story I hear breaks my heart a little more. I was in labour for 2,3,4,5 days and the baby died. I have been leaking for 2,5,10,20 years. My husband abandoned me after the baby died and I when I started leaking. This is a disease of poverty in its worst kind. It is caused by a lack of maternal health care, a lack of understanding, and a lack of womens rights because women just aren't seen as important here.

We are just over half way through the six week block of VVF surgery on board for this outreach and for the most part the majority of women have danced, and prasied and gone home dry, including 5 of my ladies from last year Josephine, Sabine, Veronique, Rosali and Yaba. (Germaine is having surgery this week). How awesome it is to be a part of that and to be able to show them the love and affection that they have been craving and aching for for so long. But there are some that have had their surgeries and despite having one of the best fistula surgeons in the world they are still leaking. Two ladies in particular have both had 2 operations since being here and both times their surgeries have failed. They literally break my heart and I just dont understand how or why it happens. I know I can only see what is right in front of me and that God sees the whole picture but it doesnt mean I understand it any more. I'm sure Fati and Nimanbe are wondering why and questioning how could this happen as well. I know they are hurting too.

Here are a few of the pictures from the screening day I helped out with a few weeks ago.

Aren't they beautiful?