Carolyne Lwiki: A Fistula Champion Transforming Lives in Bungoma County
For more than ten years, Carolyne Lwiki from Bungoma County lived in quiet pain, isolated
From Despair to Hope: The Miraculous Recovery of a Fistula Survivor in Kilifi County, Kenya May 23, 2025
In Kilifi County, Kenya, we met Judith Maangi Mweri, a 35-year-old woman whose story echoes
After living with obstetric fistula for more than ten years, Carolyne Lwiki knows what it means to lose dignity — and what it takes to reclaim it. Following life-changing surgery through the Integrated Fistula Program, Carolyne didn’t just heal physically; she rebuilt her future. With enterprise training supported by Hand in Hand East Africa, she launched a small grocery business that now provides stability, pride, and independence. Today, Carolyne is also a fistula champion, actively identifying and referring other women for screening and treatment so they don’t suffer in silence. Her journey shows how healing one woman can uplift an entire community.
Judith Mweri’s joy after childbirth quickly turned into a year of pain and unanswered questions as her fistula went undiagnosed. After multiple failed attempts to get help, she lost hope — until a simple text message about a fistula camp changed everything. Judith reached the camp at Kilifi County Referral Hospital, received surgery, and began her recovery with renewed confidence. When an accident caused the fistula to return, a follow-up call ensured she accessed a second successful operation. Now healed, Judith speaks openly in her community, encouraging women to seek care early and reminding them that treatment is possible.
For nearly 30 years, Elaine* lived quietly with a recto-vaginal fistula after traumatic deliveries and repeated neglect in care. She survived by hiding her condition, limiting food, avoiding travel, and enduring daily humiliation in silence. In 2022, Elaine saw a TV feature on fistula and realized she was not alone — and that help existed. Though she struggled to afford transport, she finally reached a camp at Thika Level 5 Hospital and underwent successful surgery. Today, Elaine is free, hopeful, and speaking out so other women can be found and treated earlier — not decades later.
2nd December
Carolyne Lwiki: A Fistula Champion Transforming Lives in Bungoma County
For more than ten years, Carolyne Lwiki from Bungoma County lived in quiet pain, isolated
2nd December
From Despair to Hope: The Miraculous Recovery of a Fistula Survivor in Kilifi County, Kenya May 23, 2025
In Kilifi County, Kenya, we met Judith Maangi Mweri, a 35-year-old woman whose story echoes
2nd December
Elaine’s Journey: Finding Freedom After 30 Years of Silence
Elaine* is a 51-year-old mother of three from Nairobi County. Her story is one of
6th October
I Took Over The Counter Medication As I Could Not Afford Treatment
Caroline Naliaka Wafula is a 30-year-old mother of four living in Sikanga village in Bungoma
26th May
Cost of treatment was too high
Anifa Adhiambo, a 32-year-old mother of three (3) living in Mwiki, in Nairobi. She developed
28th September
My struggle with perineal fistula
African culture places a high value on marriage and having children. In most African cultures