For more than ten years, Carolyne Lwiki from Bungoma County lived in quiet pain, isolated by the effects of obstetric fistula. Each day was a struggle, shadowed by shame and the loss of dignity that the condition brings.

But her story took a new turn when she finally received life-changing surgery that restored her health — and her hope. Yet true healing, as Carolyne discovered, is more than physical. Through the Integrated Fistula Program, and with the support of Hand in Hand East Africa, she joined a 10-day enterprise development training that opened a new chapter in her life.

Armed with practical business skills and a renewed sense of purpose, Carolyne started a small grocery business in her village. What began as a modest idea quickly grew into a source of pride and independence. With every sale, she began rebuilding not just her livelihood, but her confidence and joy.

Today, Carolyne is more than a survivor — she is a pillar of strength in her community. She actively identifies and refers other women for fistula screening and treatment, determined that no woman around her should suffer in silence as she once did.

Her journey reminds us that when a woman is healed, an entire community begins to heal too.