A local health care outreach worker points out educational materials developed to help women and families understand more about safe motherhood and the risks of fistula.

Photo: Dorthe Pederson

Kiuvlini Women’s Rights Project is based in Mwanza, Tanzania and is well-known for its outreach efforts to rural communities through meetings and through thoughfully crafted radio announcements and other media. Kivulini, which primarily works on domestic violence issues, has taken an interest in obstetric fistula because fistula survivors have reported domestic abuse to Kivulini. The Kivulini staff have expertise in creating awareness of treatment options for women who suffer from fistula and who may not yet know that free treatment is available. 90% of women surveyed in Bugando Medical Center’s fistula ward (another of One By One’s grantees) said they learned about the availability of free treatment via the radio.

Kivulini also has expertise in creating radio announcements and meetings to discuss prevention issues such as the importance of having a skilled birth attendant attend each and every birth.

One By One is proud to add Kivulini to our grantee list for 2008. This grant fits well with our current work for three reasons. Firstly the treatment awareness work will help drive more patients toward BMC’s fistula treatment program where we have just granted funds to handle 48 more patients in addition to the 300 that BMC commits to caring for in 2009.

And secondly, this will be our first grant in the prevention side of obstetric fistula. We look forward to learning from Kivulini about the best practices of getting good messaging out and getting it out the right ears. And thirdly, Kivulini, along with Women's Dignity Project, based in Tanzania, have identified that helping newly cured women reintegrate into their communities is a top priority. Therefore, a portion of the One By One grant will be used to conduct community meetings and create radio announcements to educate communities about the facts of surviving fistula and how to help women return home and live satisfying and productive lives amongst their friends and family.

2009 will be an exciting year with Kivulini as a grantee.