Birke G/Mariam was born and raised in Tselemti, western Tigray. She comes from a family of farmers. Birke describes her childhood as a happy one, until her family decided to marry her off at the young age of 15.  Shortly after getting married, she became pregnant.

Her pregnancy, however, brought unimaginable challenges. Birke endured two weeks of labor at home, suffering excruciating pain. Her family eventually took her to a health center, but the facility was unable to handle her case and referred her to Shire Hospital some 77 kilometers away. At the hospital, she underwent a Caesarean section. While the doctors saved her life, they were unable to save her baby. Alongside the grief of losing her child, Birke faced another devastating challenge: obstetric fistula which led to urinary incontinence. Her condition brought immense shame, isolating her from her family and community.  

Mums for Mums, supported by UNFPA, works across the Tigray region to identify women like Birke suffering from obstetric fistula assisting them in accessing care. Following a screening process, they were able to identify her condition. She was referred to the Hamlin Fistula Center in Mekele where she was finally able to get medical treatment.  

There she was able to meet with women who had a similar condition and had either recovered or were in the process of recovery.  To Birke, this brought a sense of relief. She was reassured that she too could recover to live a long and healthy life. 

Due to the complexity of her condition, Birke underwent five surgeries before she was fully cured. “They provided me with clean clothes, helped me bathe, and served me with nutritious meals,” says Birke, speaking about her stay at the Hamlin Fistula Center during her treatment. 

Hamlin is Born

When Birke returned to the Hamlin Fistula Center in Mekele, it was to give birth to a happy and healthy baby girl. Becoming pregnant again was both miraculous and deeply emotional for her considering the pain of the past - the protracted labor, the loss of her child, and developing fistula. She named her baby girl Hamlin. “I named my daughter after the place that gave me hope, and gave life to my daughter,” Birke says, filled with gratitude. 

Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia provides comprehensive, lifelong care for women who suffered obstetric fistula. After the initial surgical treatment to repair the fistula, survivors are encouraged to return to the Hamlin Fistula hospital or its five fistula centers across the country for any future deliveries. 

In 2024 alone, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s clinical team performed 4,272 surgeries, achieving a fistula closure rate of 93%, transforming the lives of countless women.

Midwives who graduated from the Hamlin College of Midwives under Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia are also bringing safe motherhood to rural communities. The midwives delivered close to 36 thousand babies last year, a 26% increase from the previous year. 

Hamlin, Birke’s daughter, is five years old now. She recently returned to the Hamlin Fistula Center in Mekele to give birth to another child. She made a very difficult  journey to get to the center as access to transportation remained limited after the devastating conflict in Tigray. But Birke knew her decision was critical.