Basalirwa’s Story: Healing, Independence, and a New Beginning
In April 2020, Basalirwa began feeling labor pains. She had given birth before, so at first she believed it might be false labor. Recently separated from her husband and supporting herself, she had only been able to afford one antenatal appointment during her second trimester.
When the pain continued into the next day, Basalirwa went to a clinic. She was told that her baby was not ready to be born, and she returned home to wait. Another day passed without delivery before a health worker realized the baby was lying dangerously across her womb.
By then, Basalirwa was exhausted.
“I was exhausted and passed out. I woke up in hospital. I later got to know that my brothers supported me on a passenger motorcycle to the hospital in the night.”
When she regained consciousness, Basalirwa immediately wanted to know what had happened to her baby.
Her baby had died.
Then she noticed something else.
“When I gained conscience, I asked where my baby [was] in vain. Later, I noticed I was wet nonstop.”
The prolonged, complicated labor had caused two fistulas. One created an opening between her bladder and vagina, resulting in uncontrollable urine leakage. The other formed between her rectum and vagina, causing gas and stool to leak as well.
Basalirwa needed separate surgeries to repair the two injuries. Both procedures were successful.
Physical healing was an enormous step, but Basalirwa still faced another challenge: rebuilding a life that had already become financially difficult before fistula. Since separating from her husband, supporting herself had been hard. She had previously tried selling secondhand clothing, but the business collapsed, in part because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and her savings disappeared with it.
As Basalirwa worked with TERREWODE’s social workers during reintegration, she began thinking seriously about how she could earn an income again. Economic empowerment sessions gave her an opportunity to explore different types of businesses and develop practical entrepreneurial skills.
“When I met with the team from TERREWODE, I told them that I needed to learn some entrepreneurial skills. I informed them of the business I had before.”
The conversations helped Basalirwa begin imagining a new way forward.
“They discussed different business options and appealed to all of us to do something and earn personal income after a fistula treatment.”
Basalirwa developed a plan to buy and sell tomatoes. Soon after leaving the hospital, she approached her mother for startup money and received the equivalent of $24 USD to purchase her first stock in February 2021.
The small investment became a working business.
At the time the story was documented, Basalirwa was selling an average of two baskets of tomatoes each week and earning approximately $80 per month. For a woman rebuilding after separation, business loss, childbirth injury, and surgery, that income represented something larger than tomatoes. It represented a growing ability to support herself.
Basalirwa continued working with TERREWODE and participated in additional entrepreneurial training covering marketing, pricing, positioning, and record keeping. She also learned how to produce liquid soap and bar soap, giving her another potential source of income.
Her next goal was to combine the two.
“When I return home, I’m going to add on liquid soap to my tomato business to diversify my sources of income.”
Basalirwa believed there was strong demand for soap during the pandemic and saw an opportunity to make her business more resilient by selling more than one product.
Her story shows why healing after fistula can extend far beyond the operating room. Two surgeries repaired the physical injuries caused by childbirth, but reintegration helped Basalirwa begin rebuilding the independence that years of financial hardship had threatened.
She left treatment with more than restored health. She left with a business plan, new skills, and confidence that she could create income for herself again.
Help Healing Become Independence
For Basalirwa, successful surgery was only part of rebuilding. Business training gave her practical tools to earn income again and create greater financial stability on her own terms.
Your support helps locally led partners pair specialized fistula treatment with the reintegration and economic opportunities women need to move forward.
