For five years, Awa lived with an injury she could not escape.
Awa developed obstetric fistula after a complicated childbirth in Burkina Faso.
Pregnant with her sixth child and without access to prenatal care, she experienced a prolonged and traumatic labor.
Her baby did not survive.
Awa was left with obstetric fistula.
The injury brought constant physical challenges, but its effects quickly spread into the rest of her life.
She faced stigma in her community.
She became separated from her children.
And the support she needed began to disappear.
She tried to find treatment.
Twice, surgery failed to heal the injury.
Awa did not give up easily.
She sought medical care and underwent two surgeries in hopes of repairing the fistula.
Neither was successful.
As the years passed, the disappointment became harder to carry.
Even members of her family began to lose hope that she could ever be healed.
At her lowest point, Awa felt alone and uncertain that life could change.
For five years, fistula shaped where she could go, how others treated her, and what she believed was possible.
Then Awa learned about ARENA Medical Center.
Another chance at treatment became a turning point.
Awa eventually heard about ARENA Medical Center in Ouagadougou.
With help from the ARENA team, she was able to make the journey to the center and receive specialized care.
There, Awa found something she had been searching for through years of unsuccessful treatment:
hope that healing was still possible.
She underwent another surgery.
This time, the repair was successful.
Healing opened the door to rebuilding.
Awa received support for what came after surgery, too.
Treatment repaired the physical injury, but Awa also needed a path back into everyday life.
Through ARENA, she participated in vocational training designed to help her rebuild independence and create greater stability for herself and her family.
Today, Awa is healed and back in her community.
She is focused on caring for her children and building a more sustainable future.
After five years of fistula, two unsuccessful surgeries, and years of uncertainty, Awa describes the change simply:
“I have a real new life. Thank you.”
A new life after years of waiting.
Awa’s story is a reminder that even women who have already undergone unsuccessful treatment should not be written off.
Complex fistula cases can require specialized care, experienced medical teams, and another chance.
For Awa, that chance changed everything.
She can care for her children.
She can rebuild her livelihood.
She can participate in her community again.
And after years of being told, directly or indirectly, that healing might never come, she can look toward the future with hope.
Help Give Women Another Chance at Healing
Awa had already undergone two unsuccessful surgeries before she reached the specialized care that finally repaired her fistula.
Your support helps locally led partners provide treatment, reintegration, and vocational support so women can move from injury toward independence and hope.
