A Young Leader Helping Prevent Fistula in Kenya
She is helping prevent those injuries in the first place.
A student in Bungoma County, Kenya, Zuena serves as Treasurer of the Young Champions Fistula Club, a youth initiative supported by the Let’s End Fistula Initiative, or LEFI.
For the past three years, she has taken part in leadership training and used what she has learned to educate other young people about reproductive health, early pregnancy, education, and obstetric fistula.
Leadership started with courage.
Zuena learned that her voice could influence others.
Stepping into leadership required confidence.
But Zuena did not let fear stop her.
“I did not fear. This position has really helped me, and the education I’ve received through this organization has allowed me to improve the lives of other girls.”
Through the Young Champions Fistula Club, Zuena has developed the skills and confidence to speak openly about issues that are often difficult to discuss.
And she has taken those conversations far beyond the club itself.
She brings prevention into her community.
School holidays become an opportunity to teach.
When school is out, Zuena spends time raising awareness in her village and church.
She talks with community members about obstetric fistula, including what causes it, the risks surrounding dangerous childbirth, and the fact that fistula can be both prevented and treated.
For many of the people she speaks with, this is information they have never heard before.
By making the issue easier to understand and talk about, Zuena is helping replace silence with knowledge.
At school, she speaks directly to her peers.
Staying in school can be part of prevention.
Zuena also talks with fellow students about reproductive health and the risks associated with early pregnancy.
She encourages girls to remain in school and delay marriage, helping them think about the choices and opportunities that can shape their futures.
Her advocacy is rooted in empathy rather than judgment.
She wants other girls to understand their health, recognize their own potential, and feel confident making decisions about their lives.
Her school and village have reported a notable reduction in teenage pregnancies during the period of this work.
Her leadership keeps reaching further.
What began in a school club has opened new doors.
Zuena’s advocacy has earned recognition beyond her immediate community.
She has been invited to speak at Diamond Trust Bank, which supports girls from low-income backgrounds, and has met representatives from TV47 News, who expressed interest in sharing her story with a broader audience.
Local hospitals and clinics also recognize her as a trusted youth leader.
Each opportunity gives Zuena another chance to carry the same message forward:
Young people can be part of the solution.
“Tell yourself, ‘I’m a leader.’”
For Zuena, leadership is not simply about holding a title.
It is about helping other people see what is possible.
“Tell yourself, ‘I’m a leader.’ Because a leader is someone who inspires others to do more, become more, and think more.”
Her message to other young people is grounded in confidence and responsibility.
“If you take this seriously and work according to your ability, you are going to change many lives. Trust in yourself, and tell yourself, ‘I’m a leader.’”
Prevention can begin with one young person speaking up.
Zuena’s story shows what prevention can look like long before a woman reaches a hospital.
It can look like a student learning about reproductive health.
A girl deciding to stay in school.
A conversation about delaying early pregnancy.
A young leader explaining fistula to a community that had never heard of it before.
Through LEFI and the Young Champions Fistula Club, Zuena is helping make those conversations possible.
And every conversation has the potential to change what happens next.
Help Young Leaders Prevent the Next Injury
Ending fistula requires treatment for women living with it today and prevention for the girls and women who come next.
Your support helps locally led partners equip young people like Zuena with the knowledge, confidence, and leadership skills to strengthen their communities.
