This year's major project for LIL has been focused on working with women in the West African country of Sierra Leone who suffer from obstetric fistula. This is an enormous project that we will be putting our energy into for many years to come. |
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Obstetric fistula is a devastating health issue for over two million women around the world and is one that we don't think about in developed countries like the U.S. anymore. Women birthing here have access to emergency health care during difficult/prolonged labor which is the primary cause of obstetric fistulas treated in the clinic we will be working with. |
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Follow this link to understand what a fistula is, how it is caused and how it affects the women who suffer from it without reprieve: What is a Fistula?
We are still in the planning stages of working out how LIL will be collaborating with our chosen NGO for the fistula project and will be sending a small group to an independently run clinic in Bo, Sierra Leone. |
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| For this amazing project, LIL will be working with Dr. Darius Maggi, MD and the West Africa Fistula Foundation (W.A.F.F.). The West Africa Fistula Foundation was founded by Dr. Maggi who is also the primary surgeon and benefactor of the clinic facility in Sierra Leone. They are a fabulous organization which has created a comprehensive care plan for all the women the clinic serves. We are honored to be collaborating with them and proud to say the West Africa Fistula Foundation has been well received by the people of Sierra Leone. In 2009, W.A.F.F. received an award as Best NGO in the southern province of Sierra Leone and received a civic award for Charity Organization of the year in Bo from the civic organization there. |
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| We are very excited to work with an organization that is accepted and respected by the people it seeks to serve and is able to do so much for so many with so very little resources. Dr. Maggi travels to Sierra Leone every three months to perform as many surgeries as possible and work with the medical staff in the clinic. He gleans medical supplies from the hospital he used to work at. We are going to help get vitamins, sutures and as many medical supplies as our local hospitals will donate for our trip. The number of surgeries performed each trip Dr. Maggi makes to Sierra Leone from his home in Denison, Texas is based upon the amount of funds available for the procedures as well as the amount of outreach to women. The average number of surgeries has grown per trip and he has made over forty-eight trips to date with no plans of slowing down anytime soon. |
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| Dr. Maggi has dedicated his retirement after a successful twenty-two year career as an OB/GYN in the U.S. to giving back to those most in need. After traveling to Sierra Leone in 2002, he was inspired to provide surgery options to a population recovering from chaos and that passion shows in the care the women of Sierra Leone receive. Each woman is housed for about six months total to ensure her body is healthy before the procedure is done; she is provided with all of her meals, given vitamins to help her grow strong and monitored by the staff to be sure she heals properly after surgery. |
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| When the LIL team travels to Sierra Leone, we will be assisting with after surgery care, childcare, outreach and whatever else is needed. The goals we have set for ourselves in regards to this initial trip are to 1) see first hand what the women suffering from fistula are living with, 2) create a connection with these women and the clinic staff, and 3) share our experiences with people in the U.S. for educational and fund-raising purposes. |
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| We ask as a whole that you give what you can through the LIL website to help us help W.A.F.F. as much as possible. If you don't have cash, give frequent flyer miles or be in touch to see how you can contribute to our travel supply wish list. Every little bit helps and we are grateful for all donations. If everyone can pass this on to friends, family and co-workers it will be greatly appreciated. With a donation of $1 per person, we could raise thousands. |
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| You can read basic information about the country of Sierra Leone on the CIA World Factbook Website or BBC. Some movies that will help you understand what women in other countries deal with in regards to fistula are 'Love Labor Loss' and 'A Walk To Beautiful'. |
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Thank you again for your support of LIL's fistula campaign and for giving us the opportunity to reach out to our home communities as we seek to share our passion for change. |
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The above photo courtesy of West Africa Fistula Foundation. |
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