Cecilia Nyambura, 55years from Nyahururu district is a farmer by occupation. She got VVF in 1997 during the El Niño rains, she recalls that period because its then that she went into labour and on arrival at hospital there were no doctors, she labored for more than 12 hours alone before a doctor came and was later taken to theatre for a caesarian section, she had already lost her baby and it’s a few days later that she realized that she was leaking urine, not understanding her condition she was discharged and told all will be well in a few days.

She had seven other children all home deliveries with no complications and just wondered how come this last pregnancy was so problematic. Soon after going home, marital problems set in and the husband changed his attitude towards her throwing insults to her every time he comes close to her. “………I always felt that I should just go and live alone far away, to avoid being a bother to people……” says Cecilia. She adds that she learnt about the free medical camp on radio and asked her children for bus fare to Nairobi to come and seek treatment.

I have no social life laments Cecilia “I usually go to church briefly and leave to avoid embarrassment..” but after the repair I intend to mobilize friends and even join women groups and inform them about fistula prevention and repair because most discriminate without knowing the actual cause of it.I also intend to do poultry and livestock farming to earn a living, since before I got fistula I have not been able to do any work because of backache.

Lastly, I give my sincere appreciation to the doctors and Amref team for giving me a chance to smile again and i hope to work on my marriage and have a better life. Finally I thank God for everything and will always live to praise him.