At just 17 years old, Fatima, a young mother from Baneeneey in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia, faced unimaginable challenges. Her first pregnancy, initially smooth, ended in tragedy and left her with physical and emotional scars that seemed insurmountable.

Without access to a health facility, Fatima relied on a traditional birth attendant during labor. The prolonged and painful delivery resulted in severe birth trauma. Tragically, her baby did not survive, and Fatima was left with a debilitating obstetric fistula that caused her to leak both urine and feces.

“I was devastated,” Fatima recalls. “Losing my baby was the worst pain I had ever felt. Then, I realized something was wrong with my body. I didn’t know what was happening, and I felt completely hopeless.”

For over a year, Fatima sought help at local clinics, only to be misdiagnosed and treated for infections and cysts. Her condition worsened, forcing her to change clothes constantly to manage the leakage. The social stigma was unbearable.

“I couldn’t face people,” she says. “The smell made them avoid me, and their stares and whispers broke my spirit. I felt like I had no place in my community.”

Desperate for a solution, Fatima traveled to Mogadishu, where she was directed to the National Fistula Centre at Dayniile Hospital. There, she learned about a fistula camp funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief), a leading global humanitarian organization.

This camp, organized in collaboration with Physicians Across Continents (PAC) and UNFPA Somalia, was designed to address the backlog of fistula cases in Somalia. In November 2024, Fatima attended the camp, where she was diagnosed with recto-vaginal fistula—the cause of her suffering.

“I finally felt a glimmer of hope,” Fatima says. “The doctors explained my condition and assured me that surgery could help. I was nervous but ready to try anything to get my life back.”

The two-week camp, held from November 23rd to December 3rd, 2024, provided free fistula reconstruction surgeries to 42 women, thanks to the generous funding from KSrelief. Women from across Somalia—Banadir, Lower Shabelle, Middle Shabelle, Bakool, and even Bosaso—traveled to the Dayniile Fistula Centre for this life-changing care.

Fatima’s surgery was a success. Days later, she shared her joy:

“I am so grateful to KSrelief and everyone who helped me. For the first time in over a year, I am not leaking urine or feces. I feel like I have been given a second chance at life. Thank you for giving me my dignity back.”

Beyond the surgeries, the camp provided emotional support and counseling, addressing the years of stigma and isolation many women faced. Fatima is now one of over 1,200 women whose lives have been transformed through these annual fistula camps, made possible by KSrelief’s unwavering commitment to humanitarian aid.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over two million women worldwide live with obstetric fistula, with Somalia accounting for an estimated 12,000 cases as of 2020. Sadly, only a fraction of these women have access to the care they need.

KSrelief, in partnership with PAC and UNFPA Somalia, is working to change this reality. By funding initiatives like fistula camps, KSrelief is not only restoring health but also dignity to women across Somalia.

Fatima’s story is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of compassion. Thanks to the efforts of KSrelief and its partners, she now looks forward to a future free of pain and stigma—a future filled with hope and possibility.

“I will never forget what KSrelief has done for me,” Fatima says with a smile. “You didn’t just heal my body; you healed my spirit. Thank you for giving me my life back.”