Our Programs

Holistic Care Starts Here

Women and girls with childbirth injuries suffer a tremendous amount of physical, emotional and social stress. Rejection, shame and isolation are all common symptoms of living with an injury like obstetric fistula or pelvic organ prolapse. True recovery requires more than just surgery. It requires a compassionate dedication to holistic care, which can encompass everything from post-op care and physical therapy to individual and group counseling. Every woman who comes to us is treated first and foremost as a person, not a statistic.

Healing Goes Beyond Surgery

Developing a childbirth injury can deal a crippling economic blow to women who are already among the world’s bottom billion. We invest in survivors with educational and vocational skills training to help them earn an income after they leave us. We’ve seen time and time again that survivors become vital contributors to their local economies and reintegrate back into society much faster when they receive this empowerment training. These services help survivors restore their lives:

• Educational classes such as literacy & health and basic microfinance & entrepreneurialism
• Vocational skills training with specialties such as knitting, embroidery, sewing, handcrafting jewelry, cooking and catering
• Advocacy and support groups such as ongoing counseling, local survivor mentoring & advocacy groups, and savings & credit groups

Prevention Begins with Care Providers

One of the major obstacles to the prevention and treatment of childbirth injuries is the scarcity of medical professionals skilled in obstetrics in developing countries. Educating medical professionals was the first tactic our founder, Dr. Lewis Wall, began using to eradicate this epidemic when he established WFF in 1995. By building up local medical capacity to prevent and treat these injuries, they will become a problem of the past.

Community Efforts Grow Awareness

Many women suffering with childbirth injuries live in remote villages of poor countries. They are often unaware of what they have and that it can be treated. We work to build networks of trained volunteers to spread the good news that treatment is available. Survivors who have completed our empowerment training often join these efforts. Some receive additional training and educate communities about good maternal health practices that save lives and prevent injuries.