Linesi

Linesi (45) lived with fistula for 21 years following complications during the labour of her fourth pregnancy.  When she went into labour friends and family took her to a traditional doctor to give birth, but complications during the birth meant that they had to cut open her birth canal to get the baby out. The labour took two days and the baby was stillborn.

Linesi faced many problems as a result of her fistula, not only the heartbreak of losing her baby and leaking urine, she was left isolated, unable to meet with friends or visit church.

During her stay with us Linesi was taught to sew and make recycled sanitary pads.  She has made MK 64,000 from making pads and MK 8,000 from mending clothes. In total she has made MK 72, 000 of which MK 50,000 she has saved at the village bank and MK 12,000 she has used the money to purchase essential household items such as sugar, soap and salt.

Linesi is learning how to make school uniforms at the moment, for primary children and is being taught by a friend from church who is teaching her for free.  Linesi is hoping to make more money once she starts her uniform business and schools reopen after the government lifts the restrictions for COVID19.  The pandemic has really affected her pad sales and Linesi hopes this will come to pass, so that her business can go back to normal.

“I am so grateful to the fistula care centre, you have changed my life. I am a woman who is able to support my family. “ God bless you all”.