Help us extend essential care across Tanzania

Dear Friends,

Kupona Foundation’s 2018 Annual Report is now available! 

Thanks to your support, our partner CCBRT performed more than 8,900 surgeries in 2018, including providing comprehensive treatment for over 700 women and girls living with obstetric fistula, and providing over 1,300 assistive devices such as prosthetics, orthotics, orthopedic devices and wheelchairs to children and adults with physical impairments. 

For patients like Hilda, a surgery successfully repairing her obstetric fistula means she is able to play with her children, earn a living, and raise awareness about fistula in her community. 

The birth injury of obstetric fistula is not only a physical injury. We believe in providing comprehensive, holistic care for women recovering from fistula. With a dedicated Holistic Care Coordinator, women recovering from fistula spend time together learning English and learning how to raise awareness about fistula symptoms and treatment in their communities. “I was so happy to spend time with the other women here. Before this, I thought and felt I was alone,” said Hilda. She returned to CCBRT in 2018 as a fistula ambassador. Hilda is one of the thousands of individuals across Tanzania trained by CCBRT to identify and refer women with fistula for treatment. During her visit, she shared her experience and inspirational story with the women waiting for surgery or recovering, and encouraged them to make use of the resources available to them for “life after fistula.” 

You can read the rest of Hilda’s story, and other stories of lives changed through your support by accessing our 2018 Annual Report. 

Thank you for your partnership in 2018, and for your continued generosity as we work to offer comprehensive surgery rehabilitation services for children and adults living with disabilities. 

Are you feeling inspired? GlobalGiving’s Little by Little campaign is underway this week.Beginning at 9:00 am ET on Monday, August 12th and until 11:59 pm ET on Friday August 16th, donations up to $50 will be matched at 60%.Please consider sharing this Project Report via email or social media with a note about the matching funds and why you give to support women like Hilda. 

With gratitude,
Abbey Kocan

Executive Director, Kupona Foundation

Today is Bonus Day! Starting at 9:00 a.m. ET your gift of $100 to $1,000 will be matched up to 50% through midnight tonight or until matching funds run out.  Watch this video to hear why Betsy gives to Kupona Foundation. 

“When I visited CCBRT I was impressed that not only do they provide [obstetric fistula] surgical repairs for free, but they are really thinking about an approach that eliminates the barriers to treatment.”

From providing free hospital transportation for women with fistula to creating income generating opportunities post-surgery, Kupona’s local partner in Tanzania, CCBRT, fights to remove all barriers to treatment and recovery. Betsy says it best, “I love this soup to nuts approach to care. It’s innovative, and quite effective.” We believe everyone has a right to high quality healthcare.

Your gift of $100 to $1,000 today -- matched by GlobalGiving -- helps us provide holistic care for more women living with fistula. Please join Betsy in making your gift go further. 

Thank you so much for your support.

With gratitude,
Abbey Kocan

Executive Director, Kupona Foundation

Dear Friend,

We often focus on the impact of maternal health on women, families and communities, and on the critical role mothers play as caregivers for children with disabilities. As the saying goes, though, “it takes a village to raise a child.” Today, we’re also sharing our gratitude for fathers like Papa Saidy, who prioritize their children’s health above all else.

When four-year-old Saidy began to have noticeable problems with his vision, his father became deeply concerned. Luckily, Papa Saidy and his son live in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the home base of our local partner, CCBRT. Papa Saidy knew of CCBRT’s reputation for high-quality, affordable eye services.

He decided to bring Saidy for a consultation at CCBRT, one of only three hospitals in Tanzania to offer specialized pediatric eye services. Soon, Saidy was fitted with corrective glasses. Papa Saidy could breathe a sigh of relief as Saidy was able to return to his normal activities and his performance in school improved.

For children like Saidy who aren’t able to access treatment for treatable disabilities including visual impairment, clubfoot and cleft, the consequences are significant and long-lasting - preventing them from attending school, playing with friends, and later, finding employment.

The actions of dedicated fathers like Papa Saidy are critical to creating happier, healthier futures for children born with disabilities.

Today, we’d like to say thank you to fathers everywhere, and particularly to the fathers who go above and beyond to care for and support their children with disabilities. As always, thank you for your continued support of our work connecting families throughout Tanzania with high-quality healthcare!

All the best,

Abbey Kocan

Executive Director, Kupona Foundation

P.S. Read more about the power of fathers in this blog post from CCBRT about Baba Enoch, who wouldn’t take “no” for an answer in seeking care for his son, who was born with clubfoot.

P.P.S. Read more about CCBRT’s work with fathers in this blog post from 2017.

Caption: Above, Papa Saidy holds his son as Saidy receives an eye consultation at CCBRT. Below, after his consultation, Saidy is fitted for refractive glasses to treat his low vision.

Dear Friends,

Today we’re celebrating the sixth annual International Day to End Obstetric Fistula.

Obstetric fistula is a devastating childbirth injury caused by prolonged, obstructed labor without access to timely, high-quality medical care. The injury leaves women with chronic incontinence, leaking urine, feces or both due to a hole formed between the birth canal and bladder or rectum during childbirth. In 90% of cases, the baby doesn’t survive the traumatic delivery.

The condition and stigma surrounding it often cause women to be isolated or rejected by their families and communities. Women in disadvantaged communities live with the condition for years – or even decades – because they’re unaware that fistula can be treated, or unable to access treatment.

That was true for 82-year-old Msonde, who lived with fistula for 60 years after developing it during the delivery of her second child in 1958. It wasn’t until last year that she learned from her niece that she could receive free fistula treatment at our local partner CCBRT. In August, Msonde traveled to CCBRT and underwent surgery that successfully repaired her fistula.

"When I arrived at CCBRT, I could not believe it was possible, but I found many women undergoing fistula treatment," Msonde said after her surgery. “I wish my husband could still have been alive. We are old now, but he could have been able to see me walking freely.”

In Jovitha’s case, she developed fistula after being in labor for three days during the delivery of her fourth child. Tragically, her baby did not survive. Despite quickly learning that she had fistula, the trauma of the delivery, loss and injury deeply affected Jovitha’s mental health and self-esteem.

“My experience – it’s unexplainable,” Jovitha shared. “I hated myself for three months. I had urine flowing down my legs and was extremely embarrassed. But…thankfully I had that support that so many other women don’t feel from their families and communities.”

Fistula is treatable through surgery and rehabilitation. What’s more, it’s preventable – through access to high-quality maternal health services.

This International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, we’re asking for your help to eradicate fistula in Tanzania.

Share your support for the global movement to fight fistula by using the hashtag #EndFistula in your posts or stories on social media.

Join the movement. Make a donation in honor of a strong woman or mother in your life - helping us provide comprehensive treatment for women like Msonde and Jovitha and helping address the root cause of fistula through improved maternal and newborn healthcare.

Regardless of income or location, we believe that NO woman should live with obstetric fistula. We hope you’ll join us in making that dream a reality. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Abbey Kocan

Executive Director, Kupona Foundation

P.S. Read Jovitha’s full story here, and learn more about Msonde’s journey here.

Dear Friends,

This Thursday, May 23rd is International Day to End Obstetric Fistula. While as many as 3,000 Tanzanian women develop fistula every year, many in Tanzania have never heard of it; the condition is still surrounded by lack of awareness, confusion and stigma.

Asha, now 44, developed fistula during the birth of her second child in 1996, when she was 23.

Without a skilled medical attendant present, Asha’s second labor and delivery was long and painful. Afterwards, like many women living with fistula, Asha was unable to control her urine or feces.

It would be six years before Asha even learned the name of her condition, which continued worsening as she gave birth to four more children. Unable to afford fistula surgery at her district hospital with her income as a local farmer, 16 more years passed before Asha learned about our partner CCBRT’s free fistula services.

In February 2019, after 22 years too many, Asha underwent a successful fistula repair surgery at CCBRT.

Realizing she could finally access treatment was “the beginning of a new life chapter,” Asha said. Read Asha’s full story here.

Obstetric fistula is preventable with access to timely, high-quality maternal health services. No woman should live with fistula for 22 years, or even two months.

Tomorrow, on International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, we’re raising awareness about fistula and mobilizing support to eradicate fistula in Tanzania. Stay tuned to learn how you can help, and visit our website, Facebook or Instagram for more stories from women affected by fistula and the health workers working tirelessly to prevent it.

Sincerely,

The Kupona Foundation team