Hamlin Fistula UK

14/08/2026

Honour someone special with a Hamlin Tribute Fund.
A dedicated place to share memories, photos and messages, while raising vital support for Hamlin’s work.
Turn a lifetime of memories into a legacy that helps women living with childbirth injuries heal and rebuild their lives.

Create a meaningful tribute page to celebrate a loved one, share their story, photos and cherished memories, and, if you wish, support Hamlin Fistula in their honour.

07/08/2026

Recently, 59 trainees graduated through Desta Mender's Women's Empowerment Programme. The graduates formed the 25th cohort to complete training and came from the Amhara, Oromia, Southern and Tigray regions of Ethiopia.

Many of these women have experienced intense pain, grief, isolation and shame, often over many years. But their graduation from Desta Mender symbolises a fresh start for them all, free from fistula and pain. Now, they are empowered with an education and new skills that they can take back to their communities.

This is Hamlin's treatment and rehabilitation work in action. We'd like to congratulate all of these women for their incredible successes and wish them all the very best as they continue their journey of recovery.

Find out more about Desta Mender: https://hamlinfistulauk.org/desta-mender

31/07/2026

We're delighted to share our latest edition of Emaye, our biannual newsletter. In this issue, read about Aberash's hope for a brighter future and meet Solomon, new General Manager of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia.

Read the most recent editions of our newsletter, Emaye and 2025 Impact Report here: Summer 2026 Newsletter Impact Report 2025 Summer 2025 Newsletter Special edition Impact Report 2024 Summer 2024…

24/07/2026

Kelemi and her husband were overjoyed when they discovered she was pregnant.
Like every woman in her remote village, she planned to give birth at home, but after three days in labour it was clear something was very wrong.

Her family carried her to the nearest hospital but it was too late. Her baby was stillborn and Kelemi was left incontinent from a severe obstetric fistula.

For seven years, she lived with the devastating condition before she learning of possible treatment at Yirgalem Regional Fistula Hospital. She set off with another affected woman from her community.

Kelemi received treatment and her surgery was a success. She returned home to her family free of the injury that had kept her isolated for years.

One day, Kelemi became pregnant again. She returned to Yirgalem when the baby was due and had a safe caesarean section delivery. Finally, after years of pain and anguish, she held her healthy baby.

Read her full story.

Kelemi, 30, lives in a rural area of Southern Ethiopia. She is married and part of a close-knit community. During her first pregnancy, she had very little access to medical care. She saw a Health…

17/07/2026

Honour the memory of someone special with a Hamlin Tribute Fund.
Create a dedicated space to share treasured memories, photos and messages, while helping support Hamlin’s vital work to give women living with childbirth injuries the opportunity to heal and rebuild their lives. A meaningful way to celebrate a loved one, create a lasting legacy and make a difference in their name.

Create a meaningful tribute page to celebrate a loved one, share their story, photos and cherished memories, and, if you wish, support Hamlin Fistula in their honour.

10/07/2026

Diversion surgery can be necessary for people anywhere in the world and from all walks of life. For the women in our care whose fistula cannot be cured, it gives the chance to live a fulfilling life, free of pain and incontinence. But it’s irreversible and they’ll always need a stoma.

Here we explain how stomas change the life of women like Iman in rural Ethiopia and give back their comfort, confidence and independence.

When repair is impossible, urinary diversion surgery and a stoma may be the only way to restore comfort, confidence and independence.

03/07/2026

Dr Catherine and Dr Reg Hamlin travelled to Addis Ababa in 1958 to establish a school of midwifery. When they arrived, Catherine was deeply moved by what she found.

Seeing the conditions in which women with fistula were living inspired her to find a solution. Catherine pioneered a surgical technique to treat and cure this devastating injury.

In 1975, she established Ethiopia’s first specialist fistula hospital in Addis Ababa. Today, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia has six regional hospitals, the Hamlin College of Midwives, and Desta Mender, a centre where women can heal and rebuild their lives.

Since then, we have treated more than 70,000 women, helping them regain their health, independence and sense of dignity. Although Catherine passed away in March 2020, her legacy lives on in every woman treated in a Hamlin hospital.

Find out more: https://hamlinfistulauk.org

24/06/2026

For women like Ayantu, arriving for surgery at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia can be scary.

Many have endured years of pain, isolation and shame because of their condition. That is why one of the first things our staff do is offer a warm and reassuring welcome and a Fresh Start Pack.

Every pack brings comfort, dignity and love from the very beginning. Inside are simple but meaningful items: soap, slippers, a nightdress and a very special hand-knitted blanket.

It costs just £33 to provide a woman with a Fresh Start Pack. Will you help give a woman the warmth of a fresh start today?

Will you donate £33 today to give a life-changing fresh start to a woman in need?

17/06/2026

Honour the memory of someone special with a Hamlin Tribute Fund.

Share treasured memories, photos and messages in one dedicated space, while supporting Hamlin's work to give women suffering from childbirth injuries a chance to heal and rebuild their lives.

A beautiful way to remember a loved one, create a lasting legacy, and make a difference in their name.

Create a meaningful tribute page to celebrate a loved one, share their story, photos and cherished memories, and, if you wish, support Hamlin Fistula in their honour.

12/06/2026

Our second blanket collection week of the year has come to an end!

We'd like to thank everyone who has sent us their wonderful creations for the women in our care in Ethiopia. It's incredibly helpful that so many of you are using the labels and forms from our website, as it makes it much easier for us to track where everything has come from.

Soon, the blankets and other knitted items we've received will be on their way to Ethiopia, where they're needed most.

Find out more: https://hamlinfistulauk.org/knitted-with-love