Overview

My name is Nelly and I am a 40 year old wife and mother of seven children. For many years I have been a housewife carrying children and not able to do the physical labor to contribute to our income. Last year in 2017 I had a very difficult childbirth and and I had surgery to repair a fistula. I am now dry, healed, and healthy. I want to help feed my family and pay for their school fees.

My goal is to farm on our land. After my surgery I learned business and farming skills from an organization called Beyond Fistula. With our 1 acre I can grow crops to feed my seven children and have enough to sell the excess at market for income. I will use the income to pay school fees for the younger children.

I need funds ($210) to buy supplies to start farming - seeds, fertilizer, rice, corn, beans, chickens and a goat.

Meeting this need will help me because I have business and farming training and I am finally healthy enough to earn income for my household. My seven children and my husband and I will eat the crops that we grow and the eggs from the chickens, and we can sell the excess at the market and use the income to pay for school fees.

Validated

Validated by Debra from Beyond Fistula (What does this mean?)

Nelly just completed our business and farm skills training. We also offered her some emotional support. Nelly has struggled with the social isolation of living with a fistula and had very little self confidence and self worth. While attending the business and farm skills training, Nelly received a great deal of peer support from the other fistula survivors. She believes in herself now and feels strong enough to farm and begin a chicken business. She plans to use the food to feed her family, which is greatly needed, and will sell any extra produce and eggs in the market. Beyond Fistula will be following up with her and supporting her in her efforts.

About Debra

I am the co-founder and Executive Director of Beyond Fistula. I founded the nonprofit in 2012 after seeing how much these young Kenyan women needed help rebuilding their lives after recovering from a childbirth injury known as obstetric fistula. I am endlessly motivated by their hope and tenacity… Read more