Overview

I am a 25 year old mother, fistula survivor, and wife. Three years ago I had a very difficult childbirth and was left in pain and leaking fluids. I did not know what happened until this year when I learned about fistula and got surgery to repair me.

My goals are to grow crops to feed my family and sell the excess at market. I need the income to afford my children's school fees so that they can be educated and live better.

I need $200 to lease a plot of land and buy maize seeds. After my surgery I learned farming skills through a program called Beyond Fistula, and now I want to run a small farm to support my family.

Meeting this need will help me because I learned farming skills and I am healthy now, I just need the funds to lease land and buy seeds. I am so relieved to be free from fistula. My children deserve to go to school and I will use farming to pay for their fees.

Validated

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

Valerie graduated from Beyond Fistula's farm skills training program after she recovered from her fistula surgery. Despite the hardship of living with a fistula for three years, she is full of brightness and hope. She is a good mother eager to provide for her children, and Beyond Fistula will continue to support her as she starts her small farm and fully gets back on her feet after fistula.

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