Blog

We have been really, really busy over the last couple of years. This has kept us from keeping up on...

For many people, Obstetric fistula isn’t something they wilfully ignore. It’s something they...

Mentions of fistula in the media tend to be few and far between.

This week, journalists have been obsessed with Chelsea Clinton’s “obsessed with diarrhea”...

Women across the world still suffer disproportionately from poverty, lack of education, and...

Apart from a short clip, I haven’t watched the new Kenyan “mockumentary” series The Samaritans. I’m...

As you may have noticed when we tweeted about it last month, the fistula community has come...

This past May, I set foot in the country of Lesotho for the first time. The primary purpose of my...

Earlier this month, I read a piece in the Guardian about breast ironing. Mothers mutilate their...

I am proud to announce that Mountains for Moms at Cornell has raised $14,545, enough funds to...

We’re always looking for new ways to talk about fistula. It has been a decade since the UN...

In our office, no topic is off-limits. We are, after all, an organization that spends a good...

“Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”

In yet another demonstration of Bill and Melinda Gates being the coolest nerds on the planet, their...

Here’s something worth a look: two new global health journals are headed our way in the very near...

We all remember with horror the aftermath of the 2007 presidential elections in Kenya, which saw...

Zadie Smith is one of those contemporary writers who, despite being celebrated for her very...

Here at Operation Fistula, we’re accustomed to the awkward conversation-halters and...

The government of Malawi recently announced an intention to raise the age of marriage from 15 to...

We have arrived!!! Yes, that is right, we just got a letter from the IRS that let us know that...

We had a great deal of interest in Shannon's posting about Jessica, the young fistula survivor who...

As Seth sprinted off to the surgical ward to accompany Dr. John Kelly in a complex fistula surgery...

Determined. That is the best word to describe John Kelly. I know, I know. If you look at my blog...

To get an idea of how local people travel and to understand the challenges of moving long distances...

In the DRC, internet connectivity was rarely available and my Rwandan phone didn’t work. So when I...

Just to give some idea of how much we are moving around, and the means by which we are doing it, we...

At breakfast the next morning, Lyn and I chatted through some ideas regarding developing an...

The short night had not only robbed me of slumber but it also nearly made me late. I scrambled to...

I’m not sure if it was the flashing Travel Advisory by the State Department or the stories of...

Click here to see a short video slideshow from our recent trip to Rwanda.

Safety first. Every decision on this trip has started with ensuring that we have a safe and secure...

I spent my 24th birthday at a hospital in Butare, Rwanda, meeting sad yet hopeful women awaiting...

We boarded the overnight train in Mombasa knowing about the possibility of massive delay (and...

After twenty four hours of departure delays, missed flights and mindless people-watching in...

Sun drenched cafés, open air cinemas, and the burst of applause roaring from a pack of rabid...

How does a twenty three old woman who has never been to Africa decide to spend her entire summer...

Why am I doing this? Why did I choose to leave a promising private sector career path and devote a...

I'm on cloud nine. I just transferred 388 ceedees ($390 or 248€) to Dr. Lucia Visser of Holy Family...

Anyone who has spent any time in a hospital knows that the food there is usually pretty terrible,...

Before starting this entry, I just wanted to remind everyone that in order to get a notification...

The driver arrived at our hotel before sunrise this morning and graciously waited as John and I...

Dr. John Kelly, or “Kelly“ as he calls himself, is a one of a kind. I was delighted when Steve...

“Luck,” the Roman philosopher Seneca said, “is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Today, I changed my life. After considerable research and self reflection, I left a very promising...

Today, I changed my life. After considerable research and self reflection, I left a very promising...