Living the Dream

In 2021, SowHope helped Dr. Itengré achieve his dream of building an obstetric fistula repair clinic. The clinic officially opened in June 2022, and it remains the only center for obstetric fistula repair in Burkina Faso in West Africa. This past November, a SowHope team had the privilege of visiting the clinic, meeting with several beneficiaries and witnessing an obstetric fistula repair surgery.

SowHope was welcomed by Dr. Itengré and his team of about 20 staff members. The SowHope team took a tour of the two-story building, which is comprised of an operating room, a pharmacy, a laboratory, two consulting rooms, two recovery wards, a large courtyard with four rooms for boarding, and a covered space used for vocational training.

The clinic has capacity for 30 patients. At the time of the visit, there were 25 women in the clinic. During the tour, SowHope was welcomed with singing and dancing by women who had already received their surgeries and were still at the clinic going through the vocational training.

Dr. Itengré and his wife, Rasmata, a nurse, believe in holistic care for the patients due to their need to overcome the stigma and trauma attached to having an obstetric fistula. The clinic provides the obstetric fistula repair surgery, social, emotional, and spiritual support, and vocational training. The women go back to their villages with restored dignity and can live an even better life than before. Unfortunately, most of the women come from villages that are under attack from terrorist groups.

The SowHope team was impressed by what they saw at the clinic. The transformation of the women from downcast and outcast to smiling and confident is truly remarkable. Even more extraordinary is that in just one year the clinic has conducted 302 surgeries.

The women are incredibly grateful for the clinic and the care that they receive. They also appreciate the opportunity to learn income-generating skills that they now use to earn a living. They express their gratitude for SowHope’s sponsorship, which is only made possible by generous donors like you! Thank you for your support to inspire impoverished women around the world.