Fatima's Story

A Hardworking Girl
Fatima was married at 14 years of age. Her parents were very poor and couldn't afford to send the girl to school anymore. She had missed classes so often anyway that she had made very slow progress and had barely finished elementary school. Fatima had helped her mother from an early age, fetching water and feeding the chickens. Her future in-laws appreciated this experience and didn't want to wait any longer...

The guests enjoyed the wedding celebration very much, but das Fatima was very sad to leave her family and the village where she had many friends. She had no idea what awaited her at her new home.

A Welcome Worker...
The girl's life changed immediately. She was not allowed to go to school anymore, she was treated like a maid and had hardly any contact to others her age. It didn't take long until she became pregnant. Even in this situation, she couldn't rely on any help and knew that she would not receive any professional help during childbirth. She simply hoped that everything would be all right...

...Becomes a Burden
Due to the heavy workload as a child, the sparse nourishment and her young age, the girl's body was not prepared for the rigours of childbirth. After four day of contractions, Fatima was completely exhausted. The child had already died. It had pressed against the same spot for so long that an obstetric fistula had developed. When she had regained her strength, Fatima realized that the wound would not heal on its own. She was ashamed of her permanent incontinence.

Due to the permanent odour, Fatima was no longer welcome in society and her in-laws also shunned her. Her husband left her shortly afterwards to earn money for the family in Libia. He has never contacted her since.

The Start of a New Life
Fatima returned to her mother and siblings, full of shame. Her father had moved to the city of Adré, 170km away in the east of Chad. By coincidence, he heard about a regional hospital there that performs fistula surgery. At his next visit to the village, he took his daughter, who was 16 years old, with him to Adré. Fatima could actually be healed there. today, she lives in her native village again and has regained her joy of life.