Birmingham charity helping women affected by childbirth injuries

Donate this Christmas and change the lives of women in Ethiopia.

Local Birmingham charity Hamlin Fistula UK is taking part in the Big Give’s 2020 Christmas Challenge – offering supporters a chance to double their donations this Christmas.

Birmingham-based charity Hamlin Fistula UK supports hundreds of women in Ethiopia each year by preventing and treating devastating childbirth injuries.

Thanks to The Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s largest matched-funding campaign, all donations to Hamlin Fistula UK’s work made on thebiggive.org.uk will be matched for seven days from midday on 1st December until midday on 8th December.

The charity is appealing to the local community to help them reach their goal to raise £5,000 matched funding to support surgery for twenty women across Hamlin’s six hospitals in Ethiopia,

Hamlin Fistula UK is dedicated to restoring the health and dignity of women in Ethiopia who have survived the horrendous – and preventable – childbirth injury obstetric fistula. This can be repaired with a single life-changing surgery and this year Hamlin Fistula’s world-leading surgical team in Ethiopia will provide over 1,300 free surgeries to women who have suffered severe childbirth injuries, including fistula, supporting them to regain their health, confidence and livelihoods.

Hamlin Fistula UK CEO, Helen Marriott, said: “Hamlin Fistula UK was founded in Birmingham in 1968 when pioneering surgeon Dr Catherine Hamlin visited the UK to speak about the devastating impact of obstetric fistula in Ethiopia at Birmingham University.

“The local Birmingham community has provided huge support for our work in Ethiopia over the years and we hope everyone will give generously this Christmas to support our hero health workers who are working so hard through the current COVID-19 pandemic to provide twenty women in Ethiopia with life-changing surgery. Even £5 will make a difference to some of the poorest, most vulnerable women in the world.”