Can you imagine what it must be like to be leaking urine or feces all day long? Every day of your life? Can you imagine the smell; the wet clothing; the irritations on your legs; the shame of people staring at you, turning away from the horrendous odor? Can you imagine trying to get on a bus and the passengers moving away from you? Or your own husband or family leaving you to live alone and isolated? Obstetric fistulas destroy lives….economically, socially and emotionally.
The International Organization for Women & Development (IOWD) is a non-profit, 501C3, completely voluntary organization, who bring doctors and nurses to Rwanda to operate on women with obstetrical fistula and gynecological problems. All our services are free to those in need, but it's not without the generous contributions of time, talent and equipment/supplies that we are successful in providing these life changing procedures to the women of Rwanda. At this time, we are working hard to raise the funds needed to purchase, and ship by sea liner, the following desperately needed equipment for installment and set up in our expanded operating rooms at Kibagabaga District Hospital in Kigali, Rwanda:
1)Operating room table
2)Gynecological stirrups
3)Operating room lights (2 sets)
4)Anesthesia machine
5)Bovie machine
6)Physiological monitor
7)Abdominal surgical instrument set
8)Stainless steel OR tables
9)Sterilizer
10)Cyctoscope
The above equipment is essential for our surgeries which are offered to all women throughout Rwanda. These particular fistula surgeries are not offered elsewhere in Rwanda. Through the procurement of the additional equipment we are able to help that many more women, many of whom travel from rural areas, desperate for help. Our patients are leaking urine or feces...and are looked upon with disgust. They are outcasts in their own communities, unable to work, unable to attend church or go to the market.
With your generous contribution, the desperately needed refurbished and/or new equipment we are seeking to purchase through this fundraising campaign will serve as the foundation for seeing that these surgeries restore health and dignity to the women in this developing country.
To learn more - www.iowd.org
