Mogninet was born and raised in a rural village in Ethiopia, close to our Bahir Dar outreach center. As is traditional in her community, Mogninet was betrothed to her husband at age seven but remained with her parents until she was fifteen. She attended school for five years before dropping out, which makes her substantially luckier than many other young girls in and around her village, who never receive any formal education.
“With my husband, especially during harvest and planting seasons, I used to join him to work on the farm. At sunset, I would then hurry home to prepare dinner before he arrived. I enjoyed married life then.” Mogninet remembers.
The closest health facility was a three-hour journey on foot, so at age eighteen when Mogninet became pregnant for the first time, she decided to remain at home throughout the nine months rather than make the difficult journey to receive prenatal care. When it became time to deliver, she was carried to the clinic by stretcher. There the health workers sent her back home, believing that she could deliver without difficulties.
Back at home, Mogninet labored for three days, at which point she was able to give birth naturally. The baby was stillborn, and the damage to her body left Mogninet with urinary incontinence. She and her parents did not know what to do and began searching for a cure. The closest clinic recommended Hamlin Fistula Center to Mogninet’s parents, and after three months recovery at home; she was brought to the center.
In 2011, Mogninet arrived at the center accompanied by her mother and sister. Her first surgery did not fix the incontinence, but she was discharged with appointments to begin the second trial of treatment. She then returned home where she remained for a year, fighting to manage the urine that continually flowed from her body.
“I got divorced, I stopped working around the house, and I stayed at home all the time. My mother and sister protected me and helped to keep me clean and safe. But it was terrible.” Mongninet recalls.
In 2013 Mogninet received a diversion surgery that left her clean and dry. She was then sent to Desta Mender where she lived for two years with rehabilitation training and medical follow-ups. When she was discharged she successfully reintegrated into her home village.