IN late fall of 2009 I had the privilege of working in Ethiopia on various projects. My first assignment was for EngenderHealth documenting some fistula clinics near Bahir Dar. These fistula clinics were very small, consisting of no more than 3 beds and each one had 2-3 patients who were waiting for their surgeries. There really wasn’t much happening- I did photograph some nurse patient interactions- but I thought that some good psychological portraits would best tell the stories of these young woman whose lives had been ruined and were hoping the surgeries would repair their fistulas and restore their sense of hope for a normal life. They were clearly anxious and depressed. Here are some of the photos:
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- Ethiopian young girl waiting for fistula repair
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- Ethiopian young woman waiting for fistula repair
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- Ethiopian young girl waiting for fistula repair
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- Ethiopian woman waiting for fistula repair
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- Ethiopian woman with fistula successfully treated
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- Successful fistula patient
I also photographed a beautiful older Ethiopian woman who had successful fistula surgery and has since had children. She was attending a meeting of community organizers to help women in small remote villages to access fistula treatment.