Obstetric fistula is a debilitating traumatic injury, largely birth-associated, affecting up to 2 million women worldwide, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Fistula has significant physical, social, psychological, and economic consequences. Women often face challenges in reintegrating and resuming prior roles or can’t lead productive lives despite successful corrective surgery.

Stigma is attached to the condition mainly due to constant foul odor and the misperception of fistula’s cause at the community level. Consequently, many women live with fistula for decades, most are usually abandoned by their spouses, and others are treated as social outcasts. Also, due to injury severity, some may require further medical care access for subsequent pregnancies and births. These factors make reintegration for these women a very critical next step following successful surgical treatment.

LEFI’s goal is to promote social reintegration for fistula survivors through Solidarity Groups facilitated by trained Regional Representatives (RRs). Therefore, re-integration provides the necessary structured support system that enables the treated women to re-integrate into their respective communities and give them an opportunity to live productive and dignified lives successfully and smoothly.