A Midwife for Every Woman

The difference between life and death

The best solution to eradicate fistulas is to prevent them occurring in the first place. The Hamlins’ original plan for working in Ethiopia was to train midwives so that all women would have access to a clean, safe birth. In 2007, Dr. Catherine returned to her original vision with the development of the Hamlin College of Midwives.

The Hamlin College of Midwives recruits students from rural areas, puts them through rigorous training as midwives, and deploys them back to their villages where their skills are needed. Each student undertakes a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Midwifery on a full Hamlin scholarship, funded by generous donors like you. Once graduating, each midwife is committed to working for four years as a Hamlin midwife.

Since 2007, 170 midwives have graduated from the Hamlin College of Midwives. 95 more are currently completing their BSc Midwifery at the College.

100 Hamlin midwives are still working in over 50 Hamlin-supported midwifery clinics. The downstream effects of a Hamlin midwife are remarkable – when a Hamlin midwife arrives, new cases of fistula drop to almost zero in nearby villages.

The importance of these midwives cannot be over emphasised. According to the World Health Organisation, every day 830 women around the world die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. 99% of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries without adequate maternal health care. If midwives were present during birth, up to 90 percent of these deaths could be prevented, according to the International Confederation of Midwives.

Your support is integral to achieving Catherine’s vision of a fistula-free Ethiopia.