WEEMA partnered with Durame Hospital to provide uterovaginal prolapse (UVP) surgery to 100 women. This surgery dramatically changed lives, all at no cost to the families. Below we share the story of Mekdes, one women whose life was transformed thanks to this campaign.

Meet Mekdes. Mekdes is only forty but has spent the last ten years living with a prolapsed uterus. Her condition's a result of the intense manual labor of daily tasks performed since childhood, like grinding wheat and carrying water, and a history of multiple pregnancies.

Mekdes got married in her early teens and is the mother of four healthy children. As a result of her medical condition, she became unable to perform daily household tasks which caused her husband to abandon her and her children.

No doctor was able to provide the care she desperately needed. After visits to multiple doctors, Mekdes resigned herself to her fate and spent her days selling butter in order to provide for her children.

In August, Durame Hospital invited a team of doctors to perform free UVP surgeries and cervical cancer screenings to the residents of the Kembata Tembaro zone. Mekdes was chosen as a candidate and received the surgery without experiencing any complications. She now has hope for an active, productive future with her children.

“I thank everyone who has made this possible for me - without paying a penny," says Mekdes.

Thanks to this surgery, Mekdes can once again focus on helping her children with their homework, cooking fresh meals, and making friends.

Thank you again for all your support to help individuals like Mekdes. This campaign changed many lives and gave independence back to women across the Kembata Tembaro zone!