5 Ways to Get Outside and Support Women in Ethiopia
July 09, 2026
Getting outside is good for the body, mind and spirit — and it can also be a powerful way to support a cause you care about.
Whether you prefer hiking, swimming, cycling or gathering with friends, outdoor activities are a great way to bring people together and raise funds to help women in Ethiopia access life-changing maternal healthcare through Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia.
From bush walks and local trails to bike rides and picnics, here are five fun fundraising ideas to inspire you.
1. Hike for healing
Australia is blessed with incredible trails — from the Blue Mountains to the Grampians to Tasmania’s Cradle Mountain. Turn your next bushwalk or weekend hike into a fundraiser by asking friends and family to sponsor your kilometres. Every step up a ridge or down a trail helps Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s midwives and doctors reach women in rural Ethiopia
👉 Set your distance, share your journey online, and invite supporters to back every kilometre.
2. Cycle for change
If you love to ride, why not put your passion to purpose? Organise a local bike ride with friends, family or colleagues, or join a community cycling event and dedicate your efforts to support Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation. Whether it’s a casual coastal ride, a gravel adventure or a longer-distance challenge, every pedal can help transform maternal healthcare in Ethiopia.
👉 Rally a group, make it a team ride, and multiply your impact.
3. Make a splash for Hamlin
Set yourself a swimming goal — whether it’s laps at your local pool, an ocean swim, or a surf lifesaving challenge — and invite friends to donate for every lap or kilometre you swim. It’s a refreshing, energising way to challenge yourself while supporting safe motherhood.
👉 Challenge your mates to swim alongside you and turn it into a community event.
4. Picnic with purpose
Not all outdoor fundraisers have to be high-energy. Host a picnic in your local park, beach or backyard and ask guests to contribute what they’d usually spend on lunch as a donation to Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation. Ask everyone to bring a plate and use the opportunity to share Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s mission with your community.
👉 Add some games or a raffle to make your picnic even more engaging.
5. Join the Hamlin Barefoot Walk
Our annual Hamlin Barefoot Walk is a powerful way to stand in solidarity with Ethiopian women who walk for hours to access healthcare, often barefoot. Gather your family, friends or colleagues and take part in October — or organise your own Hamlin Barefoot Walk for this October. Every step you take helps restore dignity and health to women living with obstetric fistula and other childbirth injuries.
👉 Register for the official walk or create your own barefoot challenge.
Ready to get outside?
By turning your outdoor activities into fundraisers, you can help women in Ethiopia access treatment for obstetric fistula and other childbirth injuries, while helping to strengthen maternal health care across the country.
No matter how you choose to get involved, you’ll be joining a community of Australians making every step, stroke and pedal count for women in Ethiopia.
Share your adventure with us and inspire others to do the same.
Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Elders past, present and emerging throughout Australia and the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land and waterways on which our Australian office is situated. We acknowledge the many ethnic groups in Ethiopia and their ancestral and cultural connection to the land where our work is undertaken.