Restoring lives and strengthening maternal healthcare
March 30, 2026
Semehal is just one of the women whose health and dignity has been restored as a result of Project Zero (PZ) in Seharti Woreda.
After getting married, Semehal suffered two miscarriages before sustaining an obstetric fistula during the birth of her third child. She recalls: “Living with a fistula was incredibly challenging. I avoided visitors out of fear of the odour and embarrassment. I often cried and felt overwhelmed by shame.”
Semehal was found by a Patient Identification Officer and taken to Hamlin’s Mekele Fistula Hospital for free treatment, rehabilitation and skills training. She also received financial support to start her own small business.
The [Mekele] hospital became my second home, offering me hope for recovery and a chance to start anew. The care and compassion were beyond my imagination. I cannot express my joy at being cured.
- Semehal
Launched in December 2024, the first phase of PZ in Seharti Woreda concluded in October 2025, with over 20,000 house to house surveys completed by Hamlin Patient Identification Officers, Hamlin-trained health extension workers and community volunteers.
Maternal healthcare has been strengthened by introducing a Hamlin Midwife Mentor to provide additional support and training to midwives in the woreda.
In total, 105 women with childbirth injuries in Seharti Woreda have been found and treated, thanks to your support of Hamlin’s Project Zero outreach activities.
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.