From fistula survivor to Safe Motherhood Ambassador: Mamu’s story
1 September 2026
Mamu’s life changed after childbirth went wrong
Mamu was married when she was just 15 years old.
She never had the opportunity to finish her education. Over the years, she experienced four pregnancies, but without access to information about maternal health services or the risks associated with childbirth.
When Mamu gave birth to her first child, she experienced prolonged and obstructed labour.
Her baby died.
Mamu also developed obstetric fistula.
Without treatment, fistula can have devastating physical, emotional and social consequences. For Mamu, the condition meant withdrawing from the people around her and living with overwhelming shame.
“I preferred to stay at home and was afraid to go to church and joining social events. No one came and visited me during that time.”
She was isolated from her community and struggled with anxiety and grief.
A pathway to healing
Mamu was eventually introduced to Healing Hands of Joy through a health extension worker visiting her community.
She travelled to Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, where she underwent surgery twice.
While her fistula remains a challenge, her experience with Healing Hands of Joy gave Mamu something more than access to treatment. It gave her knowledge, confidence and a pathway forward.
“I learned how to manage my problem, my future life and lead my life economically.”
And then something remarkable happened.
Mamu decided to use what she had learned to help other women.
From fistula survivor to Safe Motherhood Ambassador
Mamu began training as a Safe Motherhood Ambassador (SMA) through the Healing Hands of Joy program.
Safe Motherhood Ambassadors are women who have experienced obstetric fistula and are trained to use their own experiences and knowledge to help other women in their communities.
For Mamu, the training was about more than learning new skills. It was an opportunity to meet women who had experienced similar challenges and build a network of support.
“All the training sessions were interesting and helpful. I got the chance to meet new friends, having the same challenges. We tried to encourage each other and I enjoyed the training sessions.”
Her life began to change again.
“My relatives and community started visiting and supporting me.”
The woman who had once been afraid to leave her home was finding her voice — and using it to help protect other mothers.
One woman can help another
This is the power of Safe Motherhood Ambassadors.
A woman who has experienced fistula understands the challenges faced by others in a way few people can. By sharing her experience and knowledge, she can become a trusted source of information and support for women in her community.
The program creates change in three important ways:
Prevention
Safe Motherhood Ambassadors educate women and families about safe pregnancy and childbirth, helping mothers recognise risks and seek care when they need it.
By sharing knowledge within their communities, they can help prevent obstetric fistula before it occurs.
Identification
Ambassadors can identify women who may be living with fistula and help connect them with the specialist healthcare and treatment they need.
This can help reduce the long-term physical and emotional impact of the condition — while also helping women overcome the stigma that can prevent them from seeking help.
Reintegration
For women like Mamu, becoming a Safe Motherhood Ambassador creates a pathway to rebuild confidence, reconnect with their communities and develop new skills.
Instead of being defined by what happened to them, these women can become leaders and advocates for others.
Creating a future where motherhood doesn't come with fear
In Australia, it is difficult to imagine giving birth without the support of skilled healthcare professionals.
During pregnancy, women have access to regular check-ups and medical care. Potential complications can often be identified before labour begins, and skilled professionals are available to respond when something goes wrong.
For many women in remote parts of Ethiopia, that level of care is simply not within reach.
That is why programs like Healing Hands of Joy are so important.
They don't just respond to fistula after it happens. They work to prevent it, identify it and help women rebuild their lives afterwards.
And at the heart of that work are women like Mamu.
Mamu’s story is just the beginning
Mamu's experience began with unimaginable loss.
But it did not end there.
Today, she is using her experience to support other mothers and help create a safer future for women in her community.
Her story shows what can happen when women are given the opportunity to turn their experiences into knowledge, their knowledge into action, and their action into change.
With support for Healing Hands of Joy and Safe Motherhood Ambassadors, more women like Mamu can access the support, education and skills they need to protect mothers and newborns — and rebuild their own lives in the process.
Because when one woman is empowered to help another, the impact can reach far beyond a single life.
