This Holiday,
Empower Mothers in Ethiopia
Americans for UNFPA Email Appeal
December 2009

Dear Americans for UNFPA Friend,

In a rural village in Ethiopia, Dima endured more hardship before turning 18 than most women experience in a lifetime. At 15, she was forced into an abusive marriage which quickly led to her first pregnancy.

Like 94% of Ethiopian women, Dima went into labor at home without access to a skilled birth attendant. Her body could not handle the labor and after 48 hours she miscarried…leaving her with a debilitating and stigmatizing complication—obstetric fistula.

Still just a child herself, Dima soon became pregnant again and delivered a healthy baby boy. But living with the shame of her medical condition made Dima slip quietly into a life of isolation and despair.

Because of generous people who support Americans for UNFPA, Dima’s story has a happy ending. She received the greatest gift she could hope for...a second chance at life.

In July, Dima’s fistula was repaired by a local hospital. When Dima learned her surgery was successful, there was hope in her eyes. She had been given the opportunity to live a better life with her son in Ethiopia.

"I am happy!” Dima said. “I will start to talk with the neighbors and community. I will look for a new job and I will start a new life.”

In 2009, our programs made a profound difference in the lives of so many women like Dima. They now have brighter futures – and they have been given back their lives. Since 2003, UNFPA has provided care and treatment to more than 12,000 women suffering from fistula in 45 countries around the world.

This holiday season, please support Americans for UNFPA. Your generosity is the most powerful gift that thousands of women around the world could receive.

As 2009 comes to a close, we hope you will end the year with a commitment to help us promote safe motherhood for women and girls. Together we will make a difference.

Have a wonderful and healthy holiday season,

Anika Rahman
President