Fistula Survivor Turned Successful Entrepreneur

Perpetua Yusuph is a courageous and inspiring woman from Nyambemba village in Buchosa. She is a fistula survivor who faced immense challenges in her life, but she always had a strong spirit and an unwavering determination to overcome them.

When Perpetua first developed fistula, she was devastated. She had lost control of her bladder and was constantly leaking urine, which made it impossible for her to work or even leave her house. She was ashamed and isolated, and she had no idea how she would ever be able to return to a normal life.

However, she found hope when she heard about the Amref Fistula project from heard about Amref Fistula project from Amref trained Fistula ambassador. Perpetua received the right treatment and the support and care she needed. She was also enrolled in the entrepreneurship skills training program and attended every session with much enthusiasm. During the training, Perpetua discovered her passion for selling African printed fabric. Amref Fistula project provided her with a few pieces of fabric as a starter pack to start her business. She was determined to make this work and started selling the fabric in the local market.

Over the weeks and months, Perpetua’s business started to grow, and she used the profits to reinvest in her business. She saved enough money to buy a sewing machine (121 USD)  which she used to customise the African print fabric with unique designs, making her business more attractive to her customers.

Perpetua’s business continued to expand, and she became a major supplier of African printed fabric in the market, attracting customers from various other villages. The people in her community started to appreciate her business skills and respected her as a successful entrepreneur.

Perpetua was grateful to Amref Fistula project for giving her the opportunity to learn something new and empowering her to become self-sufficient. She was no longer isolated or ashamed of her condition as a fistula survivor, but rather, she found her strength and identity as a successful businesswoman.

Today, Perpetua is a role model to many young women in her community, and she is determined to inspire other survivors of fistula to follow in her footsteps. She believes that the training and support she received from the Amref Fistula project have helped transform her life, and she will continue to work hard and inspire others to seek the help and support they need to regain their dignity and self-worth.

juliethmongi