Gadissie works at the Hamlin-supported midwifery clinic in Watar, eastern Ethiopia, near Hamlin’s Harar Fistula Hospital. She began studying for her degree in Midwifery at the Hamlin College of Midwives in 2019 and graduated in 2023.
She first heard about the College when she was in year 12 at school. Gadissie took the entrance exam and was offered a place and, after four years of intense theoretical study and practical placements, she was deployed to the rural Watar midwifery clinic which was urgently in need of a Hamlin Midwife. Gadissie told us:
“I’m proud to be Hamlin Midwife. I met Dr. Catherine Hamlin when I was a first-year student. We are present in her last birthday. We celebrate with her. I’m happy because I meet her.
I wanted to work in rural area because there are many problems. Many mothers are exposed [to risks] and Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia has a big role in preventing fistula. I was interested to join the Hamlin midwifery team because it has a focus on fistula problem.
When I was in Hamlin College of Midwives, I get much knowledge. They teach us very well. There is enough equipment and they send us to different health centers and in the hospital to practice our knowledge. They also teach us to be more helpful and compassionate, more empathetic for rural women. I say thank you to Hamlin College of Midwives because it’s helped me to be a competent and skilful midwife.”
Challenges for rural women
In Ethiopia, nearly 80% of people live in rural areas. Half of all Ethiopian women give birth at home with no medical supervision, often leading to complications resulting in horrific childbirth injuries like obstetric fistula. Tragically, 90% of women who suffer an obstetric fistula give birth to a stillborn baby, often after an agonizing obstructed labor lasting several days.
Around 50% of the global burden of obstetric fistula occurs in sub-Saharan Africa, largely due to the lack of accessible healthcare, particularly in rural regions. Gadissie explained some of the challenges faced by rural women and how she is helping.
“There are many challenges. Rural communities have no access to health care. There is lack of transportation and comfortable road. This clinic is far for some women; some come by walking, others come by traditional stretcher.
Hamlin Midwives are very important in the communities because we prevent obstetric fistula. Obstetric fistula starts during prolonged or obstructed labor so we diagnose early and take action. We teach about the importance of delivery in the health facility, initial follow up, immunisations and give awareness for the community.”
Complete and compassionate maternity care
“As soon as we identify pregnancy, coming to this clinic is important. When a pregnant mother comes to ANC (antenatal care), I have different investigations to do to check the wellbeing of her foetus. We teach them about danger signs, the importance of taking iron plus folic acid, immunisations and birth preparedness.
Home delivery has many problems. If the baby is in distress, he may die. When she delivers in this clinic, we do resuscitation for the baby. After delivery, the mother may have post-partum haemorrhage which is difficult to manage at home. If she delivers in this clinic, we manage this by protocol.
The rural area women need to keep their privacy and they think female midwives understand them more easily than male midwives. They talk with us more openly and think we are more empathetic.
After Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia supports this clinic, there is a big difference. They donated a heater that we use to keep the baby warm and more than 90 per cent of the medication and the supplies that we use in the delivery. They provide solar so when there is no light we easily use our solar to do different works.
We hold a monthly lactation conference for pregnant women. We give awareness about the importance of the institutional delivery and the follow up and immunisation of the newborn.
