Fifty-eight women who underwent successful treatment for Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) in Kaduna State have graduated from a rehabilitation and skills acquisition programme designed to restore their dignity, confidence and economic independence.
The beneficiaries, whose fistulae were repaired at the Yusuf Dantsoho Fistula Centre, received skills training and starter packs at a graduation ceremony organised by the Kaduna State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development in collaboration with development partners.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Governor Dr Hadiza Balarabe described the event as a celebration of healing, courage, resilience, restoration and renewed hope for women who had endured physical, emotional and social challenges caused by the condition.
Balarabe, who conveyed Governor Uba Sani’s greetings, said the administration had prioritised healthcare, particularly for women and children, stressing that rehabilitation should go beyond surgical repair to restore survivors’ confidence, dignity, social acceptance and capacity to earn a living.
She commended the Ministry of Women Affairs, Fistula Foundation Nigeria, UNFPA, medical personnel, caregivers, trainers and counsellors for their contributions to the intervention, saying the skills training and starter packs would help the beneficiaries achieve self-reliance and productive reintegration into their communities.
‘As a medical doctor myself, I understand the profound physical, emotional and social challenges women living with obstetric fistula may experience,’ Balarabe said, urging stakeholders to intensify awareness, promote quality maternal healthcare and encourage skilled attendance during pregnancy and childbirth.
The deputy governor also called for improved access to fistula treatment without fear, stigma or discrimination, assuring that the state government would continue to improve healthcare and the wellbeing of women, children and other vulnerable groups, while reducing out-of-pocket expenses through the state health insurance programme.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Rabi Salisu, described the graduation as a milestone in healing, recovery, dignity and empowerment, saying the 58 women successfully completed VVF repair and subsequent skills acquisition programmes across the state.
Salisu said VVF repair was only the beginning of sustainable recovery, adding that the beneficiaries would form a cooperative society under the ministry to promote mutual support and economic sustainability. She urged them to see themselves as survivors, entrepreneurs, leaders and advocates rather than victims of their past experiences.
The Executive Director of Fistula Foundation Nigeria, Mr Musa Isa, representing UNFPA, said quarterly fistula repair campaigns have enabled more than 400 women and girls to access free treatment, including surgery, medication, feeding and transport, while doctors and nurses have also been trained in fistula management.
Representing the Federal Ministry of Health, Mallam Faruk Usman said more than 300 patients had been treated at the Yusuf Dantsoho intervention centre over two years, through collaboration between the Kaduna Government and Fistula Foundation Nigeria. He urged stakeholders to identify women still suffering silently in communities and to facilitate their access to free treatment.
One of the beneficiaries, Rahma Ibrahim, described her experience with VVF as traumatic, saying the condition caused her pain, emotional distress and social isolation. Another beneficiary, Khadija Yusuf, said the treatment, skills training and starter support had restored her confidence and given her hope of becoming self-reliant, while both women expressed gratitude to the government and development partners.