Bend, Oregon – – October 14, 2026 -- Worldwide Fistula Fund and Terrewode Women's Fund have merged into Maternal Dignity Project, a U.S.-based nonprofit that will fund African-led organizations treating and preventing obstetric fistula in five countries.
Merged nonprofit backs partners in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger and Uganda
The combined organization supports partners across Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger and Uganda. The two predecessors had funded overlapping work for years and shared a commitment to backing leaders working in their own communities.
Named partners include ARENA Medical Center in Burkina Faso, founded by Dr. Itengre Ouedraogo as the country's first dedicated fistula center, and Let's End Fistula Initiative in Kenya, founded by survivor and advocate Sarah Omega. In Uganda, TERREWODE supports women after surgery and built the country's only dedicated fistula hospital.
An estimated 500,000 women live with a preventable, treatable injury
Obstetric fistula occurs when a woman in labor cannot get an emergency Cesarean section in time. An estimated 500,000 women live with the injury worldwide. Many go years without being told repair is possible.
Executive Director Bonnie Ruder said partners have proven what works but often with too little funding and largely on their own, and that the merger aims to put more resources behind them.
Prevention work to expand as C-section quality becomes a driver of injuries
Maternal Dignity Project plans to expand prevention programs. As more women give birth in health facilities, the causes of fistula are shifting. A growing share of injuries is linked to C-sections performed by providers who lack adequate training and resources. Several partners are currently researching the shift.