West Africa Fistula Foundation's recent trip to Sierra Leone to provide medical care for women suffering from fistula and other maladies.

1. WAFF 2015

2. WAFF THANKS YOU

3. Our new facility at Kakua

6. Our first kitchen tent donated by
Doctors without Borders

7. Tent converted to triage area

8. Paul Robinson getting temperature
checked

9. Now a temporary kitchen

10. Great food no matter where we cook!

11. Even the cook is going to taste it

12. We serve great chicken to the patients

13. We sure needed some electricity and
thanks to the donors for the generator

14. We must take care of it though

15. Paul says let’s build it a home

16. Great, room for a back up generator,
workshop area and a store room

17. Elijah oversees the electrical work

18. Scaffolding comes in handy

19. Let us get down to business and do what we
came here to do and that is HELP THE
PEOPLE. Tear out the walls and build an
operating theatre.

20. Walls removed and a very comfortable
operating theatre with the first patient on
the table. Great job Paul and associates!!!

21. Wow how wonderful!!!

22. Nice to have electricity and oxygen
saturation machine since we do not have
access to oxygen in the country

23. Now have a modern machine that
determines one’s blood count.

24. Now let us bring the patients to their
new home and see if we can fix them.
They are now part of our family.

25. Matron Aminata Swaray ready for admissions

26. Samuela and Fatmata have the beds,
gowns and flowers ready for the ladies

27. Get comfortable and have some flowers
next to our bed. Do I see a cell phone?

28. I’m ready and what are you folks waiting on?

29. Janet says you are welcome to the Julia
ward which has 12 beds at present.

30. You are welcome to the Maria ward
(16 more beds). Sisters that started the
prettypurposeful.org foundation and are supporters.

31. Dr. Mannah with Fatmata and Samuela

32. Robert is ready also. Always with that smile.

33. Time for PPE (personal protective equipment.

34. Robert do not spray me in the face.

35. Might lose a little weight if I do this much.

36. Patients passing the time with making
beads to resale.

37. These beads are beautiful!

38. Fatmata, Memuna and Marian getting
food for the patients. 3 meals a day.

39. This food is a must to help us get better and heal.
We also get fe, vitamins, zinc and other nutrients.

40. Oops! Where did that oil come from?
Where is Paul????

41. Thank God for Paul and his folks (Kabba). We have
only one operating table. (Only 2 ½ hrs downtime)

42. Dr. Mannah with John Mansary our anesthetist
and a Amie carrying her urine bag post op.

43. Grandma has only been wet for 44 years!!!!
She will gladly carry her urine bag for 2 weeks.

44. In the meantime. Timothy has a job to
do as he has a lot of pride in how his
hospital looks. Look out for the cobras!

45. Paul, Juana and our administrator Benedict are
busy making sure we are frugal to the penny.

46. Elijah is giving Paul receipts for every expenditure and
they are scrutinized. Maintenance on the vehicles and
generators are meticulously done regularly.

47. Dr. Mannah takes time out to play with
one of the many babies that come and
stay with their mother.

48. I’m happy to be with my mother who
is also happy. Wow we all are happy!!

49. Marian with one of the patients’ baby.

50. To and from the hospital we see many different
sites. Wondering where he is going?

51. Probably not going to have as much fun
as these creative boys had building this
car out of a oil can and lids.

52. High dollar toy here!!!!

53. What about these high dollar toys?
A worn out tire and a stick.
Bigga and Morrison here.

54. Freedom has been around for a long
time and looks like he is being taken
care of by many. No problem here.

55. A few weeks have gone by and they are doing
well with their foleys and urine bags. Posing
for a friend Paul Burke, District Fire Chief I
recently met with the Boston Fire Department
that was the Chief during the Boston bombing.

56. Two of our patients have been ministering to our
patients and this was a Sunday morning service.

57. Jinnah, Grandma, Mamie and Amie are all
participating in the service all run by the patients

58. Janet in her pretty Sierra Leonean dress
on a Sunday morning.

59. BoBo and Bigga do not seem to have much
to worry about. Pretty content I would say.

60. This young man seemed very
happy he got a lift from a friend.

61. A waste basket full of bladder catheters.
We must have some happy patients!!!

62. Very happy young ladies and how have they
bonded and did not know each other until a few
weeks ago. Happy to have their life back.

63. Oops someone is DRY!!!

64. Another plus many more and thanks
to all the donors for giving to our
organization to make this possible!!!!

65. Now ready to go home wearing
normal dry clothes.

66. Guess who is also happy? This is
Grandma dancing with Dr. Mannah.

67. Now it is time for Grandma to go back to the village
where she has been shunned, ostracized and
destitute for 44 years to inform them she is DRY!!!!

68. Look what she is going in. The beautiful land cruiser
that our donors provided her with to ride.

69. Nurse Jeneba is spending hours with the patients
and giving them booklets with pictures to help them
understand what caused and how to prevent
Fistulas. Education is the key!!!!

70. Mamie and her son are happy to be going home.

71. Abigail and Memuna (former patient)
help with our skills training.

72. We pray that education reaches this
young lady before it is too late.

73. Look to the left next to water tank. Paul is starting
on the kitchen that is going to be the best out
door kitchen in Sierra Leone for his patients.

74. Now we know where to go.

75. Our Mantra

76. Never doubt that a small group
of committed citizens can
change the world…..Indeed it is
the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
All that is needed for evil to
prevail is that good men do
nothing

77. On a solemn note “EBOLA”

78. The most resilient people in the World!!!!!

79. We will not relent. We
must go on regardless.
For why are we on this
earth. There is no greater
joy than helping our
fellow man.

80. West Africa Fistula
wants to say thank you
to all our friends, donors
and supporters.
Darius R. Maggi M.D.
www.westafricafistulafoundation.org