TERREWODE Unveils Landmark Community Reintegration Model for Fistula Survivors to Mark 20-Year Milestone

NSASA, KIRA — Marking two decades of pioneering maternal healthcare, TERREWODE Women’s Community Hospital has officially launched its Individualized Community Reintegration Model. The holistic framework provides a structured pathway to transition obstetric fistula survivors from clinical isolation back into full community life.

Obstetric fistula leaves deep societal scars that surgery alone cannot heal, including severe social stigma, loss of income, marital breakdown, and profound isolation. Unveiled at the TERREWODE Liaison Office in Nsasa, this new model bridges the gap between medical recovery and social acceptance by combining health education, mental health counselling, livelihood skills training, and peer support.

“Our work since 2005 has taught us that a woman needs more than surgery. She needs confidence, a means to earn, and a community that welcomes her back,” said Alice Emasu Seruyange, Founder and Executive Director of TERREWODE. Seruyange called on the Ministry of Health to standardize and adopt the model nationally, collaborating with the Ministry of Gender, local governments, and development partners to scale its impact.

The model relies heavily on a grassroots network of 131 Fistula Solidarity Groups. These survivor-led networks operate across Ugandan villages to locate women living in hiding, link them to free care, and spearhead localized prevention efforts.

Speaking on behalf of the State Minister for Health, Dr. Richard Mugahi, Commissioner for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health, affirmed the government’s commitment to comprehensive care. He emphasized that psychosocial support and economic empowerment must be treated as core components of fistula treatment, suggesting their integration into national initiatives like the Parish Development Model. He also noted that the government, alongside the UNFPA, will continue expanding access to free fistula treatment.

The vital necessity of post-surgical integration was highlighted by Namakoye Elsie, a survivor treated for rectovaginal fistula at the hospital. After years of isolation and leakage, she noted that “treatment restored my dignity,” and urged other women suffering in silence to seek help.

Over the past 20 years, TERREWODE has transformed the lives of more than 10,000 women and girls through treatment, counselling, and reintegration. As the organization celebrates this milestone, its mission remains clear: complete fistula care must heal the body, restore livelihoods, and rebuild belonging.

TERREWODE is a pioneering non-profit organization in Uganda dedicated to the elimination of obstetric fistula and the empowerment of women and girls. Since 2005, the organization has pioneered holistic healthcare models that combine state-of-the-art surgical treatment with comprehensive psychosocial and economic reintegration.