Healing Pathways International is dedicated to eradicating obstetric fistula by treating it as both a medical emergency and a preventable structural failure. Operating in tight, respectful coordination with local health ministries and specialist surgical centers, we deploy a unique, data-driven dual-engine model:
The Prevention Engine: We use advanced CommCare mobile data tool to map active pregnancies at the village level. To eliminate the fear and financial strain of leaving home before labor, our fund completely upgrades under-resourced local health compounds into vibrant, utility-stabilized maternal "sanctuaries." Outfitted with solar power, clean water storage tanks, and local artisan furniture, these sanctuaries provide free accommodation, community-grown food, and a dedicated space for a female birth companion to live comfortably weeks before delivery.
The Rescue Engine: While tracking pregnancies door-to-door, frontline health workers discreetly and safely screen for hidden, historical fistula cases. Once a survivor is found, our encrypted system activates a zero-cost, private clinical intake pathway, providing 100% covered transportation and surgical care at a premier regional specialist hospital.
What is Obstetric Fistula?
Obstetric fistula is a devastating injury that occurs when a woman experiences prolonged labor without access to medical care. It causes constant leaking, pain, and often leads to social isolation and shame. Thousands of women still suffer from this preventable condition.
Healing Pathways International began not with a grand design, but with decades of listening to women in underserved communities. Founder Jennifer Brown has spent her life sitting with, learning from, and serving vulnerable populations across East Africa and the United States. Her journey includes learning alongside communities as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia, supporting local health education efforts with VSO in Eritrea, and engaging in grassroots mission work in Uganda and Tanzania. Domestically, she spent years working on the frontlines of trauma-informed care in reugee resettlement
Why We Operate in the Background
These decades in the field taught us a vital lesson: foreign interventions fail when they try to pull the spotlight or dictate terms. True sustainable healing already belongs to the communities themselves. Healing Pathways International was built to be a quiet, backend support system. We do not seek to lead on the ground. Instead, we use our fundraising capacity and data resources to lift up and empower local healthcare heroes, midwives, and NGOs toward a future free of obstetric fistula.
Your donation enables Healing Pathways International to deploy a comprehensive, data driven system that protects mothers before, during, and after childbirth.