Helloooo and thank you for visiting!

On the 19th June 2011 I will be completing the Ironman UK 70.3 triathlon. I will be swimming 1.2 miles, cycling 56 miles, running 13.1 miles and then collapsing on the floor!

I have decided to raise money for the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital after reading a book written by the founder, Dr. Catherine Hamlin and being wowed by her and her husband's lifetime dedication to their work.

The charity is small (http://www.hamlinfistulauk.org/) and treats women and young girls in Ethiopia who after sexual violence or a long and painful childbirth, often resulting in the death of the baby, become incontinent. 

Their incontinence is caused by a small hole (fistula) between the vaginal wall and the bladder.

Every day and every hour urine runs down these women's legs.

They are shunned by their husband and their community and due to their second class place in society are left with nothing.

A simple operation can solve this - Fistulas were eradicated in the UK in the late 1800's.

Since 1974, Dr. Hamlin and her team have treated 30,000 women for free.

For a woman to be fully cured it costs around £100.

I would like to swim, run, cycle (and most likely hobble!) 70.3 miles so that 10 women can be cured and no longer be shunned from their community.

Incontinence and the effect it has on these women's lives is not a comfortable topic to discuss and so often gets overlooked. This is why I feel so strongly about raising money for these women!

Click below for a video about the hospital (excuse the corny music!)

http://www.ethiopiaid.org.uk/partners/health/addis_ababa_fistula_hospital

There is also a documentary about the hospital:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w-fOmovijc&feature=related

Thank you for reading my page and for your donations, especially as we are all pretty skint at the moment...any little helps!

Philli xx

 

(Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.)