The Fistula Foundation

Week 21: The Fistula Foundation

This week's organization is the Fistula Foundation. It was founded as an all volunteer organization to support the pioneering Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. Their mission to fight fistula globally and to provide women with free and safe surgeries.

I know that a few years ago, I was completely unaware of what a fistula even is. So, let’s start here: a fistula is an obstetric injury caused by childbirth leaving a woman incontinent of urine or feces or both. To add to this trauma, a woman with fistula is then often rejected by her husband and pushed out of her village. Obstetric fistula most commonly occurs among women who live in poor countries and women who give birth without access to medical care.

The Fistula Foundation believes that “no woman should have to suffer a life of shame and isolation for trying to bring a child into the world”.

The Fistula Foundation issues grants on an invitation-only basis to “treatment facilities that are known, trusted and have access to qualified fistula surgeons who can provide the best care possible to women”.

The goal is to provide women with free and safe obstetric fistula repair surgery.

This surgery can give a woman her life back after severe trauma, both physically and socially. I am so delighted this week to play a small part in making these surgeries possible.

We are halfway through the year, and still going strong!
I hope your week is lovely, and also that this year truly is shaping up to be one of generosity. I cherish and love being a part of this community, and am so excited to keep up our terrific momentum.

All the best and more,
Jodi

Wikipedia

Week 20: Wikipedia

Okay, I know this one might sound weird. This week's GIVE52 organization is Wikipedia. I don't know about you, but Wiki has been an amazing resource for me and I constantly find myself using it. You can get deep into a topic and follow links until your brain explodes with incredible and fascinating new information. BUT, despite all the value, I have never given them a cent. Until today.

If you are unaware, or live under a rock with no internet access, Wikipedia is a “free online encyclopedia with the aim to allow anyone to edit articles. Wikipedia is the largest and most popular general reference work on the Internet.”

From the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales: "Wikipedia is something special. It is like a library or a public park. It is like a temple for the mind. It is a place we can all go to think, to learn, to share our knowledge with others. "

I realized how crazy it was that I had never donated, despite their campaigns after reading this post by Sasha Dichter.

In it he talks about the fact that about "199 out of 200 people use this incredible free resource and never bother to give a penny." He made a point that often we ignore the banner asking us to give, because we think that giving just a little is insignificant or even embarrassing.

“Our problem, you see, isn’t lack of resources. Our problem is bystanding. Our problem is that even the best of us default to “nothing” most of the time.

What a great time to participate more.

Because everything (yes everything) is so much more than nothing.

And if we simply decided now that we’d give something to every organization, club, course, group that has touched us a little this year, we will save ourselves the mental burden of deciding each time, we will feel a whole lot better in the process, and we will ultimately transform ourselves from passive takers to active members of our communities.”
— Sasha Dichter

And that, my friends, is exactly what GIVE52 is all about.
Have a tremendous week!


Love,
Jodi

Your Local Animal Shelter

Week 19: Your Local Animal Shelter

This week is dedicated to our furry friends. This week, GIVE52 is reaching our local animal shelters!

I adopted my best bud, Patch, from my local shelter in Los Angeles 4 years ago. He is a one-eyed wonder dog who was set to be killed before they scooped him up and got him the surgery he needed. The rescue who saved his life is called Cagefree K9 Rescue Foundation.

They have successfully placed over 1,000 rescue dogs in loving forever homes. CageFree K9 Rescue foundation is a non-profit dog rescue organization funded entirely by public donations. Most of the dogs who come into their care have major health issues or injuries which are expensive to diagnose and treat. Their main focus is to help dogs who are red-listed in the high-kill Los Angeles city animal shelter system. They fix ‘em up and match them with their human pals.



I am forever grateful that they saved my amazing pup and I am confident a quick search online will net a treasure trove of similar operations where you live. So this week, my challenge is to find and support your local animal shelter or rescue center.
 

Woof.
Have a pawsitively lovely evening.

Love,
Jodi (and Patch!)