VCOM View Vol 10 No 1

Far left: The Porter family arrived in Africa in the early months of 2020. Dr. Chelsea Porter is wearing the traditional headcoverings of the community she serves.

Upper left: The Danja Clinic sign

Lower left: The Porters use Scrabble tiles for a fun twist to aid their studies of the Hausa language.

Center: Patients wait in a room inside the Danja Health Clinic.

Left: “Many of my friends had recommended the documentary ‘A Walk to Beautiful’ about a fistula center in Ethiopia. I’ve had a heart for bringing healthcare to vulnerable women for quite some time and after watching the documentary, my husband and I both felt [Danja Health Center] could be the place for us,” said Porter.

“ There are so many women whose lives are devastated by of this problem and it’s because of the training I received at VCOM that I can be here.”

amazing center is at risk of shutting down due to lack of funding and lack of a fistula surgeon.”

physical therapy, counseling and job skills during a three-month reintegration program.

Since then, a major donor has reduced support after their own funding decreased as a result of the pandemic. The fistula center has now temporarily suspended service until adequate funding is raised. Scarcer than Funding is Expertise Even with adequate funding, the Danja Fistula Center has long lacked a full-time surgeon. While nurses and other staff carried on the work of the clinic, patients waited for a surgeon to fly in from America or elsewhere to perform fistula restoration procedures in batches. “There is a crucial need for a fistula surgeon, so I am going to learn this procedure,” affirmed Dr. Porter, who is eager to do this much needed work, once the program is funded and operational. In January she plans to begin the training that will eventually lead to the Danja Fistula Center having a full-time, in-house surgeon.

“This program allows women to live with other women who have the same challenge and see they are not alone,” said Porter. “They are met with kindness and shown that they are accepted and valuable! They receive counseling and learn to sew and embroider so they can enter back into their societies knowing they are an asset; it truly is a remarkable place!” Porter said. For now, the Porters serve as missionaries, pray the Center will be funded and work on learning enough Hausa language to no longer need a translator. While the Fistula Center is closed, other parts of the Danja Health Center remain functional, allowing the physicians to participate in a medical setting and connect with local healthcare workers. “We are so thankful for this opportunity and we are praying the funding comes in so we can continue this beautiful work,” Dr. Porter said.

Visit www.danjahealth.org to donate or for more information on the work of the Danja Fistula Center. ■

In addition to surgery, the Danja Fistula Center provides

summer/fall 2020 | VCOM V iew M agazine 19