Natalie Returns to Nigeria
In January 2005, Natalie Imbruglia travelled to Nigeria to see how UNFPA and partners are helping women and girls with obstetric fistula. She returned to Nigeria last August to meet with patients, surgeons, government officials and religious leaders — this time, accompanied by a group of journalists, photographers and filmmakers from the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. The goal, says Imbruglia, was to absorb as much as she could from those closest to the issue so that she could be a better advocate back home.

Imbruglia’s August agenda included a return visit to Kwalli Rehabilitation Centre, a facility that supports women during the critical two weeks of post-operative care and teaches them basic skills such as literacy, knitting and sewing. When Imbruglia first visited the centre in January, she was told of an urgent need for a new van to transport patients to and from their villages and nearby Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital. The facility’s van, at the time, was on its last leg. Imbruglia raised funds to purchase a new van for Kwalli – a “small token of support” that will no doubt make a difference in the centre’s day-to-day operations.

Before the gift-giving ceremony, Imbruglia and a group of patients at Kwalli gave the vehicle their own personal touch: painted handprints. “I wanted the girls to feel like this was really their van,” says Imbruglia. “I saw this as a way for us to do something together that was spontaneous and fun.”

While in Katsina State, Imbruglia visited a UNFPA-supported maternity clinic that provides free pre-natal care and Caesarean sections – key interventions that can prevent fistula. “There are certain places like this where you can see change happening,” says Imbruglia, adding that “loads of women” were taking advantage of these services.  

Later that day, Imbruglia accompanied a group of Red Cross volunteers on a community outreach visit to a nearby village. There she met a treated fistula patient who had successfully reintegrated into her community. “Her mother and grandmother were by her side. She seemed to have a very loving family, and didn’t appear ostracized in any way,” says Imbruglia. “It was nice to see that firsthand, and not just be told.”

Recognizing the critical role that traditional and religious leaders can play in addressing fistula, Imbruglia met with the Emir of Katsina and the Wambai of Kano (second-in-command to the Emir). “The Honourable Commissioner of Women’s Affairs in Kano told me, ‘If the government tries to implement something, people can turn a blind eye. But if it’s embraced by the Emir, they will take it to heart,’” Imbruglia notes. She was especially encouraged by the actions of the Emir of Katsina who had put together a fund to ensure free food for all women at a local fistula hospital.  “He seemed to really be behind it,” says Imbruglia.

Looking ahead, consistency is key: “We have to keep going back to the same places and stay on the same messages,” says Imbruglia, acknowledging the process will likely be slow. She plans to return to Nigeria in early 2007.

Imbruglia's trip to Nigeria was the subject of a four-page feature article in Australian Women's Weekly. Read the article here in (PDF format)