By Anne Henry, Multimedia Producer & Member of the Fool’s 2015 Foolanthropy Team
It’s the holiday season, and with it comes our Foolanthropy Holiday Drive. This year, we’ve rethought our purpose about charitable giving to better align with our community: How can we give like investors?
This year, we’ve teamed up with The Fistula Foundation, which offers life-changing surgery and care to thousands of women in developing countries who have obstetric fistula. Let’s talk numbers:
· Over 1,000,000 women in developing countries suffer from obstetric fistula, a birthing injury that leads to incontinence.
· Only 20,000 receive surgery to reverse this condition each year.
· 75% of women with obstetric fistula have endured labor that lasted three days or more.
· The average woman affected by obstetric fistula are in their late teens or early 20’s. With an average lifespan in developing countries around 65, this can mean their life is impacted for 40-50 years.
· Since 2009, the Fistula Foundation has completed 18,000 restorative surgeries, invested $4.2 million in surgical training, and provided $3.1 million in medical supplies and hospital upgrades.
· At a cost of $450, the Fistula Foundation provides surgery, post-operative care, and physical rehabilitation for a woman in need. That’s around $10 per year of dramatically improved quality of life.
When you think about the quality of life lost due to incontinence, typically paired with isolation and rejection in their communities, it’s easy to see how $450 is a small price compared to breathe new life into a woman suffering from obstetric fistula.
$450 for a life-changing surgery. $10 per year of return on investment. How far will your donation go?
To learn more about the Fistula Foundation and their mission, visit www.fistulafoundation.org for more information. If you’re interested in contributing to our charity drive, go to give.fool.com, which will take you to our donation page. There, you can read more about the Fistula Foundation, how to give like an investor, and make a donation. We sincerely hope you will.