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All I Have Is Yours, Lord: A Reflection on Grace and Gratitude

THE CRA PERSPECTIVE All I Have Is Yours, Lord A reflection on grace, gratitude, humility and the beauty of surrender What do I have that I did not receive? What can I truly claim as mine apart from grace? There are moments when we need to pause and look beyond our achievements, possessions, abilities and ambitions. We may work hard for what we accomplish, make sacrifices for our families and spend years developing our talents. Yet, beneath every achievement lies a deeper truth: life itself is a gift. Our breath, our opportunities, our strength, our relationships and even the ability to begin again are blessings we often take for granted. Gratitude begins when we recognise that we are not the sole authors of everything good in our lives. The prayer “All I Have Is Yours, Lord” expresses a heart that no longer wishes to live only for possession, recognition or personal glory. It is the quiet acknowledgement that everything entr...
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💔 Breaking the Silence: Ending Obstetric Fistula for Good

  

🗓️ May 23 🌍 Theme: "Breaking the Cycle: Preventing Fistula Worldwide"

What Is Obstetric Fistula?

A devastating childbirth injury, obstetric fistula occurs when prolonged, obstructed labor without medical care tears a hole between the birth canal and bladder/rectum. This leads to:

  • Chronic incontinence

  • Painful infections

  • Social ostracization (many survivors are abandoned by families)

🔍 Fast Facts:

  • 2 million women live with untreated fistula (90% in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia).

  • 1 new case every 20 minutes—yet it’s almost entirely preventable.

Why This Day Matters

Established by the United Nations in 2013, this day:
✔ Exposes a hidden crisis shrouded in stigma.
✔ Mobilizes funding for surgeries ($450 covers one life-changing repair).
✔ Demands policy action on maternal healthcare gaps.

2025’s Focus: Prevention through:

  • Emergency obstetric care

  • Delayed marriage/pregnancy programs

  • Fistula-safe delivery training for midwives

Progress & Challenges

Hope Spots

  • UNFPA’s Campaign to End Fistula has supported 140,000+ surgeries since 2003.

  • Ethiopia’s Hamlin Fistula Hospitals cure 5,500 women yearly.

Work Ahead

  • 500,000 women still need treatment.

  • 1 in 3 fistula survivors attempts suicide (WHO).

How You Can Help

1. Educate

  • Share #EndFistula stories to combat stigma.

  • Screen the documentary "A Walk to Beautiful" (free on YouTube).

2. Advocate

  • Push for maternal health funding in foreign aid budgets.

  • Support girls’ education (educated women delay pregnancy).

3. Donate

  • $50 = Post-surgery recovery kit.

  • $300 = Trains a community health worker.

4. Volunteer

  • Medical pros: Join Doctors Without Borders fistula missions.

  • Others: Translate materials or fundraise locally.

Success Stories

  • Malawi: Reduced fistula cases by 60% via village midwife networks.

  • Nigeria’s "Fistula Warriors": Survivors now train as nurses.

  • Bangladesh: Mobile surgery vans reach remote areas.

Call to Action

"This May 23:

  1. Share this post to break the silence.

  2. Donate to a fistula repair fund.

  3. Write to leaders demanding maternal care investments.

Together, we can turn ‘never again’ into reality."

"Fistula isn’t just a medical condition—it’s a measure of how we value women."

 
— Dr. Catherine Hamlin (1924–2020), Fistula Surgery Pioneer

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