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Agnes is a 25-year-old mother of four from Bukaala, a rural village in Uganda. She and her family live far from emergency medical services, so when she went into a complicated labor, Agnes had very few options. Tragically, her child did not survive, and she began to leak urine. Agnes lived with obstetric fistula for three long years. Ashamed of her constant odor, she withdrew from her community early on. “I have always been so stressed in my heart,” Agnes said. “When I had that problem, I was not able to do anything or go anywhere. I was always hiding.” Thankfully, her suffering did not last forever. One day, Agnes was listening to the radio and heard that treatment was available at Kitovu Hospital, Fistula Foundation’s partner facility in Makasa, Uganda. “I got up immediately and came here [to] the hospital to be treated,” she said. After years of suffering,...

In India, Grameen Community Agents go by the name of Grameen Mittra (Grameen means Village and Mittra means friend). And Harsha Tai loves being one because it feels good to help so many. Lihaba and her husband Shipmau are one example. Shipmau suffers from dementia that renders him unable to speak, as well as paralysis in his legs that has robbed him of his ability to walk. But their ability to live depends on his pension, a 12-kilometer test of determination and strength. Before Harsha Tai (Tai-means Elder Sister) came into their lives, every single week, to get to the bank, Lihaba would lift her husband off the ground and use a motion—lift, pull, drag, lift, pull, drag—for two kilometers, to get her husband to the bus stop. Then they would ride the bus another ten kilometers, where she again would lift, pull, and drag him to the bank. In...

Rozina is a 19-year-old activist who works with Plan International to promote gender equality in Bangladesh. Through her part-time job as a tutor, she’s inspiring other girls to stay in school and take on leadership opportunities. Here’s her story, in her own words. “I may look frail and small, but I have big dreams. I know what I want. When I was 17, I stopped my own marriage. I am from a poor family. I knew I needed to stay in school and get a good education. I was an active member of my local youth forum and joined weekly sessions where we discussed and learned about the negative effects of child marriage. I knew that child marriage was illegal. During the sessions, we also learned about changes that happen to our bodies as we enter our adolescent years. These sessions built my confidence and helped me to grow my...