Baptist Spirituality

This week includes World Refugees Day.  The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Florida and CBF Global support the work of Karen Alford, a CBF missionary (field personnel) and member of Bayshore Baptist Church in Tampa, Florida.  Karen works with women’s health in Uganda, which includes refugees and others who are impoverished or displaced.  Here is her latest blog.

[Curated]

“Karen has Moved”

As an update for those who may not have heard: I am working in SW Uganda now as a programs advisor with an organization called Medical Teams International (MTI). My job has many facets and involves working with many programs. As I get to know and work with each one, I’ll be sharing stories and experiences about them all, but the first one I want to highlight is the obstetric fistula program.

The World Health Organization estimates up to 2 million women in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia suffer from obstetric fistulas. Humanitarian groups who work with these women estimate that number to be far higher. Uganda is ranked third in the world for the highest number of fistula cases, with an estimated 140,000 to 200,000 women affected, and 1,900 new cases occurring annually. Obstetric fistulas are usually caused by difficult births. Many women in sub-Saharan Africa give birth in the bush or in their banana plantations – without a midwife or any other medical assistance. If there is prolonged pushing or if the baby is in the wrong position, tearing can occur and no one is present to stitch it up afterwards…[Read more on Karen’s Blog].