2nd Chance Swiss Association

🌍 2nd Chance Women’s Health Surgical Workshop – Gitega, Burundi 🇧🇮 | 24–28 November 2025

Alongside the workshop held in Bujumbura 🇧🇮, 2nd Chance had the privilege of organizing in Gitega a specialized training dedicated to the surgical management of fistula — a severe condition that still affects too many women and profoundly impacts their quality of life.

This mission is part of 2nd Chance’s Women’s Health Program 🤝, which aims to improve health, restore dignity, and expand life opportunities for women through sustainable, long-term impact.

🎯 The objective of this mission was dual: treat and train.
We provided essential surgical care to patients in urgent need while strengthening local capacities to ensure long-term autonomy in fistula management.

Five participants took part in the training, coming from Ethiopia 🇪🇹, the Democratic Republic of Congo 🇨🇩, Somalia 🇸🇴, Guinea 🇬🇳 and Tanzania 🇹🇿. They were supported by three anesthetists and two specialized surgeons — Dr Frederic Ris and Lionel Dumont — whose expertise was key to ensuring high-quality interventions and meaningful knowledge transfer.

Thanks to the outstanding work of the local teams 💪 and the commitment of all participants, 11 patients received surgery. A few days later, they are recovering well — a powerful message of hope and resilience.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the staff of Gitega Hospital 🙏 for their warm welcome and professionalism, to our 2nd Chance collaborators for their unwavering commitment, to the coordinators and all those involved in organizing this mission, and to our donors for their trust and support.

Together, we move toward a future where every woman affected by fistula can regain her dignity, her health, and the chance for a better life. 💛