Our Governance
Catherine Hamlin Foundation International and Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia are committed to best-practice standards in accountability, transparency, and not-for-profit governance.
Our Organisation at a Glance
Global Purpose: Catherine Hamlin Foundation International raises funds and awareness to accelerate Project Zero — Ethiopia's national strategy to eradicate obstetric fistula and expand access to quality maternal healthcare.
Healthcare Network: Funding directly supports Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia's extensive network, including six specialist hospitals, the Desta Mender rehabilitation and reintegration centre, the Hamlin College of Midwives, and over 90 rural midwifery clinics.
100% Ethiopian-Led: On-the-ground clinical care and operations are delivered entirely by a local team of 600+ dedicated professionals trained in the Hamlin Model of Care.
Direct Impact & Governance: Offers funding partners accountable, transparent investment opportunities with no intermediaries, backed by decades of data and evidence-driven reporting.
About Catherine Hamlin Foundation International
Catherine Hamlin Foundation International is helping advance one of Ethiopia’s most ambitious maternal health goals: ending obstetric fistula and increasing access to quality maternal health care for women across the country.
It builds on the long-standing work of the Australian Foundation, supported over many decades by thousands of donors committed to Dr Catherine Hamlin’s vision.
Today, Catherine Hamlin Foundation International has a global mandate to raise funds and awareness for Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, with a particular focus on accelerating Project Zero — its national strategy to end obstetric fistula. This work is delivered through Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s renowned healthcare network, comprising six specialist hospitals, the Desta Mender rehabilitation and reintegration centre, the Hamlin College of Midwives, and more than 90 Hamlin-supported midwifery clinics.
Led by a Board of Trustees chaired by Nigel Brooksby, Catherine Hamlin Foundation International collaborates with Hamlin’s global partner network in a shared mission: to realise Drs Catherine and Reg Hamlin’s vision of a fistula-free Ethiopia.
About Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia
Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia is the reference organisation and leader in the fight to eradicate obstetric fistula around the world, blazing a trail for holistic treatment and care that empowers women to reassert their humanity, secure their health and well-being, and regain their roles in their families and communities.
Governed and operated entirely by a 100% Ethiopian team, the organisation employs over 600 dedicated professionals—many trained by Dr Catherine Hamlin herself—who continue her legacy by delivering the Hamlin Model of Care to women with fistula injuries across the country.
Confidence for funding partners
Catherine Hamlin Foundation International provides major donors, trusts, foundations and corporate partners with a direct and accountable way to support Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s work.
With no intermediaries, philanthropic support can translate into meaningful impact on the ground. Reporting is clear and backed by decades of data, clinical experience and evidence-driven review, including Project Zero pilot learnings.
Supported by sound governance structures and long-standing relationships with government and local stakeholders in Ethiopia, the Foundation gives funding partners confidence that their support is helping accelerate progress towards a fistula-free Ethiopia.
This place will go on for many, many years until we have eradicated fistula altogether – until every woman in Ethiopia is assured of a safe delivery and a live baby.
- Dr Catherine Hamlin
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International Partners
Our Impact
