The People Behind the Projects: Mark & Allison Karnes

We had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Mark and Allison Karnes and learn a little more about what inspires them to do this life-changing work in Ethiopia. Dr. Mark is responsible for the prolapsed uterus surgeries, and his wife Allison is the brains behind the WRAPs (washable, reusable, affordable pads) project.

Not everyone has the temperament and motivation to pick up their lives and move to Cameroon.

But Allison and Mark Karnes decided that was the path for them. Oh, and they did it with a baby on the way.

The couple made the trek to central Africa shortly after Dr. Mark graduated, where they operated a primary care clinic.

Life wasn’t always easy – the heat was intense and they dealt with malaria, parasites and all kinds of realities of life that don't exist in the States – but it’s a special part of their history.

Two of the Karnes' children were born in Cameroon, and when they left five years later, a third was on the way. They now have five children, several of whom have lived and worked in various parts of Africa.

A few of the MWAHFE committee members who went to visit with Mark and Allison Karnes in Port Huron. We had a lovely chat at Cracker Barrel! What an honour to find out a little bit more about this inspiring couple.

It would be more than two decades after that journey in Cameroon that the Karnes returned to the continent, spending 25 years in Michigan in between. There, Dr. Mark ran his own gynaecological practice.

“We knew that at some point in time we’d go back in Africa,” he said.

They couldn’t stay away, and they felt called to return. Just over a month after retirement, the Karnes landed in Ethiopia.

“When you visit Africa, it gets in your bloodstream. You get infected with it,” said Mark.

And it would be about more than just serving the people. The Karnes were inspired to share their knowledge and leave a lasting legacy behind.

It was at a medical missions conference that they learned about the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS), an organization that seeks to keep African surgeons at home, with hopes of reversing the “brain drain” that often draws the best and brightest physicians to developed countries like the US and Canada.

Knowing they wanted to contribute to that initiative helped narrow down the options for a return to the African continent.

But why Ethiopia?

“They had coffee there. And popcorn,” Dr. Mark said with a chuckle.

Of course the decision was more complicated. The Ethiopian climate attracted the Karnes, and Allison formed a special bond with friends at the Soddo Christian Hospital.

“When you visit Africa, it gets in your bloodstream.”

— Dr. Mark Karnes

It seemed like a good fit.

And PAACS drew them in.

“It's one thing to know how to perform a caesarian, and save the life of mother and baby. But to teach someone how to do that is (about) duplication,” said Mark. And at the Soddo Christian Hospital, that's exactly what he does.

Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia volunteers even had the chance to take a peek at a surgery conducted by Dr. Mark – with help from an training doctor – on a recent trip. Practicing medicine is very different, even at a privately-funded hospital, in Ethiopia. Supplies are not always readily available, and even water isn't a guarantee.

But what struck our volunteers the most was the incredible patience that Dr. Mark showed throughout the course of the operation. Not only was he working to repair a delicate reproductive system, but he was sharing his knowledge with a less experienced surgeon. 

“It's very important, because I'm not always going to be there,” Dr. Mark said.

Dr. Mark chats with Shelley outside the Bucama Health Clinic in rural Ethiopia in February 2017. This facility directs some patients to Soddo Christian Hospital to undergo surgery with Dr. Mark.

While Mark is changing lives in the operating room (learn more about prolapse), Allison is out doing the same in rural schools all over the region with the WRAPS initiative. (Check out our spotlight story on WRAPS here!)

“We talk a lot about menstruation and what it is, and the biology of it,” said Allison. “I talk a lot about being safe, because rape is still a big concern.”

The WRAPS – washable, reusable, affordable pads – have caught the eye of many, including some local and influential leaders who have brought Allison into schools that had never received similar programming.

Allison teaches a workshop on WRAPS at Abba Pascal Girls School, one of the sites for Girls Gotta Run programming.

It’s sweet to listen to Mark and Allison talk about their lives. What’s clear is that the couple has an incredible bond and partnership. They know each other’s passions inside and out, and the pride in their voices is evident when they talk about those projects.

Over their decades in Ethiopia, the Karnes have played witness to so much change – and progress.

“In 2007 there was only one paved road in Soddo,” said Mark. “When we first arrived, all of the taxis were donkeys and mules and horses.”

There wasn't a bajaj in sight.

Just seven years ago, about 94% of women were estimated to be delivering their children at home without medical care. Now that’s dropped to about 50%, Mark said.

Development is constant, and life changes all the time.

“They even, on the weekends at this one hotel, have ice cream,” said Mark with awe.

It’s amazing how much can change with “funds and a little heart,” said Allison.

The Karnes are the perfect example of that. And there’s so much more the couple hopes to accomplish.

“I can’t live long enough to do enough there. I have projects that would keep me busy for another 100 years,” Allison said. “It only takes a little money to change the lives of an entire community.”

Despite the hard work and the long hours, the Karnes said it is an honour and a joy to work, live and serve in Soddo.

 “We are the ones who are blessed,” Mark said.

“We learn so much from the Ethiopian people.”

The Hospital by the River: A Review

I had barely cracked the spine of this book and I knew I was in for an emotional and inspiring read. The prologue had captured my heart before the autobiographical story even began. Here's the synopsis that Kobo provides for its customers:

Gynaecologists Catherine and Reg Hamlin left Australia in 1959 on a short contract to establish a midwifery school in Ethiopia. Over 40 years later, Catherine is still there, running one of the most outstanding medical programmes in the world. The Hamlins dedicated their lives to women suffering the catastrophic effects of obstructed labour. The awful injuries that such labour produces are called fistulae, and until the Hamlins began their work in Ethiopia, fistula sufferers were neglected and forgotten - a vast group of women facing a lifetime of incapacity and degradation. Catherine and Reg, with their team of dedicated fistula surgeons, have successfully operated on over 25,000 women, and the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital, the hospital they opened in 1974, has become a major teaching institution for gynaecologists from all over Ethiopia and the developing world. Since Reg’s death, Catherine and her team have continued the work.

What a synopsis can't tell you it what it felt like to read Dr. Hamlin's story. I couldn't escape the thought, "How can this be happening today?" The chance of a Canadian woman suffering an injury like a fistulae is small because labour and delivery are so well cared for by medical professionals. If there is an injury during labour or delivery, our medical system immediately intervenes. So, to know that there are women who are suffering from something that is so readily preventable and treatable in Canada absolutely broke my heart. Their pain is physical and emotional, most often being cast aside from their communities because of their medical condition.

But this book doesn't just present a problem, it documents the lives of two doctors who have made a tremendous difference to both treat and prevent child-birth related injuries. This couple was determined to create a lasting change against all odds, and they did it.

The other wonderful thing about this book is the depth of insight the reader is given into the history of Ethiopia in the past century. The Hamils lived through regime changes, civil unrest, peace and war. Catherine teaches the reader about Ethiopia's fascinating history as a consequence of it being interwoven with her story.

The work that the Hamils have done in Ethiopia is closely related to the prolapse uterus surgeries that MWAHFE sponsors. These women's health issues deserve to be talked about because there are real and tangible solutions for preventing and treating them. In light of Dr. Hamil's story, I am even more glad to know that we have Dr. Mark and his team at Soddo Christian Hospital doing life-transforming surgeries in Ethiopia!

Want to read this great book? Contact your local bookstore and see if they carry it. It’s great to try local first! I couldn't find it in the local libraries but here are some places that you can get a copy if the local options don’t work. (I got a "like new" copy from Amazon for less than $7 including shipping!)

Amazon
Chapters Online
Kobo

Have you read this book? Leave a comment below and tell us what you thought!

Reviewed by Tracy Dunham
@tracyadunham

Surgical Success Stories - #101 and #102

Even as we were celebrating our 100th surgery, Dr. Mark sent us the photos and stories of two more women who had just been sponsored! As great as the milestone was, we're even more excited to be able to continue this life-changing work through Dr. Mark and his team at Soddo Christian Hospital.

Meet Bazite and Akala... more lives changed by your generosity and financial partnership.

This is Bazite Mandabo, a widow from Bucama who has had prolapse for five years. She has been pregnant seven times, has had three miscarriages and has three living children.

This is Akala Awandu, also a widow, who has had fourth degree prolapse for 10 years. She has been pregnant four times and has three living children. She was brought to Soddo Christian Hospital by Dr. Mary Vanderkooi who has a mobile clinic in a very rural area, Adjura, where she takes care of some of the poorest of the poor.  

Celebrating 100 Surgeries: Sulded's Story

Imagine if a complete stranger locked eyes with you and uttered these words: “bless you again and again and again.”

That’s the overwhelming thanks we hear from Sulded, a mother from rural Ethiopia who is using her own experiences to help other women.

Sulded had a number of complicated births and pregnancies, including a late-term miscarriage and a child that was stillborn. She was left not just with emotional pain, but with a prolapsed uterus that plagued her for nearly a decade.

“It was outside (my body) and very infected,” Sulded said. “I went to the hospital three times, receiving cream and taking care of washing.”

But it never got better. In fact, it got worse.

She didn’t want others talking about her private health concerns, so she didn’t tell a soul. Not even her husband.

“My biggest fear was not being able to be with people. I was hiding myself. I was hopeful,” she said.

Sulded worried what others might be saying about her. She told us that she prayed God would take the horrible condition away.

Finally, she was able to have Dr. Mark Karnes operate to correct the prolapse. And now, Sulded is a lifeline for other women suffering from the same issue.

When we spoke with Sulded she had already sent three women from her community to the Bucama Health Clinic to get help with prolapse.

“They were hiding in the compound. I recognized the signs,” she said. Dr. Mark has been able to help those women using options other than surgery, like the use of a ring that supports the uterus.

Though she understands the intense desire for privacy, Sulded said she wants to spread the word about the options – even a cure – that could save other women from the same misery she experienced.

She wants to pay it forward.

“You helped out problems – may God be with you,” she said at the end of our interview.

Thank you so much, Sulded, for your bravery, your determination, and your compassionate spirit.

Celebrating 100 Surgeries: Donor Profile

Donating to Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia is different. 

Longtime supporter Judi VanDeCappelle said that she likes knowing exactly where her money is going. That's the kind of assurance that a grassroots organization like MWAHFE can offer to its donors.

Judi VanDeCappelle, a regular MWAHFE donor who funds prolapsed uterus surgeries for women in Ethiopia. Thank you so much for your contributions, Judi!

“It’s one thing to donate money to causes where it’s just out there. You really don’t know how it’s being used or even how much of your money gets used,” Judi said. 

But founder Shelley Green, who travels to Ethiopia regularly to monitor MWAHFE projects and meet with partner agencies, offers a special kind of transparency that’s hard to replicate in bigger agencies.

She brings home firsthand accounts of the lives changed through the funding offered by Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia.

“I honestly believe that when I donate money for something specific here, she’s making sure that gets done. I don’t know about other people, but that’s really important to me,” Judi said.

And it’s the surgeries to correct prolapsed uteruses that touched Judi the most.

“There’s a lot of projects within Mothers with a Heart and they’re all worthy. But this one about the surgeries, that hits home to me,” Judi said. “I want to help these women. Every year I try to increase my donation to see how many more surgeries I can pay for.”

Judi has been an incredibly generous donor for several years, always earmarking her giving for surgeries.

The reality for many Ethiopian women suffering from this condition – years of isolation, depression, and significant pain – is hard for Judi to accept.

“I cannot imagine being shunned by your family and society because of these operations that they can’t get. It just really bothers me,” she said.

Many woman hide themselves away from their communities, ashamed of the odour that often accompanies a prolapsed uterus.

An active person by nature, Judi said she feels for these women who are left to manage a painful and debilitating condition, often without any help or support network. 

“I’ve had certain periods where I’ve hurt my back or something has happened, and it’s a trial to get back to where I was. To think something could happen to you where you’re just literally put off in a corner and left (alone), I just can’t understand the world, that that could happen,” she said.

She’s committed to funding as many surgeries as possible.

And seeing the smiles - the glowing faces of women who have benefitted from those funds - is a great reward for Judi. She's heard from Shelley about how happy the patients are, even one day after their surgery while still recovering.

“It’s made such a difference in their life," Judi said.

Celebrating 100 Surgeries: Turngo's Story

Turngo was isolating herself from friends, family and community when she heard whispers of a place that could help her.

So she started walking.

It took her three hours to walk from her home to the Bucama Health Clinic. She didn’t want to tell her husband the real reason why she was going – a prolapsed uterus – so she said it was about a backache.

“I’m sick and I’m in pain,” she told her family.

Her fourth degree prolapse was so severe she spent 15 days at the clinic. Turngo’s uterus was hanging so far outside her body that she wore multiple pairs of underwear to try and keep it contained and allow her to walk normally.

When she spoke about her surgery to correct a prolapsed uterus, Turngo raised her arms and thanked God. Religion is a huge part of life in Ethiopia, and all of the women we spoke with told us of desperately praying for God to take away the pain and shame of the condition.

“The infection was very painful,” she told us. She tried washing herself, but the condition gave her a nasty odour. It filled Turngo with shame, so much so that she would turn away instead of greeting people.

It was heartbreaking to hear her describe this time in her life.

“I didn’t have anyone to help me,” she said. “With the smell, how can I go on? Even my body looked like not mine.”

The prolapsed caused her such pain that she resorted to crouching on all fours when she was cooking. It was the only position that she could bear. She was deeply depressed.

The surgery to correct her prolapsed uterus gave Turngo back her sense of self.

“I can wear what I want, I can go help where I want. I can talk to my neighbour.”

— Turngo, on the results of her surgery

“I can walk, I can even run. I can sit, I can stand. My body, I can control. It is my own,” she said.

And the operation helped her get rid of the odour that was causing such shame.

“Now I am happy to sit with people, to meet with people and greet them,” said the mother of seven.

She said her body smells like perfume.

“I can wear what I want, I can go help where I want. I can talk to my neighbour,” Turngo said.

“Everything is new. This life is new.”

Thank you, Turngo, for your perseverance, your courage, and your newly rediscovered zest for life.

Celebrating 100 Surgeries: Amarach's Story

“Now I am glad, I am joyful, I can do whatever I want.”

Amarach, 45, from a rural community near the Bucama Health Clinic outside Soddo, Ethiopia

Those are the words of Amarach, a 45-year-old mother of 11 children who suffered with a prolapsed uterus for a year. What she remembers most about the condition?

The shame, the pain, and the smell.

“I was smelling, it was not good. Even the wound was bleeding,” Amarach told us when we sat down to chat at the Bucama Health Clinic in Ethiopia.

No one understood what was wrong – but they could smell it. So Amarach hid herself away and share her suffering with anyone.

Her kids noticed something was afoot. But Amarach felt ashamed about what was happening with her body.

When her family asked what was wrong, she said, “oh, I don’t know.” Her husband threatened to leave her, and told her “there is no pain.”

Amarach was tired. She’d been leaving with near-constant pain. She felt so weak.

The nuns at Bucama tried to help Amarach, giving her medication. But three weeks later, the pain came back with a vengeance. She was referred to Soddo Christian Hospital. She needed surgery to correct her prolapsed uterus.

Without Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia, the procedure would have been impossible.

“I had nothing, not even one cent, one birr,” Amarach said about paying for an operation.

She was overwhelmed with gratitude, thanking us profusely. Amarach raised her arms to the heavens to thank God for answering her prayers when she spoke about the surgery.

It gave Amarach her life back.

“Now I am glad, I am joyful, I can do whatever I want.”

— Amarach

“I am so sorry for those who did not have a chance to have this surgery like me,” she said.

Everything has changed for her.

“Now I am happy. My body smells like perfume – better than perfume.”

Thank you, Amarach, for your courage, your heart, and for inviting us to share in a moment of beautiful vulnerability. We are so thankful.

Surgical Success Stories - #98, #99 and #100 (WOW!)

We are thrilled to be introducing you to the latest three women who have had their prolapse uterus surgeries sponsored by MWAHFE. What a joy it is to know that 100 women have had their lives changed by the generous donors who have made their surgeries possible!

Ukume Aniulo has 10 children and has been suffering with a total prolapse for two years. Now she will be able to live her life again!

Alemitu Chemere has been pregnant nine times but only six of her children are living. She has had a total prolapse for nine months. She says that it is very difficult for her to walk because of this problem and is it very excited to have her life back.

Tirame Fremo has suffered from third degree UVP for more than 2 years. She has been pregnant 10 times and now has seven living children. She was able to make a small down payment towards her surgery but the vast majority was covered by MWAHFE. Thank you for helping this woman regain her dignity. 

Tales from Ethiopia: Volume I

There is hope to be held and happiness to be found, even in the darkest of times.

Nowhere is that more evident than the rural villages of Soddo, Ethiopia, where we met strong and resilient mothers, joyful children, and communities that band together to perservere through trying times.

It's far from easy. Women are often faced with the burden of caring for multiple generations without the space, water or resources to do so. Children can't afford to go to school, or lack the clothing needed to get there. Though strides have been made, many women are still birthing their children at home and dealing with the painful and isolating consequences.

There are so many stories – both of horror and hope – that it will take us until the next trip to share them all! If you came to Gems & Java, you would have heard some of these touching updates.

For now, enjoy a small sampling of the tales from Addis Ababa and Soddo, Ethiopia. Meet the incredible people that Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia is able to support. And feel their immense gratitude for your contributions, no matter how big or small. This is the kind of thankfulness that leaps off the page.

One of the things that touched us all most deeply was the sense of love we felt, everywhere we went.

At one point, Shelley remarked, “it doesn’t take much for people to love you in Ethiopia.” Her son, Tilahun, who lives in Addis, said that a simple smile between passing strangers is enough to earn love.

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SERKALEM, who works at the WRAPS project, is so grateful for the employment opportunity and all the support she has found there:

“This is just the beginning. My aim is big, my future is big.”

Serkalem hard at work making washable, reusable, affordable pads (WRAPS) at the Wolaitta Village facility.

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YENEALEM, an athletic scholar in the Girls Gotta Run program, has not only gained energy and life skills knowledge, but a social network:

“Before I joined this group I didn’t have friends. Now I have many best friends.”

And Yenealem’s mom has a dream for her daughter.

“I wish for her to help others once she’s done.”

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Marcella showed the MWAHFE team around a new space that's under renovation on the Busajo grounds. The team hopes to house and rehabilitate vulnerable women.

MARCELLA, one of the founders of the Busajo program, which offers a safe haven for children living on the street and works to reunite them with their families:

“When you take children from the street, they think this is what life is like. But it’s just a passage.”

Because the program is so strict about the children they will accept – a commitment to education and to building a new life off the streets must be demonstrated first – the Busajo model is incredibly successful, including a 90% and higher reunification rate.

“You have some hope you can change their lives,” Marcella said.

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NIGATE, the leader of the Spice Grinder project.

This was one of the very first MWAHFE ventures that has since grown to become a model for female empowerment and employment in the area.

“What you promised to us, you actually delivered."

She’s determined that the group will continue to grow and flourish, including gardens around the spice grinder facility, maybe a bathroom, perhaps even a vehicle!

“We are not saying ‘please help us.’ We said that the first time, with the first stage. But now we are saying ‘you will see.’”

“What you promised to us, you actually delivered.”

— Nigate

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WHALEN, a teacher at Gallo Shanto school, which is home to a number of very poor students – and teachers:

“What you tell us (through your actions) is that people have time for Ethiopia. People, regardless of colour or differences, can become one. You have shown us through the work you do. It is powerful.”

The school and its staff are so deeply grateful for the help of MWAHFE.  But Whalen also told us that the school will not become dependent. She is certain that one day we will be partners, because she believes that poverty will be defeated.

Volunteer Profile: The One and Only Gecho!

Getachew Wolde isn’t a big fan of rough terrain.

It’s hard on his vehicle – itself a rarity for most in Ethiopia – and that van is key to his livelihood.

But for Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia, there’s not much that Gecho won’t do.

Val Easton, Gecho Wolde, and Kyle Easton at the airport on our trip to Ethiopia in February 2017. Look at those smiles!

He will stop at nothing to get the team where it needs to go – whether that’s through a dust storm in a rural part of Soddo, or traversing across massive dips in an already precarious road.

Gecho is a humble guy, so he doesn’t take much praise for this dedication. And the truth is that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“This work is doing some good things for people – women, kids. That is really what I want to do. You guys came from really far and so I thought ‘why can’t I do that?’ That was good for me,” Gecho said during an interview in the guesthouse at Soddo Christian Hospital during the team’s last trip to Ethiopia.

That’s the same resting ground where Gecho would fall asleep, often still in his clothes with the light on, at the end of a long day.

The work of Mothers with a Heart for Ethiopia, and Gecho’s relationship with Shelley, is what encouraged him to support more girls in the developing country. Most recently, MWAHFE was able to donate soccer uniforms, socks, and balls to a girls team that Gecho sponsors in northern Ethiopia. It’s the first time the teens have had jerseys or a proper set of soccer balls with which to play.

“I start to support the girls because of Shelley. Before, I support the boys team,” Gecho explained. “Shelley tries to find ways to support women, and I am with you. I just continued on.”

It was so much fun to see Gecho bust out his dance moves with the athletic scholars at our Girls Gotta Run party! 

And it’s not just the soccer team where Gecho shows his love and concern. He was a fan favourite with the athletic scholars at Girls Gotta Run! 

When founder Shelley Green first travelled to Ethiopia to bring home her daughter, she met Gecho at the guesthouse where she was staying. 

“Even when Gecho couldn’t speak English, I knew he was a very good man. He was so good with my daughter,” Shelley said.

Gecho drove Shelley, her mom and her daughter anywhere they needed to go.  Along with Biserat, their interpreter, Gecho made it possible for the trio to serve a group of boys and a group of girls living on the streets while they were in Ethiopia.  That work was what motivated Shelley to start Mothers With a Heart for Ethiopia.  

It’s been a partnership ever since. Gecho taught himself English – by practicing with guests every chance he got – and now he even helps translate for the MWAHFE team!

“I learned more every day. When I met somebody, I learned one word, maybe. Something new,” Gecho said of his grassroots language lessons. “Day by day I learned more and more, more and more. Now I am here.”

His commitment, dedication, and compassion make our work possible. He cares so deeply about the women and children in our projects. When visiting with partners, Gecho listens intently and observes every detail with a watchful eye. He truly wants to make Ethiopia a better place.

“This work is doing some good things for people - women, kids. That is really what I want to do.”

— Gecho Wolde, our friend, driver, translator and volunteer extraordinaire!

And he's always looking out for the MWAHFE team – at one particularly memorable moment on a recent trip to Ethiopia, he was visibly upset about the “ferenji tax” added to a purchase of water bottles (oftentimes shopkeepers will charge foreigners more than the locals, because they understand that tourists and Westerners are able to pay a higher rate).

He was so frustrated by the price – just a few cents more than the “local price” – that Gecho insisted that some of our Ethiopian friends go back and recoup the tax. For Gecho, it wasn’t about the money, it was about the principle of the transaction – and about protecting the MWAHFE team. 

Gecho, Meskelu, Tilahun, Kyle and one of the nuns who helps to run Bucama Health Clinic (right to left). The sisters hosted us at their compound for a lovely lunch and coffee ceremony when we visited the clinic to speak with some of the prolapsed surgery recipients.

Serving people in a foreign country is not always easy, and without our partner and volunteer Gecho, it would be next to impossible.  Examples of Gecho’s love and support could fill an entire newsletter. He is such an incredible volunteer, not to mention a great source of comic relief!

Laughs fill the van when Gecho is with the boys from our group home. He is like an uncle to these young men - a wonderful source of guidance and wisdom and fun. He is such a good role model, and they have so much fun joking around together.

Anyone who meets Gecho will quickly realize that he has a few standard catch phrases.

One of the most notable – and indicative of the relaxed Ethiopian culture – is a simple “let us see!”

You might think of this as the Gecho-equivalent of the phrase “it is what it is.”

But with Gecho’s quick wit and big heart, you can’t help but crack a smile.