We were deeply moved and saddened by Dr Catherine Hamlin’s passing in Addis Ababa on March 18, 2020. As the founder of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia she touched the lives of so many women in Ethiopia, and in doing so touched many more of us around the world. We celebrate her life – she was a true role model, visionary, dedicated, an inspiring woman who committed her life to Ethiopian women and to improving maternal health in Ethiopia.
A key catalyst in GreenLamp being established was reading about Catherine Hamlin’s work in the powerful book by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn “,Half The Sky: How to change the world. The book describes the systemic and endemic abuse of women’s rights throughout the developing world, and details basic steps ordinary people can take to empower women and fight the ‘gendercide’. This inspired the founding of GreenLamp and a partnership with Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia was established.
We feel honoured and privileged to have met Catherine Hamlin in person many times both in Ethiopia and Switzerland, and to be contributing to carrying on her work. She was a hero and a shining example of how one person can have an amazing impact.
A full obituary from the Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation can be read at:https://hamlin.org.au/obituary/
If you would like to leave a tribute:https://rememberingcatherine.com.au/