Dr. Kees Waaldijk is a Dutch physician who has worked for the past two decades in northern Nigeria treating women who suffer from Vesico Vaginal Fistula or VVF. It is a condition caused by prolonged labour: the infant's skull compresses the soft tissues of the woman's vagina against her pelvic bones, thereby cutting off the blood supply. If the condition lasts for longer than three hours, the tissues will die and a hole will be created between the vagina and the bladder or the intestines. As a result, the woman will not be able to control her urine or feces. The baby often dies and so does the mother. But if she survives, she will constantly leak urine or feces. The condition was prevalent in North America and Europe until the mid-20th century. In fact, there was a hospital in New York City specialized in treating fistula patients. VVF is a condition that today affects between 1.5 to 2 million women across Africa. Of every thousand women who delivers a baby, 2 to 5 get a fistula in the process. With the continent’s high population growth rates, the number is increasing rapidly. It’s most common during the first pregnancy, and the social consequences are always devastating. The women are rejected by their husbands, families and fellow villagers and many flee to the city where they wind up in prostitution. The colorful Dutch physician, who prefers to be known as Dr. Kees, has treated over 15,000 women and is also training dozens of African physicians to help them treat these women. Dr. Kees still remembers the case of a 65-year-old woman who got a fistula when she was 15, so she had been leaking urine for 50 years. "It was not a difficult fistula," says Dr. Waaldijk, "and in 15 minutes I was able to heal her. She became very angry. She said, 'nobody told me it could be repaired, so I wasted 50 years of my life.'"

Dr. Kees Waaldijk is a Dutch physician who has worked for the past two decades in northern Nigeria treating women who suffer from Vesico Vaginal Fistula or VVF. It is a condition caused by prolonged labour: the infant's skull compresses the soft tissues of the woman's vagina against her pelvic bones, thereby cutting off the blood supply. If the condition lasts for longer than three hours, the tissues will die and a hole will be created between the vagina and the bladder or the intestines. As a result, the woman will not be able to control her urine or feces. The baby often dies and so does the mother. But if she survives, she will constantly leak urine or feces. The condition was prevalent in North America and Europe until the mid-20th century. In fact, there was a hospital in New York City specialized in treating fistula patients. VVF is a condition that today affects between 1.5 to 2 million women across Africa. Of every thousand women who delivers a baby, 2 to 5 get a fistula in the process. With the continent’s high population growth rates, the number is increasing rapidly. It’s most common during the first pregnancy, and the social consequences are always devastating. The women are rejected by their husbands, families and fellow villagers and many flee to the city where they wind up in prostitution. The colorful Dutch physician, who prefers to be known as Dr. Kees, has treated over 15,000 women and is also training dozens of African physicians to help them treat these women. Dr. Kees still remembers the case of a 65-year-old woman who got a fistula when she was 15, so she had been leaking urine for 50 years. "It was not a difficult fistula," says Dr. Waaldijk, "and in 15 minutes I was able to heal her. She became very angry. She said, 'nobody told me it could be repaired, so I wasted 50 years of my life.'"