There is life after fibroids as local advocate champions women’s health
After a painful miscarriage, Nondumiso Mbambo found strength in advocacy. Read how she’s helping other women take charge of their health.
“There is life after fibroids,” says local mother and activist Nondumiso Mbambo.
As Women’s Month unfolds this August, one Heidelberg woman is using her voice to spotlight a silent yet common health crisis among women: fibroids and ovarian cysts.
Mbambo, a mother and health advocate, stepped forward to share her story in the hope of empowering other women to prioritise their reproductive health.
Her journey began in heartbreak. After miscarrying twins, Mbambo’s GP referred her to another doctor at the Clinton Clinic in Alberton. There, she received a life-changing diagnosis; she had fibroids and needed surgery to remove seven of them.
But her symptoms had started long before. Mbambo recalls her menstrual cycle beginning at the age of 11, experiencing prolonged bleeding that lasted up to 14 days. Despite many clinic visits, they only prescribed contraceptives, and social stigma kept her from consistently using them.
“Many girls suffer in silence because of shame and myths,” she said.
Now a proud mother to an eight-year-old daughter, Mbambo is a shining example of resilience. She has made it her mission to educate young girls and women about the signs, symptom, and treatment options for fibroids and ovarian cysts.
She urges women to:
• regularly visit a gynaecologist and have routine pap smears;
• use public health facilities, which she commends for their helpful services;
• pay attention to menstrual changes and seek medical advice when necessary.
“It breaks my heart to know young girls died because they didn’t know what was happening to their bodies,” she said.
“I want to be a voice for the voiceless.”
Mbambo is available to speak at women’s events, seminars, schools and face-to-face gatherings. Her goal is to break the silence around reproductive health and empower women to seek help without fear or shame.
Let’s celebrate Women’s Month by standing with her and spreading the message: Your health matters. Your voice matters. Your life matters.
Contact Mbambo on 078 584 4801 or nondumisomashile@gmail.com
