Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a sad reality even in the African country of Kenya. Although the ban on FGM has been enshrined in law in Kenya since 2011, the practice is still widespread in some areas. Girls and women are victims of this tradition, which has serious physical and psychological consequences.

The Waldfriede Adventist Hospital in Zehlendorf, Berlin, treats affected women and girls. The Desert Flower Center, which is based at the hospital, was founded for this purpose on September 11, 2013. Affected women are operated on here, physically rehabilitated in the best possible way, and also receive psychological support. 

A team of doctors consisting of Head Physicians Dr. von Frischen, Dr. Scherer, and Dr. Müller, and Senior Physician Dr. Strunz, has been to Kenya several times in recent years to operate on affected women at the Gynocare Fistula Clinic in Eldoret. They also have taught and trained local staff at the clinic in Kenya about treatment and operations. Medical staff from Kenya are also trained accordingly at Waldfriede Adventist Hospital.

On January 29, 2025, the ambassador of Kenya, Stella Mokaya Orina, visited the Waldfriede Adventist Hospital. She was extremely impressed during a tour of the hospital's various specialist departments by CEO Bernd Quoß.

Quoß welcomed her at the Waldfriede r.a (registered association) Support Association meeting. The Waldfriede r.a. finances almost 100 percent of the Desert Flower Center. Orina thanked Waldfriede Adventist Hospital for its support. She strongly encouraged the expansion of cooperation between Waldfriede and her country, Kenya, and intends to do more to this end.

Quoß shared, “It has always been and will continue to be a matter close to our hearts to help people in such great need and to enable better prospects and a new quality of life through such treatment - in accordance with our self-image as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”  

Waldfriede Adventist Hospital

The non-profit Waldfriede Adventist Hospital in Berlin is an academic teaching hospital of Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin is Europe's largest university hospital.

Waldfriede Adventist Hospital has been certified several times according to statutory quality parameters and has already received numerous awards for its medical and nursing quality. 

In 2025, Krankenhaus Waldfriede was named one of the best hospitals in the world and has been certified accordingly.

Waldfriede Adventist Hospital treats around 15,000 inpatients and 120,000 outpatients every year. It is run by the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which maintains around 450 medical facilities worldwide. Waldfriede is a cooperation partner of the Adventist Hospital Association Advent Health in the USA.

The hospital is part of the Waldfriede health network, which also includes a day clinic, a social care center, an academy for health and nursing care, a service company, the “PrimaVita” health center, the Nikolassee private clinic, and the “Desert Flower Center."

The Waldfriede network is the most diverse medical and care provider in southwest Berlin. With around 950 employees, it is one of the largest employers in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf district.

The original article was published on the Inter-European Division news site.