Sometimes it only takes a little ...

I had met the ZACYDO team in Zanzibar long before we founded Happy Childhood. I spent time with a number of children on several occasions and got to know their life stories. I have known Abdul and Mundhir since they were very young. Both have physical disabilities. Thanks to generous support, we were able to provide wheelchairs for both of them. But rehabilitation care is much more important, because it gives them a chance to improve their health and stand on their feet. Such a luxury, however, is hard to come by in Africa. There is a shortage of specialists, the costs are high, and the distances are great. I last saw Abdul in the summer of 2023, when we were able to get him a wheelchair thanks to a generous donation from a rural elementary school. He was overjoyed at the time. This January, Nassor reached out to me asking for help for Abdul. I found out that luck had smiled on him and he had sat down at a school desk for the first time; what's more, his rehabilitation costs were covered, and today the boy is able to stand on his own two feet and walk! Isn't that amazing! This has dramatically changed his entire life and his perspective on the future. All it took was for a kind soul to step forward and cover the cost of his necessary care. This time, it was our turn, and we couldn't say no. We paid Abdul's school fees for the entire year at a school where he'll receive the support he needs. We also paid for a few more months of physical therapy and other small expenses. We also helped Mundhiro, whose condition had worsened considerably some time ago, by providing him with medication and several sessions with a physiotherapist. Caring for children with such disabilities is very demanding for local parents; in most cases, it is impossible to provide them with what they need to improve their health. And yet, if these children had the chance to undergo the necessary therapies, many of them could walk and live a completely different life.