A Christmas Gift for Imamu and his Family?
On every visit we make to Arise School we are brought face to face with the poverty in the local community. It never fails to remind us why the school and the ACE Sponsorship Scheme are needed and what they mean to the children and their families to have the opportunity of an education.
But there are some children who still risk losing out on education because, like little Imamu, they have a medical condition that potentially excludes them from school or that would make it extremely difficult for them to attend on an equal footing with the other children.
During her time at Arise earlier this year, Cindy, one of the visiting medical students, was deeply touched by Imamu’s plight and the hopelessness of his family circumstances. She returned to the U.K. determined to try and raise enough money to make it possible for Imamu to have the operation he desperately needs. Cindy describes the situation:
“I met a little boy called Imamu, aged 2, when I volunteered in Tanzania last summer. He was born with a congenital disorder called urethral hypospadias. This is an abnormality of his genitalia and urinary tract. His first operation was to create a temporary artificial opening, however, he now suffers from recurrent urinary tract infections and is incontinent, causing serious skin infections. He desperately needs a second operation to fully correct the abnormality. Unfortunately, healthcare is not free in Tanzania and his mother, a single mother of 7, sold all her furniture to pay for the first operation and can not afford the second. His living conditions are also very poor with no water, clean clothing or enough food. After meeting Imamu and witnessing the desperation of his mother, this issue has remained very close to my heart and I would really appreciate all of your help in raising this money to change his life.”
It will cost about £500 for Imamu to have his operation. If he is able to have it and we are then able to find a sponsor for him, we hope that Imamu will be able to attend Arise School like other children in the community. Sadly, without the operation, it is extremely likely that Imamu’s condition will preclude him attending school. He will also be stigmatised in the community because of his incontinence and the fact that he cannot go to the toilet like other little boys.
As Christmas approaches, please help Cindy to raise enough money to give Imamu his only chance of the operation he so desperately needs to be able to be like other little boys. Please donate online now……
https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/cindycleto1
