Fatima in Ethiopia
Early mornings and expensive transportation costs would not deter Nasir from getting clubfoot treatment for his daughter Fatima.
?I have to take responsibility as the leader of my family,? he said. ?I should care because I?m the father.?
It cost Nasir 500 Ethiopian birr (about $17) to hire a driver to take him, his daughter, wife and young son 217 miles to weekly clinic visits at the closest Hope Walks partner clinic in Adama. Despite the cost, and the need to get on the road by 5 a.m., Nasir felt it was important for the entire family to support his wife on the long journey. Having access to the clinic is a privilege because there is no treatment available in their remote village, he said.
His persistence has paid off. Today, Fatima?s feet are corrected and she is now wearing braces in the maintenance phase of treatment.
Nasir not only is a leader of his small Muslim family, but he also takes leadership responsibility in his home village where he teaches others about clubfoot and its treatment. Many used to think it was a curse, but thanks to Nasir, they know better now. What a great example Nasir is setting for his family, community and little son, Muslime. We have a feeling that as she gets older, little Fatima is going to have a great protector in her big brother.