Anitha holds Irasubiza at his first visit to Masaka Clinic, one of Hope Walks’ partner clinics in Rwanda
Words of Encouragement
Would you like to share a few words of encouragement to Irasubiza’s family? Simply email us at TheCrew@hopewalks.org. We will gather all the comments and share them with the country program staff, who will then pass them on to the family.
Irasubiza in Rwanda – Update 1
I wanted to introduce you to a little guy we’re just getting to know — his name is Irasubiza, and he recently started clubfoot treatment in Rwanda.
Irasubiza is only a couple of months old, and he comes to the Masaka Clinic with his mom, Anitha. She’s raising four children on her own. Her oldest is 14, and Irasubiza is the youngest. The family gets by through casual labor — whatever work Anitha can find to support her kids.
After Irasubiza was born, the midwives immediately noticed his clubfoot and referred Anitha to the clinic’s physiotherapy department. Until that moment, she had never heard of clubfoot. Everything she knows about it, she learned after Irasubiza arrived — while she was still recovering from delivery and trying to figure out what life would look like next.
That first season hasn’t been easy. When news spread in the community that Anitha had given birth to a child with a disability, her husband left and has not returned. She continues to show up to clinic visits anyway — carrying Irasubiza, asking questions, and hoping this treatment will give her son the chance to walk, play and grow up without being defined by stigma.
Right now, Irasubiza is at the very beginning of treatment. His mother’s biggest question is the one many parents ask at this stage: Will this really work? Will my child be okay? Will our community see him differently one day?
What she does know is that she’s not walking this road alone. At the clinic, Anitha has been welcomed, encouraged, and supported by the care team — including a parent advisor who walks alongside families through moments exactly like this.
We’ll continue to check in on Irasubiza and share updates as his treatment progresses. For now, I wanted you to meet him — and to thank you for being part of the reason this clinic exists, and why families like Irasubiza’s have a place to turn.
(Above) The parent advisor at the clinic walks through some education about clubfoot and its treatment. (Below) Irasubiza is all ready to go home after receiving his first cast. He has unilateral clubfoot, so only one cast is needed.
