York Springs, PA, May 8, 2025 – Every three minutes, a child enters the world with clubfoot—a common and treatable birth condition that turns the foot inward and downward. While we can’t prevent it, we can correct clubfoot. With timely care, most children can take their first steps on straight feet and walk into a brighter future. June 3 marks World Clubfoot Day—a powerful call to celebrate the children already walking strong and to press forward in reaching every child still waiting for treatment.
This year, Hope Walks, a Christian nonprofit treating children with clubfoot in 14 African and Latin American countries, is embarking on an ambitious strategic plan to reach 60,000 additional children by 2030. Its efforts dovetail with RunFree2030, a bold global movement working to eradicate clubfoot disability in low- and middle-income countries.
Hope Walks is unique in providing high-quality clubfoot treatment at no cost to families who cannot afford it while sharing Christ’s love with these families.
The Ponseti method—a gentle, non-surgical approach using casts and braces—is now the global standard for treating clubfoot. Developed in the 1950s by Spanish-American physician Dr. Ignacio Ponseti, the technique didn’t gain widespread recognition until decades later. Today, World Clubfoot Day is celebrated each year on June 3, honoring Dr. Ponseti’s birthday and the lasting impact of his life’s work. He passed away in 2009 at the age of 95.
A recent study has shown the dramatic improvement clubfoot treatment has over the life of a child born with this treatable condition. After studying Hope Walks’ clubfoot program in Ethiopia, the authors found that untreated clubfoot results in a significant decline in human flourishing, and the use of the Ponseti method realizes “large and significant impacts” across all the identified facets of human flourishing, including physical mobility, mental health, social inclusion, education, and religious faith.
“It is encouraging to see that an independent and rigorous academic study has concluded that our early clubfoot treatment makes a significant difference in the lives of the children and families we serve,” Hope Walks President Scott Reichenbach said. “It further confirms what we have always believed — investment in early clubfoot treatment radically transforms these children’s physical mobility, emotional and relational aspects.”
Since 2006, the clubfoot program that gave birth to Hope Walks has enrolled more than 168,000 kids with this treatable disability. Hope Walks will celebrate the program’s 20th anniversary this fall, which began in Kenya. Hope Walks’ partners treat children with clubfoot using the gold-standard Ponseti method of casts and braces in more than 190 clinics in 14 Latin American and African countries.
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About Hope Walks: Hope Walks partners with more than 190 clinics in 14 Latin American and African countries. We pair quality clubfoot treatment with compassionate care from counselors (parent advisors), empowering local healthcare workers and educating parents and caregivers. Hope Walks is a 501 (c) (3) public charity with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, Guidestar Platinum Seal of Transparency, Certified Transparent by Excellence in Giving, and accredited by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
Treatment Stages
Before treatment, a child’s feet are twisted inward.
Weekly casts straighten the feet. On average, 4 to 8 casts are needed.
Once corrected, a child will wear a brace, mostly while sleeping, until the age of five.
With early intervention, ideally before six months old, the impact of clubfoot can be erased and a child will grow to live a life free of disability.