Hope Notes
2025, vol. 1
Too good to be true?
What if I told you about an investment almost guaranteed to give you more than a 1000% return?
If you’re like me, you would think it’s too good to be true. In full disclosure, this investment won’t make you rich financially, but it will make a significant difference in the lives of children born with clubfoot. Let me explain.
Your support last fiscal year allowed Hope Walks to help 6,855 children receive necessary clubfoot treatment and care and have their clubfoot corrected. These children are now on their way to becoming contributing members of society. Over their lifetime, we calculate the net present benefit to be more than $55 million. The long-term impact of your investment will yield returns for generations to come. Another way to say it is for every dollar invested, we will see a return on investment measure of $13.84. Pretty impressive, right?
At birth, many of these children are written off, but clearly, a minimal investment in their healing journey has a far-reaching impact that ripples through multiple generations.
Together, we can amplify this success and bring the gift of mobility to even more children, empowering them to live full, independent lives. Join us in walking alongside these children and their families toward a brighter, healthier future.
Repaying with kindness
Webi in Ethiopia
Webi’s family at first believed his condition was the result of a family curse. Webi’s mom, Lomi, struggled with these rumors until the treatment began, and she could see a positive change in her son’s feet at each appointment.
Scott Reichenbach President and Co-Founder
Despite the challenges, Lomi and her husband Bedada stood out among the others at the clinic for their kindness. Perhaps they were trying to repay the kindness given to them by the clinicians, parent advisor and donors who paid for Webi’s treatment.
“You are all so supportive and encouraging through this tough situation,” Lomi and Bedada said.
Paluku was not Matofali’s first son born with clubfoot. You might say she was an expert on this treatable condition when he was born. However, her knowledge did little to comfort this scared mom.
Yes, she knew where to go for treatment. Thanks to generous donors to Hope Walks, she knew it would not cost her anything. But she also knew the challenges ahead of her and Paluku. A second child born with twisted feet also opened her up to mocking and scorn from neighbors and her husband, who treated her poorly. All this led to severe depression for Matofali, even suicidal thoughts.
But Matofali’s faith was strong. A turning point came with persistent love and care from her parent advisor, Musafiri. Even though Matofali was already Christian, the parent advisor’s work through the parent support groups and individual counseling made her realize God has compassion for people with disabilities. He also has been helping her and her husband mediate issues in their relationship brought on by their their sons’ clubfoot.
“Praise God who allowed Hope Walks to establish itself in our city,” she said. “Thank you, Hope Walks, for all the good things you do in my family. May God reward you a hundredfold.”
persistent love Paluku in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Worth 1000 words
Parent Advisor Josue from Gahini Clinic in Rwanda educates some young boys about clubfoot at a local primary school.
COUNTRY SPOTLIGHT
Burkina Faso
BURKINA FASO IS A LANDLOCKED COUNTRY IN WEST AFRICA.
Situated on a large plateau, its geography is largely savanna, with a few sparse forests to the south. The country was once a French colony and gained its independence in 1960. The country’s name was adopted in 1984 and means “Land of the Incorruptible People.”
Burkina Faso continues to face significant political and security challenges. The country has experienced multiple coups in recent years, with the most recent in September 2022.
An estimated 481 kids are born with clubfoot in Burkina Faso each year. Over the program’s life, clinicians have treated more than 1,500 children. Our team leading the program includes:
Program Manager | Dr. Oubda Faical Counseling Coordinator | Elielle Kabore
Scan the QR code to watch a Tuesday 2 featuring Burkina Faso
23M Population Ag and Mining
Leading industries
1,529
Children treated since program start
Give your church a new Easter Tradition
For many, painting eggs is a cherished childhood Easter tradition. This year, why not continue that tradition in a meaningful way—by swapping eggs for brace leathers and bringing hope to a child in Africa?
We’re excited to offer churches a fun and easy opportunity to participate in this impactful initiative! Here’s how it works:
• Order brace painting kits for your church and place them in the foyer or at the back of the sanctuary. (hopewalks.org/EasterPaint)
• Encourage families to take one or two kits after services on April 6, 13, or 20.
• Collect the beautifully painted braces on April 27 or May 4.
• Ship them back using the return label we provide. That’s it!
We will supply announcement materials, painting kits, instructions, and return labels to make participation seamless. Churches can choose to sponsor the kits, or if preferred, we can provide a QR code for individuals to make a donation as they pick up their kits. All that’s needed is a host to oversee the table.
Together, let’s bring hope and healing to children in need! Join us in painting their future bright this Easter as we celebrate the ultimate hope that walked out of the grave!
A Mother’s journey
When Ramatou first laid eyes on her newborn, she was overcome with fear. Latifatou’s tiny right foot was twisted in a way she had never seen before. Confused and heartbroken, she struggled to accept that her child was even human. In her village, clubfoot was often misunderstood, seen as an ancestral curse rather than a medical condition. With her husband away seeking work in another country, Ramatou bore the weight of this uncertainty alone, surrounded by family members who believed the treatment would only bring misfortune.
Desperate for answers, she took Latifatou to a local physiotherapy center, but after weeks of treatment, nothing changed. Then, one day, while listening to Radio Tin Tua, she heard about a clubfoot clinic supported by Hope Walks. Clutching onto a small thread of hope, she made the journey to the Fada Centre Espoir. There, for the first time, she was met with reassurance, compassion and the promise of healing. The doctors and counselors at the clinic provided Latifatou with the care she needed—casting, a tenotomy procedure, and eventually braces to guide her growing foot into its natural position.
Today, Latifatou’s foot is straight. She stands, she moves, she plays—just like any other child. Her mother, once overwhelmed by despair, now beams with joy. “Moala n la k u tié o nuli,” she says in her native Gurmatchema language. “She has become a normal person now.” Even Latifatou herself has grown attached to her braces, refusing to take them
off when she wakes up. What once seemed impossible is now a reality.
Thanks to the generosity of Hope Walks donors, Latifatou has a future filled with possibilities. Her mother dreams of a day when she will grow up healthy, find a good job, and serve her country. But for now, Ramatou is simply grateful—to the clinic, to the counselors, and to those who made this transformation possible. Because of them, her daughter will walk confidently into the future.
Tuesday 2 is our brief video sharing two things each month happening at Hope Walks. In this episode, Scott shares our gratitude for all of our supporters by showing the impact you are making. He also invites you to our Evening of Hope on Friday, April 4, 2025.
hopewalks.org/Tuesday2
Latifatou in Burkina Faso
