Hope Notes - CY26 vol 1

Hope Notes

®

2026, issue 1

God is at work It has been a remarkable season at Hope Walks. In recent months, we’ve welcomed a new vice president of programs, celebrated the dedication of a new container clinic at Kilifi Regional Hospital in Kenya, and seen our work featured in Christianity Today. You’ll read more about each of these in the pages ahead.

While these milestones are exciting, they are not the story—they are the evidence of something deeper.

God is at work.

Through your generosity, your prayers, and your partnership, more children are receiving life-changing treatment, more families are finding hope, and more communities are being transformed.

None of this happens without you.

Every clinic opened, every provider trained, every child treated is made possible because people like you have chosen to step into this mission with us.

At the heart of it all are the children and families we serve—each one a reminder that this work is not about growth for its own sake, but about lives restored and futures redeemed.

Thank you for walking with us in this journey. It is a privilege to serve together.

Scott Reichenbach President and Co-Founder

before

after

turning stigma into hope Hussien in Ethiopia Twins often look alike, but Hussien was born with clubfoot—unlike his brother. His condition brought confusion and blame, as some family members wrongly believed his mother, Hasenet, had caused it during pregnancy.

This left her carrying deep emotional pain.

Determined to find help, Hasenet returned to the hospital and was referred to a nearby Hope Walks clinic. There, she learned the truth: clubfoot is a congenital condition—it is no one’s fault.

As Hussien began treatment, his foot gradually straightened.

With each step of progress, Hasenet’s burden lifted. Eventually, Hussien was fully corrected and walking confidently alongside his twin.

Today, Hasenet shares her story to encourage other families, helping replace shame with understanding and pointing her community toward hope.

working together Vicky in Burundi When Vicky was diagnosed with clubfoot, her father, Desire, was working outside of their home country of Burundi. However, he showed remarkable support for his wife, Nadia, even from afar.

Both of Vicky’s parents were saddened by her diagnosis. Desire feared for her future. But after learning that clubfoot is treatable, he tried to comfort Nadia and give her hope. Even their community encouraged them, which unfortunately isn’t true of many families’ situations.

After Vicky started treatment at a Hope Walks partner clinic, Desire regularly checked in on his daughter’s progress. He loved seeing photos of how her little feet were improving.

He also knew the dates of appointments, so he could remind Nadia about them, doing his best to be involved even at a distance.

Although Nadia was alone with two young children—Vicky has an older brother—she has never missed an appointment, showing what’s possible with a strong commitment and teamwork between the parents.

The family’s moment of great joy arrived when Vicky completed treatment and moved into wearing braces. Her feet were visibly healed, and her clinic visits were less frequent, which was a relief to Nadia.

Through it all, strong support is what kept Nadia afloat and got Vicky the help she needed. And best of all, the biblical encouragement Nadia received from the parent advisor led her to recommit her life to Christ! She also rejoined the Hope walks.org

(Top) Vicky standing next to her mom on straight feet after casting was completed.

(Bottom left) Vicky before treatment started, and (right) wearing a set of casts that helped to correct her feet.

church choir—a ministry she had given up when her faith had weakened.

“When I saw that my child’s feet were now corrected, it made me forget the pain I felt when I first noticed her condition,” Nadia said. “I am thankful to God because He has removed all my shame. God is able to change a painful situation into a joyful one. To Him be all the glory.”

Hope Walks featured in christianity today Hope Walks is featured in an article currently on the Christianity Today website. The article shares research by Dr. Bruce Wydick (University of San Francisco and the University of Notre Dame) and a team of researchers on the interactions recorded in the Bible that Jesus had while here on earth.

The research was compared with recent findings from Dr. Wydick’s work on the impact of clubfoot treatment on overall human flourishing in our program in Ethiopia.

The results showed that clubfoot treatment through Hope Walks produces one of the most comprehensive impacts on human flourishing of any Christian poverty intervention studied to date.

“For a mere $500 intervention, its impact on these children born with clubfoot can be described as nothing short of totally transformative,” Dr. Wydick said in the article. “Hope Walks is an organization that truly packs a punch against poverty, social and spiritual exclusion, and multiple dimensions of human suffering.”

Read more about these exciting findings at hopewalks. org/ChristianityToday.

Hope Walks dedicates a container clinic in Kenya The container clinic you’ve been hearing so much about in emails, newsletters, and on social media is no longer just a concept. It’s a working clinic at Kilifi Referral Hospital in Kenya.

The official dedication took place on Feb. 4.

About a month after partners moved the clinic to its final home at the hospital, crews were busy cutting windows and doors, connecting electricity and plumbing, and building a roof to both protect the clinic and provide shade for families.

Hope Walks President Scott Reichenbach and Vice President of Programs Adam Riddell participated in the ceremony to officially dedicate the clinic.

This was a true team effort, and Hope Walks is grateful for the many partners involved, including: • Texas A&M BUILD • Medical Bridges • Goldfields Logistics • Special Logistics Group Hope Walks partner Clubfoot Care for Kenya will use the space as a clubfoot clinic one day a week, and the hospital will use it for other rehabilitation services other times.

This gift from the students of Texas A&M BUILD and Medical Bridges will serve families for generations to come.

FREEDOM FROM CLUBFOOT

Moving forward Ousseini in Niger

The darkness of illness and war threatened to take everything from Ousseini’s family.

Though his twin brother was born perfectly healthy, Ousseini had clubfoot. His father, Souleymane, was gravely ill and bedridden, unable to provide for his family. His mother, Assamaou, became the pillar of the family. To make a tough situation worse, insecurity in the area struck them with fear.

A combination of community radio and a health care worker’s advice led the family to a Hope Walks partner clinic in Niger. Because the treatment was possible and free of charge, Assamaou saw it as a lifeline in their ocean of troubles.

Between being pregnant again and caring for her sick husband, Assamaou found it harder and harder to carry Ousseini over the long distance to the clinic—especially with high insecurity in the area making travel dangerous. The weekly cast phase was an immense sacrifice: she had to find someone trustworthy to escort her, or brave her own physical fatigue and the fear of checkpoints or attacks along the way.

Though circumstances tried to hold them back, the family persevered. They found great comfort in their parent advisor’s guidance. “With their support, our hope was renewed,” Assamaou said. “We found the strength to keep going, knowing that we were not alone in this journey.”

This determined mother rejoiced when she saw Ousseini’s feet straighten. “I imagined the two

before

brothers walking together to fetch water or go to school,” she said. She knows that now Ousseini will have the same opportunities as his twin brother.

“With the war around us and my husband’s illness, I thought Ousseini was doomed,” Assamaou shared. “But Hope Walks showed us that even in the midst of chaos, a life can be repaired. Healing my son is like giving a leg up to our entire family so we can move forward again.”

hope walks welcomes new Vp of programs Hope Walks is pleased to announce the arrival of Adam Riddell as its new vice president of programs. In his role, Adam will provide programmatic leadership and governance to all Hope Walks’ clubfoot programs across the globe. He previously held international nonprofit leadership roles at Global Communities, World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse, working in fundraising, program management and disaster response. Adam has been busy during his first few weeks traveling to Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda.

PO Box 218, York Springs, PA 17372 | 717.502.4400 | hopewalks.org