Josua is a bright, positive teenager who dedicates time into his studies and for whom just being able to attend school has been a significant accomplishment. Unlike other students, he has a formidable obstacle to overcome, as a young child Josua was diagnosed with a hearing disorder that impairs his hearing in both ears. There are no schools for children with hearing disabilities anywhere near his home, so the options were either to not pursue education or overcome this obstacle.
Josua’s path to being able to being a successful student today was not simple. Behind in speech development at a young age, his mother worked relentlessly with him until he was able to communicate at a level that would allow him to attend the local school. But, Josua was already behind his peers and for several years spent extra time daily on his studies to catch up.
Now as a teenager all that progress and Josua’s future are threatened. His hearing aids are failing and require replacement. But the cost is multiples his family’s monthly income. School is critical to securing a job and a bright future, but without the ability to hear at normal levels, continuing his education becomes impossible. With no school in the area that can provide a curriculum or a learning environment for a hearing-impaired student the stakes are very high, and medical intervention means the difference between a bright future or dropping out and a life battling poverty.
“A hearing aid would keep Josua on course, but the cost was well out of reach,” said Brandon Sosa, CEO of the Barzilai Foundation. “For his parents this is very difficult. They are doing everything right to provide a good life for Josua and his brother, but are facing circumstances beyond their control.”
The Barzilai Foundation purchased a new hearing aid for Josua, which means he can continue at his current school without any disruption. Rather than abruptly forfeit his potential, Josua can now pursue further education, as well as enjoy the improvement to his lifestyle that better hearing will provide.
Recently we re-connected with Amy after she returned home from a successful brain surgery. Back home and recovering well from her procedure Amy reflected on the past several months that saw both her life and her family's future put in peril.
Mohammed is a young student excelling in multiple areas of study and is on track for university. He's done all this despite being born into a low-income family and having no access to a local school and having a severely limiting disability.
Nahla is a bright, hard-working 15-year-old Moroccan who has achieved stellar academic results despite physical disabilities. So determined to succeed and build a future, she literally crawls over obstacles to attend school daily.
For a young Moroccan, Mokhlis, being born with clubfoot means a lifetime of disability and poverty. Barzilai Foundation was able help put Mokhlis on a path to overcoming his condition and achieving future independence.
Students in rural India can often lack access to medical care. For vision issues this can be severely limiting to their education and dangerous to their future.
The Barzilai Foundation is partnering with global NGO MiracleFeet to expand access to care for children throughout Morocco and provide the opportunity for better futures for individuals born with Clubfoot.