In developing countries, a disability can set a child on a daunting trajectory well before he or she has the power to do anything about it. They can be a lifetime sentence to poverty, all because the support system around them isn’t mature enough to give them the aid they need. Often, these physical impairments would not only be considered treatable, but standard care in countries with advanced healthcare systems. The Barzilai Foundation, through collaboration with Dar El Hana Association and EV Foundation was introduced to a young Moroccan boy facing this stark reality.
Mokhlis is an intelligent young boy, who is a good student. Although from a poor family, he is attending school and shows promise to be able to complete schooling which would set him up for a good job and a chance to pull his family out of poverty. Unfortunately, Mokhlis was born with clubfoot, a treatable condition that makes him unable to walk correctly. Left untreated, this condition will leave him permanently disabled, meaning he would likely never have a chance at full employment or financial independence. While he was able to obtain surgery to repair one of his feet, surgery for the second foot didn’t have funding leaving him disabled.
At the Barzilai Foundation, we are investing in Mokhlis’ future by sponsoring the cost of surgery.
Studies have shown that in developing countries, 80% to 90% people of working age with disabilities are unemployed*. Providing Mokhlis treatment, coupled with a support system, means he can avoid this fate and opens up significant opportunities, such as education and a career.
“These are the realities people in developing countries face, but Mokhlis won’t have to,” said Brandon Sosa, CEO of the Barzilai Foundation. “That surgery will redefine Mokhlis’ whole life, both in the present and the future. This is a significant juncture where with a little support, the possibilities are going to unfold before him. What a privilege to be a part of this moment.”
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 Amy discovering the devastation of learning she had an advanced stage brain tumour was made worse in discovering she couldn't afford the treatment she needed urgently.
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.