Whom We Serve
Sylvester - 60yrs, Impaired Mobility
Fr. Nestor was driving one day and found a man crawling on the side of the road. Stopping to investigate, he discovered that Sylvester was afflicted with a condition that made it impossible for him to walk. He offered INUKA’s services to him, beginning with a phone number for him to call. Sylvester made that life changing call a couple of weeks later. Using Huruma Fund monies, Fr. Nestor arranged for his transportation to the hospital, meals, and hospital care, as he was unable to pay for his care on his own. Despite his young appearance, Sylvester is 60 years old with four children of whom he is very proud. Unfortunately, his wife left him as his condition worsened. INUKA was able to help by providing treatment and a wheelchair to assist in his mobility. The image to the right shows Sylvester happy to be there and cared for by those who act on the commandment to love our neighbor.
Jayden Mtweve - Infant - 3yrs, Club Foot
Jayden Mtweve was born with a clubfoot deformity, which is a condition that affects the alignment of the feet and requires early intervention to prevent long-term disability. His treatment process began at just two months old at the INUKA Rehabilitation Hospital (“INUKA”), located over 100 miles from his home.
Tragically, upon learning of Jayden’s condition, his father abandoned the family, believing the disability to be a curse. This sadly occurs often in Tanzania and results in patients who arrive at INUKA with even greater challenges. Since then, Jayden’s mother has faced the burden of raising her son alone, navigating both emotional difficulties and financial hardship. Despite these challenges, she has remained unwavering in her commitment to Jayden’s recovery. With limited resources and no support from Jayden’s father, she has struggled to afford the frequent travel expenses required for his treatment. Despite this situation, her determination has ensured that Jayden continues to receive care.
Thanks to the determination of his mother, Jayden is now in a later, critical stage of treatment. The treatment follows the Ponseti method, which is generally successful in correcting clubfoot. His mother continually expresses deep gratitude and joy for the progress made, and describes the ongoing treatment as a source of hope and transformation in their lives.
Livinus Nyigu - 4yrs, Congenital Rickets
Livinus Nyigu is a four-year-old boy from the village of Limage near Njombe, Tanzania. Livinus, a twin, was born with congenital rickets, which is a disease that causes a child’s bones to weaken. Sadly, his disease caused severe foot deformities that made his walking quite difficult. While his twin brother Livino was healthy, Livinus faced a tough start to life.
As he grew, his legs became increasingly twisted, making it nearly impossible for him to walk. His mother tirelessly sought treatment at various hospitals, but there was no improvement until she was referred to the INUKA Rehabilitation Hospital. She was initially full of doubt, but gained hope after seeing other children’s conditions improving after the quality care provided by INUKA.
Livinus became a recipient of that quality and consistent care via the HFT provided Huruma Fund. By age three, he was able to walk independently. His mother was so impressed with his improvement that she now encourages other parents not to give up.
“Seeing my son walk freely is the greatest gift,” she says, and “with the right care and persistence, even serious conditions can be overcome.”
HFT is proud to support INUKA in its efforts to treat the afflicted with dignity and to provide quality care to those who need it most.
Sr. Margaret's Mother - 43yrs, Stroke Recovery
Rehabilitation is the core mission at INUKA, and their rehab services help people of all ages. With the financial assistance of the Huruma Fund, INUKA’s rehab services have provided timely and valuable help to the mother of a young Franciscan sister this past year. Sr. Margaret, 20, is the eldest child in her family and has just recently professed her first vows as a religious. Her mother suffered a stroke at the young age of 43 and required rehabilitation services to aid her recovery. Coming from a very poor situation, Sr. Margaret brought her mother to INUKA and humbly requested the help of the team there. She received the care that she needed at INUKA which was made possible by the Huruma Fund and the new facilities and equipment funded by the donors of Hope for Tanzania.
Angela - 14yrs, Untreated Meningitis
The story of Angela’s sickness begins from the day she was born. Her mother says when she was born, she did not cry and has not been like other children. She grew up in the village and didn’t have friends. She could rarely speak. They registered her in school and she didn’t do well. She didn’t understand the classes. Her mother says she is a devout Anglican and she does not believe in witchcraft but the husband’s family does. So, they have spent the past 14 years going from one witch doctor to the other trying to understand and get medication for the problem that Angela is facing. Then they heard about Inuka and her parents decided to bring Angela to the hospital. While she could not speak or walk, Angela had a huge wound on one of her feet when she arrived at Inuka. For the past month, we have dressed the wound and she has improved. The doctor says Angela was also hit by meningitis at some point and didn’t receive any medical attention. From that point she lost speech and could not walk. For 14 years Angela has not received any medical attention until she came to Inuka.
Her family is very poor and for a long time they have spent the money on witch doctors. Angela’s father came to the hospital and promised to go back and work to help her daughter heal. But what he gets by working on people’s farms is so small that it can’t even feed Angela and the mother while at the hospital. Malnutrition is another challenge Angela is going through. Angela’s mother is an example committed and loving mother. Funds provided by Hope for Tanzania have been used to help address their hospital costs and needs. Angela’s mother tells INUKA and Hope for Tanzania “Asante” which is a Swahili word for “thank you.”
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Kendrich - 1yr, Malnutrition
Kendrich Mwafulango lives 70 kilometers away from Inuka. He has delayed milestone caused by malnutrition. He does not speak or walk. Our nutritionist is working to improve his nutrition and teach his mother how to prepare a balanced diet based on the food available at their home. The biggest challenge is that Kendrich’s mother is always sick, and the husband has left her for another woman. This situation is especially painful for the mother to struggle with the child alone while she is also sick. While our social department is working to make the husband involved, Kendrich and her mom need help and funds provided by Hope for Tanzania help to address their hospital bill, transport, and food.
Ernest - 8yrs, Cerebral Palsy
From Morogoro near Dar es Salaam, Ernest was born with diplegic cerebral palsy. The husband left the family because Ernest has this disability. He went away and got married to another woman. Ernest’s mother is struggling financially and depends on a roadside business and working on people’s farms for a living. If it happens that she is sick or doesn’t feel well, Ernest and his two siblings go hungry. It is therefore understandable why Ernest is underweight due to malnutrition. While Ernest’s mom is struggling financially due to the weight of the children on her shoulders, she is also suffering psychologically. Ernest is now a beneficiary of INUKA’s services with the assistance of funds provided by Hope for Tanzania.
