Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor
Jim Kline, our Africa projects officer, recently returned from a trip to Ethiopia. While visiting a Catholic ministry we support in the capital city that provides physical therapy and education to children with disabilities, he met a little girl named Hewett.
The 6-year-old, born with Down Syndrome, had spent most of her life bedridden and mute. Her parents, poor and beside themselves with worry, had nowhere to turn for help.
In Ethiopia, as in many developing African countries, children with disabilities are considered cursed. These children are often kept at the fringes of society, held back from school and hidden away from people, and their parents face constant ridicule from friends and neighbors.
Hewett, however, did not become one of those “hidden children.” Instead, her parents heard about a Catholic ministry that helped children like Hewett get better.
Hewett, a 6 year old with Down Syndrome, has made miraculous progress since she started going to physical therapy at a program sponsored by Cross International Catholic Outreach in Ethiopia.
After a few years of physical therapy and one-on-one attention, Hewett can now stand on her own and she speaks. Her parents could not believe the miraculous change — Hewett couldn’t even hold up her head on her own before the help of the ministry.
“She is very engaged. She makes eye contact with you and wants to touch everything,” Jim said. “Her parents are overwhelmed with joy over the improvement their daughter has made. The ministry really made a difference in this child’s life.”
Stories like Hewett’s are a precious reminder of what can be accomplished when Catholics work together to help the poor. To read about more life-changing programs in Africa that we support, click here.
You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.
Psalm 77:14
Our mission is to mobilize the global Catholic Church to transform the poor and their communities materially and spiritually for the glory of Jesus Christ. Your gift empowers us to serve the poorest of the poor by channeling life-changing aid through an international network of dioceses, parishes and Catholic missionaries. This cost-effective approach helps break the cycle of poverty and advance Catholic evangelization.