Meet Joshua, a five-year-old boy who loves his mother very much. Like other boys his age, he wants to be with his friends and play with them. However, right now, he prefers to play with his relatives because the other children tease him about the way he speaks. They say that he is “ Ngo-ngo” or “ Punga” which are terms that indicate he cannot pronounce words well. Because of this, Joshua is often very shy around other people.
Joshua has a cleft lip and palate, a congenital facial malformation where there was not enough developed tissue for his lip. This has significantly affected his ability to speak. Apart from his condition, Joshua is a loving and active child, willing to help his family in the best way possible. He wants to be a doctor someday and treat kids with conditions like his.
$1,464 will pay for surgical services provided by Watsi’s medical partner, International Care Ministries. Plastic surgeons will mend the soft tissue of the cleft palate, rearranging the muscles to close the gap. After treatment, Joshua is excited to able to talk normally like his friends.
His mother was very thankful that help will be given to Joshua, since the family cannot afford the treatment on their own. His father is not working and his mother is a vendor who earns only enough for their daily needs.
Joshua’s mother shares with us, “We really want Joshua to be treated so that he will enjoy his childhood. Although we cannot afford treatment, we do not cease to pray that someday he will get treated and talk normally. This operation will really change his life. Thank you so much for making this possible for Joshua.”