Hi, this is Lisa Wolf, Sr. V.P. of Communications.  Noel, who normally writes our blog, has been begging for other people to share their thoughts so today I thought I’d jump in. 

As I drove the work on Tuesday morning, the voice on the radio described a scene all too familiar to me.  U.S. born documentarian, Roger Ross Williams, talked to NPR about the plight of disabled children in Zimbabwe.  Williams commented, “Many families in Zimbabwe reject children born with disabilities.  Fearing witchcraft, adults in Zimbabwe often see their children’s differences as a sign that the family has been cursed.”  He went to say, “These children get locked away” They’re hidden from the rest of society because the families are ashamed of them.”

At CURE, we have shared this same story many times.  It breaks our heart each time we read a story from one of our hospitals that describes the harsh realities of life for a disabled child in Africa.

As I listened further to the report, I learned that this story was upbeat and a celebration of triumph over adversity.  In an Oscar-winning documentary, Williams profiled Prudence Mabhena and her band, Liyana, which started as a class project at a school for the disabled in Zimbabwe.  This band comprised of all disabled musicians shares their beautiful music with the world and demostrates that never giving up can produce something really special.  The band toured the U.S. last year and the documentary started airing on HBO last night.

From all of us at CURE, we congratulate Williams on his Oscar win and celebrate Prudence and Liyana for raising awareness of the plight of disabled children in Africa.  Perhaps someday we can partner together as we continue in our efforts to ensure that specialty medical care is available to all 100 million disabled children in the developing world.