Extending Healing Beyond Our Walls: How Partnership is Transforming Lives

In a country where access to specialised care can be limited, for many children living in rural areas, access to life-changing surgery remains a distant hope. But when God brings compassionate partners alongside us, that hope begins to spread, reaching beyond our hospital walls into communities that need it most.

Recently, our hospital had the privilege of hosting a team from Surgicorps International, for their bi-annual visit, who joined us on their 19th visit to conduct specialised plastic reconstructive surgeries for children in need.

 

Surgicorps International is a nonprofit organisation that provides free, life-changing reconstructive plastic surgeries to people in underserved communities around the world. Their volunteer teams, made up of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and other medical professionals, partner with local hospitals to treat conditions such as burns, cleft lip and palate, and other congenital or acquired deformities. Beyond performing surgeries, Surgicorps also focuses on training and mentoring local medical teams, helping to build long-term capacity and improve access to specialised surgical care in the communities they serve.

“Our partnership with CURE has been impactful. I think the things that we do are life-changing. Not only do we impact the child, but we also touch their family, their village, and the community at large. Our goal is to provide the best possible care and return each child to the best possible functional condition, both physically and aesthetically. When you see the smiles from the patients, their parents, and the staff, that means we’ve done what we’re supposed to do; that’s what medicine is all about. We do this because we can, because we want to, and most importantly, because we should,” said Jack Demos, Founder of Surgicorps International.

 

 

Their presence not only transforms the lives of patients receiving on-site care but also creates a unique opportunity for our teams to extend healing to communities beyond our immediate reach. While surgeries continued at the hospital, two outreach teams were deployed to serve children in underserved areas of Zambia.

“Having grown up in a rural community, I’ve seen the barriers children with disabilities face, the long distances, lack of transport, and impossible choices families must make,” said CURE Zambia Medical Director Dr. Cyril Moyo. “That’s why our partnership with Surgicorps International is so meaningful to us. It inspired our outreach camps, bringing care directly to children who might never reach a hospital and reaffirming our commitment to serve the most vulnerable.”

In Livingstone, our Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) team carried out life-changing surgical procedures for children who had long-awaited access to specialised care. For many families, traveling to access such services is often financially and logistically out of reach. This outreach, which was generously funded by Christian Blind Mission (CBM), brought care closer to home, restoring not only health but also hope.

 

At the same time, in Choma, our orthopaedic team worked tirelessly to treat children with mobility-related conditions. From correcting deformities to improving function, each procedure marked a turning point in a child’s life, offering them the chance to walk, play, and thrive.

Making a Measurable Difference

What makes this moment truly remarkable is the ripple effect of partnership. While one team came to serve, two more were empowered to go out and serve. It is a powerful reminder that when we work together, we multiply impact.

Over the course of the week, the collective impact of these efforts was incredible. The Surgicorps team carried out 74 reconstructive plastic surgeries at the hospital, while the Livingstone ENT outreach completed 33 procedures, and in Choma, the orthopaedic outreach team performed 47 life-changing surgeries, bringing the total to 154 surgeries.

But at its core, this outreach was not just about procedures performed or numbers reached. It was about access. It was about ensuring that children, regardless of where they live, have the opportunity to receive the care they deserve. We are deeply grateful to Surgicorps International for their partnership and commitment to transforming lives. Their presence has enabled us to broaden our reach and strengthen our mission of providing both surgical and compassionate care to every child we serve.

Partnering For Greater Impact Grace’s Miracle

Grace is one of the children whose future has been changed through CURE Zambia’s surgical outreach camps. Through this outreach, she received the care she urgently needed and began a healthier, happier journey. We met Grace and her family in one of their deepest moments of need, when access to safe, timely surgical care mattered most.

 

On December 5, 2025, a simple errand turned into a frightening ordeal for two-year-old Grace when she swallowed a coin while playing on the way to the shop. “Grace started trying to bring it out, and she started vomiting at the shop, but nothing came out still,” her sister recalled. Despite multiple hospital visits, the coin went undetected for four months, leaving Grace in constant discomfort. “She tells me she can feel it and often cries when eating,” her mother, Monde, shared, describing how her daughter struggled even to eat and sleep.

Hope came when Monde learned of a CURE Zambia ENT surgical camp coming to her town; she took Grace for an assessment. “I was so hopeful when I saw the team from CURE Zambia,” she said. This time, doctors located the coin and successfully removed it during surgery, ending months of pain.

Caption: Take a closer look at the incredible moment when Dr Haben and the medical team successfully removed the coin from Grace’s throat. 

Overwhelmed with relief, Monde expressed her gratitude: “God bless all the doctors, may He add more years to their lives… I can’t believe my daughter is finally free.” Today, Grace has fully returned to being a happy, playful child, with her health and her childhood restored.

 

As we look ahead, CURE Zambia remains committed to continuing this work, reaching more communities, restoring more lives, and ensuring that no child is left behind.

This work is only possible because of the incredible generosity of CURE’s friends, partners, and donors, people who continually step up to help make healing possible for children in need. Together, we can reach even more children like Grace with the care and equipment they urgently require. Will you be part of that impact? Your gift can reflect the love of Christ by helping provide life-changing medical care to children like Grace.