There’s never a dull moment in the CURE Kids program. Kondwani, the CURE Kid’s correspondent who collects information from the clinics we have in northern Malawi, met with one young man at the Lilongwe clinic who was particularly interesting. Lafton Phiri, a seventeen-year-old, came to the clinic by himself seeking answers for his long neglected clubfeet.

From the beginning of Kondwani’s conversation with Lafton, he knew it would be interesting and difficult. Lafton has pretty significant hearing loss and so all the information he gathered came with much repetition and raised voices. Lafton was born with clubbed feet and has lived his entire life walking on the tops of his feet. He is the oldest of three children, and continues to go to school despite the difficulty he faces in traveling to and from school on his twisted feet.

Lafton’s motivation for continuing school and seeking help for his condition on his own, may come from the fact that he is the oldest male child in a family whose father passed away and whose mother is left to raise the children and make ends meet, on her own, in an increasingly deteriorating economy. We are happy to do whatever we can to help Lafton and, consequently, his family by fixing his feet and I, personally, admire his strength and courage in seeking assistance, especially on his own.