Prosthetics & Orthotics Service Launches at CURE Zimbabwe

We’re thrilled to announce a major milestone at CURE Children’s Hospital of Zimbabwe (CURE Zimbabwe): The new prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) service recently launched and is already helping children with limb differences walk, run, and play again.

For the first time, a local team of prosthetists and orthotists—highly trained clinicians who specialize in designing, fabricating, and fitting artificial limbs and braces—can serve children on-site.

CURE Zimbabwe’s new workshop will allow us to serve about 400 children each year, restoring their mobility and confidence—at no cost to families.

Meeting an Urgent Need

Across Zimbabwe, access to prosthetics and orthotics care is extremely limited. In a country of more than 16 million people, only a handful of P&O workshops exist, and training and materials are often difficult to access. For many families, consistent, high-quality care has simply not been available.

Until now, CURE Zimbabwe had to outsource prosthetics and orthotics services. Children were sent to outside providers, and families often waited months for devices to be made—if materials were available at all. For growing children recovering from surgery, those delays could mean pain, setbacks, or stalled rehabilitation.

“There are a lot of children out there who have amputations or are born with conditions that cause limb loss,” says Margaret Guyan, Director of Prosthetics and Orthotics for CURE International. “This new prosthetics service is really important for helping them be independent, go to school, and play with their friends.”

Custom Care, Right On-Site

With prosthetics and orthotics care now fully integrated within CURE Zimbabwe’s surgical and rehabilitation services, each child is evaluated by a trained specialist who works closely with surgeons and physical therapists to determine what device will best support healing and long-term function.

Inside the hospital’s new Rehabilitation and Clinical Services Center, devices are custom-designed and fabricated for each child, using durable aluminum modular components that allow for a precise fit and ongoing adjustments as they grow. These sturdy materials are specifically designed to withstand the active lives of children while adapting to their changing needs.

CURE also provides physical and rehabilitative therapy that helps children grow accustomed to their new prosthetic or orthotic. Our trained therapists offer the support kids need to regain their mobility after surgery and master the use of their new devices. And as they heal, the spiritual ministry team shares the good news of the gospel.

The impact is profound. Children without functional hands can learn to eat on their own, throw a ball, and even hold a Bible to read. Children who once could not walk are able to play with friends, attend school, and worship at church with their families.

From Disability to Ability

For children like Kudakwashe, prosthetics and orthotics care at CURE means independence, mobility, and the chance to simply be a kid who plays soccer.

Born with a condition that required part of his leg to be amputated, Kudakwashe has relied on prosthetic limbs—artificial legs—his entire life. When he first arrived at CURE in 2021, shortly after the hospital opened, he was in pain. His poorly made, ill-fitting prosthesis had caused infections and complications that required surgery.

Three years later, he returned—this time as the first patient to receive a custom prosthetic from CURE’s new workshop. Fitted with his new limb and supported by physical therapy, Kudakwashe now walks independently. He plays soccer. He moves through the world the way every child should: freely. With regular six-month reviews, his prosthetist can adjust his device as he grows, ensuring he maintains his mobility and independence.

Watching her grandson play soccer using his new prosthetic leg, Kudakwashe’s grandma said, “My heart is filled with joy because of what CURE has done for my grandson. Now he can play as much as he likes.”

A Network-Wide Commitment

The opening of this workshop in Zimbabwe is part of CURE’s commitment to build standardized, high-
quality prosthetic and orthotic services across all our hospitals so that children—no matter where they live—can receive consistent care that supports mobility.

“At CURE, we can understand the needs of each child, pray for them, and provide the hope of independence and dignity,” says Jonathan Simpson, Executive Director of CURE Zimbabwe. “That for me is what is really exciting. We are able to make our work that much better for the kids, give them that much more hope and joy in life.”

CURE is developing on-site workshops across our hospital network to ensure every child has access to timely and high-quality care. A P&O workshop opened at CURE Zambia in fall 2023, while existing services in Ethiopia and Kenya have recently been strengthened. Plans are already underway to establish workshops in Malawi and Niger.

For children like Kudakwashe, this commitment restores independence, dignity, and the freedom to fully participate in daily life.

And it is made possible because of faithful partners who believe every child deserves the chance to stand, walk, and run toward the future God has for them.

As CURE expands prosthetics and orthotics care across our hospital network, more kids like Natnael and Loveness will experience new life and new mobility.