Three-year-old Charmant is the tenth of eleven children. The weight of caring for the family fell entirely on his mother after his father left the country in search of work.

Before he even turned two, malnutrition and lack of proper care caused little Charmant to fall sick. What began as a minor illness gradually worsened, and soon his legs started to deform. As medical bills increased and responsibilities piled up, Charmant’s condition continued to deteriorate.

With limited means and many mouths to feed, his mother was forced to make an impossible choice: to focus on keeping the rest of the family alive while putting Charmant’s health aside.

By the time she managed to gather some money, the damage had already been done. Charmant’s tibia bones were completely deformed, leaving him unable to walk.

“I took him for a consultation at the orthopaedic clinic. With the little I had, I couldn’t afford the urgent surgery he needed. As a mother, I felt helpless and lost,” she recalls.

Urgent help was needed for little Charmant.

As a last resort, his mother was referred to the Community Rise offices. At the time, Community Rise was running a programme focused on inclusion for people with disabilities, mainly through empowerment and training classes. Medical intervention was not initially part of their work.

However, when Jimmy, the leader of Community Rise, saw Charmant, he was deeply moved. His heart sank, and he knew he could not look away. Although the cost of corrective surgery was high, the organisation mobilised support and raised enough funds to give Charmant a chance at healing.

Today, two months after the surgery, Charmant is recovering. His legs are still supported by posture correctors, but hope and joy have returned. He cannot wait for the day he will run and play like other children.

“It brings me joy to see this little boy have a chance at life. This is what encourages me to keep doing what I do,” says Jimmy.

Born with a hand deformity himself, Jimmy understands exclusion all too well. His vow is clear: to bring hope to the hopeless, especially those most often forgotten by society. And for Charmant, that hope has already begun to take root.

To find out more about Jimmy and Community Rise, click the link below: