Do you know Esther’s story?
Esther is one of Malaika’s students. She had completed kindergarten and was due to join class 1B, taught by Rebecca. Just before the school year began, Esther was walking with her sister when she was run over by a motorcycle. The bike’s exhaust pipe burnt Esther’s leg severely. Unable to afford medical care, her family looked after Esther as best they could but unfortunately infection took hold and Esther’s life hung in the balance.
When Esther didn’t come to school, her teacher, Rebecca, grew concerned and visited Esther’s home. She found Esther in critical condition and Malaika immediately arranged for Esther to receive life-saving treatment at a hospital.
Esther stayed in the hospital for five months, during which time she underwent a surgical debridement, where dead, damaged, or infected tissue was removed, improving the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue. Her leg was realigned and she needed two skin-grafts and two blood transfusions.
As you can imagine, this was very scary for Esther, who had never separated from her family before. Students, friends, and teachers from Malaika visited daily, bringing her toys and school work. Most importantly, they brought her love, support and inspiration. Esther was determined not to fall behind in her school work and the driving force for her recovery was her desire to return to school.
We are happy to announce that Esther returned home in May, and she is overjoyed to be back at school. She is alive today as a direct result of your donations and support.
When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Esther told her teacher Sylvain that she wants to study hard and become a doctor so that she can help people. We are sure that Esther has a very bright future ahead of her!
