Two Countries. Two Missions. One Shared Purpose.

This May, Mending Kids proudly led not one, but two impactful missions in East Africa, each rooted in our mission to bring, life-changing care to children and empower local providers to carry that work forward. In Tanzania to Uganda (see below), our teams delivered healing, training, and hope.
 
From May 12 to 17, a powerful dual-team effort unfolded in Tanzania. Led by Dr. Evan Zahn, Director of the Congenital Heart Program at Cedars-Sinai Guerin Children’s and a Mending Kids board member and Dr. Salvatore Agati, Director of Congenital Heart Surgery at Bambino Gesù’s Mediterranean Center in Sicily. The mission delivered life-saving care, hand in hand with the team from Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, for children with complex heart defects.
 
Patients ranged in age from just 1 month to 17 years, with diagnoses including Tetralogy of Fallot, Transposition of the Great Arteries, and Truncus Arteriosus. While Dr. Agati’s surgical team operated in the OR, Dr. Zahn’s U.S. team completed 17 procedures in the Cath Lab. A pediatric cardiologist from Cameroon also joined the team on-site to observe and engage in knowledge sharing.

In addition to this, pediatric cardiologists from three Tanzanian hospitals received hands-on training in Balloon Atrial Septostomy, a critical emergency intervention for newborns with Transposition of the Great Arteries. Thanks to the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, participating hospitals received donated balloons, helping ensure that this life-saving procedure doesn’t stop with us.
 
Because mending isn’t just about what we do during a mission. It’s about what continues long after we leave.
 
Since 2015, Mending Kids has helped nearly 340 children in Tanzania access specialized cardiac care. This mission reaffirmed what’s possible when expertise, compassion, and collaboration come together.

Learn More About Our Tanzania Cardiac Program

Tanzania Cardiac 2025 Photo Album

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Just days later, from May 19 to 21, Mending Kids sponsored and led an extraordinary East Africa colorectal training course in Uganda, spearheaded by Dr. Jason Frischer, Director of the Colorectal Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and a dedicated Mending Kids board member.
 
Hosted in collaboration with local healthcare institutions, the training brought together pediatric surgeons and surgical nurses from across the continent, including participants from Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Ethiopia, and more. Over three intensive days, participants received in-depth instruction in treating complex colorectal conditions, expanding both their technical skills and their capacity to serve children in their home countries.

The impact of this training extends far beyond Uganda. By supporting local teams with knowledge, and techniques, more children across Africa will have access to the specialized care they need, long after our team has left.
 
From healing young hearts in Tanzania to strengthening colorectal care in Uganda, May 2025 was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when missions meet momentum. We are deeply grateful to our volunteers, partners, and in-kind donors for making all this work possible.
 
Because of you, hope lives on, in every child treated, every professional trained, and every future made brighter

Mend a child