CURE’s mission is to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God. This includes highlighting God’s love for children with treatable disabilities and special needs who may spend most of their childhoods feeling unwanted, marginalized, neglected, and discriminated against.
But imagine a world where these children are treated as kings and queens—even just for one day.
On 9 February, Beit-CURE Children’s Hospital of Malawi (CURE Malawi), in partnership with the Tim Tebow Foundation, hosted more than 40 children living with disabilities, treating them to an unforgettable prom night experience called Night to Shine at the Amaryllis Hotel in Blantyre.
All Children Are Kings and Queens
This year was the 10th anniversary of the Night to Shine event, which was first held in 2015. The Tim Tebow Foundation partnered with more than 720 Christian organizations in 56 countries across 6 continents—including CURE hospitals in the Philippines, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Malawi—to honour over 80,000 “kings and queens” worldwide for being beautifully and wonderfully made in God’s image.
CURE Malawi’s Night to Shine event featured children with special needs from our hospital and other partner organizations, namely Passion Center for Children, Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA), Federation of Disability Organisations of Malawi (FEDOMA), Parents of Disabled Children of Malawi (PODCAM), and Malawi National Association of the Deaf (MANAD).
A car parade featuring vehicles from CURE Malawi and Avis Malawi ensured the children were safely transported to the venue in grand fashion. A guard of honour on the red carpet, led by guest of honour Edith Jiya (Old Mutual Malawi CEO), greeted the children as they entered the spectacular Orchid Hall, immaculately decorated by The Vault Events.
The queens looked flawless, with their makeup done by Zamiwe Beauty Spa, while the kings shone with fresh cuts by Urban Shave Barbershop. All these organizations selflessly donated their services to ensure these children with special needs see that they, too, are valued as kings and queens in their own right.
Royalty deserves the best entertainment, and the country’s foremost urban music artist, Patience Namadingo, delivered. The artist fondly called “Doc” performed some of his most popular songs as the children sang along while dancing with their guardians. He later posed for photographs with the guests.
After the fun on the dance floor, Edith Jiya and CURE Malawi Executive Director Elly Chemey led some guests in crowning the children as kings and queens (literally!) for the night. They later enjoyed a full-course dinner, plus dessert, and were showered with assorted gifts. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the children, most of whom come from underprivileged, vulnerable, and marginalized backgrounds.
“The essence of this celebration is to show love, hope, and encouragement to children with different disabilities, physical or psychosocial. The key thing is to tell them how much we value them, love them, and that God has a plan for them,” said Chemey.
An Experience to Remember
Ethel, a recent CURE Malawi patient, was one of the children who experienced this year’s Night to Shine event—a stark contrast to her life experience of more than 15 years.
Ethel was born with a condition called clubfoot, where her feet bent inward, forcing her to walk on her ankles. This stalled her dream of becoming a nurse, since she had to stop pursuing her education. She arrived at CURE Malawi for treatment when she was in fifth grade, a time when most of her peers had made progress in high school.
Thankfully, Ethel’s prospects changed when CURE Malawi began to invest in her community via a local pastor named Pastor Blessings who had attended CURE’s Theology of Disability training. After seeing Ethel in a local marketplace, Blessings referred her to our hospital where she had successful surgery last year to correct her clubfoot.
Ethel progressed well enough in her recovery to attend and dance at this year’s Night to Shine event.
“This is one of the best days of my life; I can’t remember ever being this happy among family, friends, and total strangers,” she shared.
Make a gift that demonstrates the love of Christ to more children with treatable disabilities like Ethel by providing the surgical care these kings and queens urgently need.
About the Beit-CURE Children’s Hospital of Malawi
Established in 2002, Beit-CURE Children’s Hospital of Malawi is the only hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa recognized by the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Located in Blantyre, the teaching hospital comprises 58 beds, three operating theaters, and performs over 2,100 life-changing reconstructive and orthopedic surgeries each year for people suffering from treatable disabilities. In addition to world-class clinical service, CURE Malawi ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their communities. The Beit Trust, a UK-based charity, provided the initial funding for this facility as a gift to the people of Malawi.
