What does it mean to create a forever impact?
At Watsi, we believe the true power of surgery isn’t just in the surgery itself but in everything that happens after. Our long-standing partnership with African Mission Healthcare (AMH) and all our medical partners is built on this very idea: access to surgical care is a catalyst for a life transformed — not just saved.
We followed up with patients not only months, but years later to see how access to surgery has changed the course of their lives. These are stories of kids we first met as patients, who today are students, dreamers, and becoming leaders in their communities.
Elias: Seven years later, thriving with confidence.
When Elias and his mom first came to BethanyKids in Ethiopia, he was just a baby facing a complex combination of birth conditions. Elias underwent three surgeries over two years to help heal his digestive system, starting in 2018.
Now, seven years later, we get to see Elias, and he is thriving. With ongoing support through a bowel management program and basic sanitation resources, such as a toilet, he’s not just surviving but building a life of independence and dignity.
“Every child deserves the chance to play, to go to school, to live without shame or fear,” says the team at BethanyKids. “Through surgical care and ongoing support, Elias now has that chance.”
Thanks to the support of 19 individuals who believed in the hope of his future, Elias was able to access the critical surgeries that forever changed the course of his life. We can't wait to see where he goes from here!
Yonase: From critical surgery to classroom dreams
In October 2019, Watsi donors helped fund a critical surgery for Yonase, treating a condition that not only caused pain but could have increased his risk of cancer and other complications later in life.
But that wasn’t the end of the story.
Since then, our medical partner has continued to follow up with his family through home visits, education support, and holistic care.
Today, Yonase is healthy, joyful, and back in school, chasing his dreams.
“We’re not just looking at one moment of care,” says Melat, our long-time Watsi rep at BethanyKids in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. “We’re following the patient for years to ensure they stay on the path of recovery and growth.”
A different kind of impact: transformational, not transactional
Surgery is often considered a single, life-saving event. But with the right systems in place, it becomes something much more: a catalyst for lifelong health, opportunity, and dignity. Treatment not only adds years to a patient's life, but adds life to their years.
Through our partnership with AMH and our medical partners worldwide, patients have access to:
- Post-operative programs and long-term follow-up care
- Sanitation improvements
- Family counseling and emotional care
- School support and community reintegration
These stories are powerful not just because of how they began, but because of where they’ve led.
The global gap in surgical care
Right now, 5 billion people worldwide lack access to safe, affordable surgical care. According to the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, an estimated 17 million lives are lost each year due to conditions that are surgically treatable—5x more than HIV, TB, and malaria combined.
Watsi grew as an innovative solution to this significant, yet solvable gap: an effort to bring surgical care directly to communities, fund neglected high-impact procedures, and support patients long after the treatment ends.
“Our aim isn’t just to fund surgeries—it’s to change the trajectory of a person’s life,” says Mackinnon Engen, Executive Director of Watsi. “And that’s only possible because of our global community of supporters who care deeply and show up consistently.”
About our Medical Partner: African Mission Healthcare
African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is a nonprofit working across 11 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, committed to strengthening health systems and delivering high-quality, compassionate care to the most vulnerable.
Through their hospital network—including the BethanyKids program in Ethiopia that helped Elias and Yonase—AMH emphasizes sustainability, efficiency, and equity. Their mission aligns deeply with Watsi’s values: building systems that not only treat, but also empower.
Forever impact starts with YOU
We hope these stories remind you: Watsi’s work is never transactional. It’s deeply human. And lasting.
With your help, we’re not simply responding to medical emergencies—we’re helping rewrite futures.
Together, we’re not just funding surgeries.
We’re making a forever impact.
The Watsi Team
Everyone deserves healthcare.