Save A Child’s Heart Treats its 5,000th Child in Zanzibar

One-year old Fatma from Zanzibar, whose mother was saved in Israel by Save A Child's Heart 20 years ago, underwent a successful lifesaving heart surgery at Wolfson Medical Center.

They traveled all the way from Zanzibar for the free surgery with the help of the Save a Child’s Heart non-profit organization.

Save a Child’s Heart was on one of its overseas missions at the Zanzibar hospital at the time, screening some 400 local kids for heart problems. Upon examining Fatma and realizing that her mother was a previous patient of theirs, SACH doctors decided to fly her over to Israel for surgery. She is the 5,000th child to be treated through the organization.

All this is carried out by some 100 doctors and nurses from Wolfson, who volunteer their time and experience. One such volunteer is Dr. Alona Raucher Sternfeld, chief of pediatric cardiology for Wolfson and SACH. 

Fatma and Haji will have to stay in Israel for two to three months after the operation for recuperation and observation. For this purpose, SACH maintains a large, inviting building near the hospital that can house up to 60 people at any given time – kids and their accompanying parents and nurses, as well as trainee overseas doctors.

“It can be pretty busy and pretty noisy later in the day,” laughs house mother Laura Kafif.

The house runs on a tight but fun schedule, with three key words spoken by all its multinational inhabitants: kula and kulala (Swahili for “eat” and “sleep”), as well as the local balagan (“mess”).

The organization’s main offices are also located at the house. Here, British-born Executive Director Simon Fisher explains the heart of SACH’s mission.

“I believe Save a Child’s Heart represents Israel at its best,” he says. “At the core of the activities are universal values that are at least part of my DNA as a Jew, as an Israeli and as someone who immigrated from the UK to Israel and feels the need to showcase who we are.”

“If there’s a child we can help, then we’ll help. It makes sense to help your neighbors,” he says. “We believe there’s a very strong element of trust-building between Israelis and Palestinians and that’s through health.”

“Even at the worst of times children have been coming across for treatment,” he adds.

The aid to children from around the world is never at the expense of local Israeli kids, Fisher notes. In fact, a new children’s medical center being built at Wolfson through the efforts of SACH will treat all pediatric patients from the greater Holon area.

Sponsored by donors Sylvan Adams, Morris Kahn, the Azrieli Foundation and the Ted Arison Family Foundation, the children’s hospital is set to treat some 700 SACH patients a year. And with the cost of flying over and treating each child standing at $15,000, the initiative requires around $10 million.

While the organization is non-governmental, it does receive support from the Israeli Ministry for Regional Cooperation and at times the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the European Union and other private donors. Fatma’s operation, for example, was sponsored by Canadian donors.

“As a member of the international community, Israel is giving to humanity, per se, and in many cases leading and leading by example,” Fisher says of SACH. “It’s very much based on the values of tikkun olam,” he adds, concluding that “children are our future.”

H.E. Job Daudi Masima, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania, a great supporter of Save A Child's Heart,  heartily thanks the organization, the amazing and dedicated Medical Team of the Wolfson Medical Center, the volonteers, donors and supporters.