His name is Temesgen, but everyone around the hospital wards calls him Teme. His official job title is Child Mentor and Counselor. He has been a full-time worker at the CURE Children’s Hospital of Ethiopia for eight years, but his history with CURE goes back much further. Long before he was hired, Temesgen lived near the hospital and volunteered his time. He came to the hospital two days a week for three whole years just to sit and be with the young patients. Even today, he still has that same volunteer spirit. When the hospital needs extra help on weekends or after hours, Temesgen happily walks through the doors to serve.

When you ask Temesgen to explain what he does every day, he just smiles and shrugs his shoulders. He likes to joke that he just plays with kids. But his simple answer does not show the deep counseling work he is actually doing. Temesgen studied Child Development in school. He also took many special training courses about children’s mental health and psychology before and after he started working at CURE. Every game of catch, every painting session, and every song he sings is really a smart counseling tool meant to heal hidden emotional hurts.

Healing Invisible Wounds

The children who come to CURE Ethiopia carry heavy emotional pain that would be hard for many adults to handle. Many of these kids were born with physical disabilities like bowed legs or cleft lips. Because of this, they have spent their short lives being left out by society. They have been teased by neighbors, blamed by people in their villages, and told that they are worthless. They often walk into the hospital with their heads down, looking at the floor in fear. Temesgen’s main goal is to change their sad story to a joyful one.

By using play therapy and art therapy, Temesgen shows these children that they are special, brave, and deeply loved. He uses fun crafts to build their confidence, stories to change how they see themselves, and songs to bring them joy. When Temesgen is in the room, the scary hospital feeling disappears. It is replaced by a safe space where children can forget their worries and just be kids again.

A Friend First

The best part about Temesgen’s work is that his friend feels completely natural to the children. The kids have no idea that he is using psychology or being methodical with them. To a child lying in a hospital bed, Temesgen is not a doctor or a therapist. He is just a good, faithful friend who visits them when they feel lonely. He is the friendly face who helps them forget about their upcoming surgeries and the pain of healing.

“The secret to my work is truly simple: play is the universal common language for all kids,” Temesgen explains. “It does not matter what part of Ethiopia a child comes from or what language they speak at home. When you hand a child a toy or start a fun game, all language barriers vanish. Play is the natural language of childhood, and by speaking it, I can reach deep into their hearts in ways that normal talking never could.”

Temesgen is a born-again Christian, a husband, and a proud father of twin boys. He does not view his work as just a regular job. Instead, he sees it as a special calling from God. He knows that physical disabilities do not just hurt a child’s bones and muscles. They also have the potential to break a child’s spirit and make them feel separated from God and the world. Temesgen chose to work at CURE because it heals the whole child by integrating physical, psychological, and spiritual care.

While the wonderful doctors at CURE fix the children’s bodies, the spiritual team and counselors work to fix their broken hearts. Temesgen helps connect these two types of healing. He makes sure that when a child leaves the hospital with straight legs, they also leave with a happy mind and a strong faith in God’s love. He also spends a lot of time counseling anxious parents, helping them feel proud of their children rather than ashamed.

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Realities Beyond the Ward

However, this beautiful work can also bring sadness to Temesgen’s heart.

He admits, “It makes me sad to sometimes see some patients broken when they come for their follow-ups,” Temesgen shares, the emotional weight visible in his eyes. “They are healing, showing so much progress when they are here. But when they go to their homes, sometimes my heart breaks because when they come back, I see them physically worn out and psychologically worse. I know the living standard, the state of poverty of the country, and multiple factors play a part in their circumstances, but still, it breaks my heart.”

It hurts Temesgen to see the world try to crush his kids’ spirits again, but it only makes him work harder. Because his time with the children in the long-term wards is limited, he focuses on helping them build inner strength. He spends time praying for each child and teaching them how to process their emotions. He wants to plant good spiritual seeds in their hearts that will protect them from mean words when they return to their villages.

Temesgen wants the kind donors who fund CURE to know how much their gifts matter. He is always amazed by the kindness of people from far away who give money to help children they have never met. Every single smile, every loud laugh in the ward, and every healed heart happens because of donor support. Temesgen stands on the front lines of this hospital every day, turning donor gifts into real hope and love for children who need it most.

If you would like to know more about how you can support workers like Temesgen, you can read our latest patient stories or talk to our donor care team to see how your gifts create real change.