The Ruel Foundation was formed in 2000 after finding a child in the Philippines, named Ruel, dying from what was an easily treatable problem. Now the Ruel Foundation helps hundreds of children in developing nations all round the world who have been “forgotten” and need relatively minor surgery.

In 1999, David Cowie, a New Zealander serving as the International Director for Marine Reach – Youth With a Mission, was visiting Eastern Samar in the Philippines Islands. While visiting a hospital with Mrs Annie Ambil, the wife of the then Governor of Eastern Samar, he came across a small boy named Ruel. His small, emaciated body lay on a simple steel bed in this under-staffed and under-resourced facility. Ruel’s face was scarred by a double cleft lip and palate which meant he had a great deal of difficulty swallowing.

Ruel was near death with his tiny body wracked with viruses and infections. Ruel represents hundreds of thousands of forgotten and unwanted children dying in isolated villages and towns in developing nations where medical help is actually within reach. With the help of Governor Ambil and his wife, Ruel received the necessary food supplements needed to sustain his life while David raised the necessary funds for Ruel’s surgery. After years of struggle to get Ruel strong enough, he went through a serious of surgeries to correct his cleft lip and palate. Ruel is now a healthy, growing boy in the care of the Catholic Sisters in his hometown.

Determined to address the needs of these forgotten children, David Cowie established the Ruel Foundation in 2000 encouraging individuals, churches, corporations and small businesses to adopt the medical needs of a child living in poverty with a serious deformity. Children’s Sunday School classes have already “adopted” several children. This New Zealand based organization, has now provided life-changing surgeries for dozens of children in their own developing nations at a fraction of the cost that would be incurred in a developed nation.

Ruel Foundation representatives search for children in the isolated villages of nations like Colombia in South America and the Philippines in SE Asia. Hospitals, doctors and surgeons cooperate to overcome fear, corruption and ignorance providing medical care at the lowest possible cost. The Ruel Foundation provides the funding for the child’s surgery along with the cost of travel and accommodation for the child and a parent. When the child is fully recovered, he or she is rehabilitated back to their village.

Each month this faith-based organisation sponsors a child that is in desperate need of surgery somewhere in the world. We invite you to participate with us in changing the life of just one small child by helping to sponsor their surgical needs. Each donor gets a “before” and “after” photo of the child they sponsor.^[1]