Assiatou’s First Steps
When she was only six months old, Assiatou was left with severe burns after a car accident. Due to the lack of affordable medical care, these burns eventually formed into thick scar tissue. Her left ankle was tightly contracted which left her unable to walk properly. Despite growing up without the mobility to flex her foot, Assiatou learned to adapt by stepping on her heel instead. This limited mobility enabled her to walk to school to pursue her education, but also made traveling exhausting and painful.
