By Michael Gwarisa
A multidisciplinary team of medical specialists from the United States is in Zimbabwe for a 12-day medical mission aimed at expanding access to specialised surgical care for underserved communities.
The LEAP Global Missions team, working in partnership with Celebration Health, is conducting the Zimbabwe Medical Mission from September 9 to 20, 2026, as part of a partnership between the two organisations that has now spanned 15 years.
The mission brings together specialists across surgery, anaesthesia, nursing, respiratory care, speech pathology and surgical technology, highlighting the breadth of expertise being deployed during the outreach.
The team includes plastic surgeons Jose Castro Garcia and Michael Friel, plastic surgery resident Samyd Hemer Bustos, anaesthesiologists Mari Molina and Greta Duncan Wiebe, as well as an anaesthesia assistant and certified registered nurse anaesthetist. Respiratory therapist Kishore Chukkala and a team of recovery nurses, nurse practitioners and surgical technicians are also part of the mission.
A speech pathologist and non-medical support personnel are also supporting the mission, underscoring the multidisciplinary nature of the programme.
LEAP Global Missions is a US-based, faith-inspired non-profit organisation that provides free specialised medical and surgical care to underserved populations around the world.
The organisation was founded in 1991 by Dallas-based plastic surgeon Dr Craig Hobar after he witnessed the lack of specialised reconstructive care available to children with craniofacial conditions during a mission to the Dominican Republic. Its work has since expanded to include teams of volunteer reconstructive plastic surgeons, craniofacial specialists, ophthalmologists and dental practitioners.
But the partnership with Zimbabwe is designed to go beyond individual surgical missions.
According to the organisations, LEAP also focuses on training local healthcare workers and strengthening long-term medical capacity, with the goal of supporting greater sustainability within host communities.
Celebration Health, the medical outreach ministry of Celebration Ministries International, was founded in 1996 and focuses on improving access to healthcare and specialised medical services for underserved communities across Zimbabwe.
Its programmes include specialist medical and surgical outreach, provision of medical equipment and supplies to hospitals, and emergency response. The organisation works with local and international medical professionals, hospitals, government health authorities, churches and development partners. It operates under a Memorandum of Understanding with Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care and aligns its work with the ministry’s strategic objectives.
For LEAP Global Missions Director of Missions Dawna Landry, the Zimbabwe mission is also a continuation of a long personal connection with the country.
Landry, who joined LEAP in her current role in 2022, has been involved with the organisation since 1992 after spending 30 years as practice manager for its founder, Dr Hobar. Based in Dallas, she is making her fourth mission trip to Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe side of the partnership is coordinated by Dr Freeblessing Murahwa, Medical Director of Celebration Health, who has volunteered in philanthropic medical outreaches since 2008.
Over the past decade, Murahwa has led programmes involving the Ministry of Health and Child Care and private-sector partners to support health delivery through medical services, supplies, equipment and specialist professionals, benefiting thousands of people.
