Wishes is a 5-year-old who hails from a village in Lilongwe District. She is the last born in a family of 3 children and is a bright young student in primary school. Wishes’ parents depend on small-scale farming where they grow maize and groundnuts for their family to eat and for commercial purposes to support the family. Since she was born, Wishes has been experiencing a painful abdomen, vomiting, frequent diarrhea, and feeling weak. Her mother has been taking her to Nkhoma Hospital where she was advised to come back to meet a surgeon for assessment. Wishes was diagnosed with a periumbilical hernia, and she was scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital. However, her parents cannot afford the surgery although they hope to have their daughter undergo surgery. This condition has had a negative impact on Wishes’s life as she feels abdominal pain and cannot go to school when this happens, therefore, affecting her school performance. If the condition is left untreated, it may lead to strangulation which can be life-threatening. Wishes is scheduled for hernia repair surgery on February 13th. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $421 to fund surgery. After surgery, Wishes will be relived of pain and she will be able to attend school without any hindrances from the condition. Wishes’ mother says, “Thank you for this opportunity that has brought new hope to my daughter.”

Moriya is a 3-year-old toddler from Cambodia. She lives in Prey Veng province with her parents, grandmother, and 8-year-old brother. Both her mom and dad work in nearby clothing factories. Moriya's grandmother helps look after the children while her parents are at work. At home, Moriya likes running around the village with other kids, and eating fried noodles. On September 13, 2023, Moriya accidentally burned her left hand at home. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around her burn. It is difficult for her to use her left hand due to the contractures, including playing with toys and carrying objects. When Moriya's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, they traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 6th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve her hand function. She and her family need help to fund this $495 procedure. Her dad shared "I want her fingers to straighten out, so that I won't worry about her development and her future."

Diana and her husband Isaya just had beautiful newborn twins! Their family lives in the Arusha region of Tanzania. Diana works in the home, managing the household and caring for their children, while Isaya works diligently on their farm to provide food. In addition to farming, Isaya seeks daily work to supplement their income. Since the babies have been born the family has been working hard to try to provide them with everything they need. Diana's newborn babies were born with clubfoot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This will cause difficulty walking and even wearing shoes throughout his life. Fortunately, their family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. There, the team will begin clubfoot treatment on February 20th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund their baby's clubfoot repair surgery. After treatment, his feet will grow straight to be able to walk easily and wear shoes. Diana Says, “I hope both my children will grow up with no disability.”