Miriam is a sociable four-year-old girl from Arusha Tanzania, the first born child in a family of two children. Miriam's father works casual day jobs to earn a living, while the mother is a homemaker. Despite financial challenges due to limited income, the parents work diligently to ensure their family's well-being. Miriam was brought to our medical partner's care center, Kafika House, by her mother following a burn incident she experienced in May 2023. A pot of boiling beans tipped off and the hot water spilled on Miriam, causing burn injuries. She was first taken to a nearby healthcare center for wound care, and it took a month for her wounds to heal. During the healing process, her skin developed a burn contracture on her elbow, which was left untreated as the health center did not have the capacity to handle such cases, and the family did not have the financial resources to seek treatment in a larger institution. Sometime later, Miriam's mother met one of Kafika House's staff members who advised her to go to the facility for an assessment, with hope for treatment, as the condition was already limiting Miriam's ability to perform her daily activities. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Miriam receive treatment at their care center Kafika House. On April 2nd, surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery to restore the functionality of her hand. Now, she needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Miriam’s mother says: “Please help my daughter get this treatment. I hope she will grow up with her arm fully functional.”

Ruhama is a beautiful two month old baby girl, who lives with her parents in Ethiopia. Both of her parents are quite young, and due to their having left school early, both work as day laborers, earning limited wages. Ruhama was born with an anorectal malformation, which is a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. She needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate her bowel dysfunction and help her grow up healthy. Ruhama is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on February 1st, at BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Ruhama's procedure and care. After her recovery, Ruhama will no longer experience bowel dysfunction, or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Ruhama's mother said: “I will leave her at the hands of God. I can’t say she will heal or not, but it’s all God’s will."

Sopheany is a 59-year-old grandmother who needs eye surgery to restore her sight. She lived alone in Kratie province since the untimely death of her husband eight years ago, but recently moved in with her youngest son, a rice farmer. Fortunately, she has five sons, two daughters, and 13 grandchildren who live in the province. They fill her life with joy and keep her busy. At home, she enjoys listening to music and local news. Sopheany, a rice farmer, now stays indoors due to poor eyesight. Three months ago, Sopheany developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her an intolerance of bright or low sunlight. She describes her eyesight as seeing through very dirty glasses and is frustrated she cannot recognize the faces of her grandchildren when they visit. When Sopheany learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for eight hours seeking treatment. On March 5th, doctors will perform small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Sopheany said: "I hope after surgery my eye can see better and I can go outside again."