Grace is a farmer and a mother of eight living children. She is married to John, a 60-year-old man from Kijweka Village. She has both parents as well as her husband and she is the 6th born in a family of 8 children. She shared that in her childhood, she did not attend school but her husband studied up to primary five. She does small-scale farming together with her husband to sustain their family. She carried sixteen pregnancies and delivered well but 8 of her children died when they were still young. Her children are doing well, and the last born is now ten years old. Grace has been diagnosed with endometrial hyperplasia. She is having pain in her lower abdomen and back pain. She went to different hospitals and was given treatment but all in vain. This condition has caused her a lot of discomfort, and she no longer does her farming activities well. She finds it hard to be in public because of her condition. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $253 to fund Grace's surgery. On February 2nd, she will undergo gynecological surgery at Rwibaale Health Center. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully alleviate her symptoms and she can live a fuller life once again. Grace shared: "I hope to get rid of pain and resume with farming.’’

Merge is a 3 year-old child from Ethiopia. She is a beautiful young girl who loves to play with toys and her brothers. She loves to wear new clothes and shoes - her dad shared that she is always asking for new clothes and shoes. Merge loves being around people. Her dad is a farmer with a large family, his older children out of the house and living their own lives. Seven children are still with their parents. Her mom spends her day taking care of her child, collecting firewood from the woods, and pouring water from a long distance from a manual well. She carries the water jar and the sticks on her back. They harvest once a year. Their income is limited to sustain the needs of their household. Merge was born with anorectal malformation and she was referred to Addis Ababa referral hospital and underwent two surgeries. But now she developed an incisional hernia. Fortunately, on February 9th, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $512 to fund Merge's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently as she grows. Merge's dad said, “I hope she will heal. That will make me happy. I will send her to school and I want her to become a doctor.”

Veasna is a two-year-old toddler from Cambodia. He is an only child, and lives in a multi-generational home with four other family members. His mother sells farm produce in the local market, and his dad is a rice farmer. One of his aunts works at the front desk in a motorbike repair shop. Veasna spends most of his time at home with his grandmother. He loves playing with other kids in the village and watching cartoons. In June 2023, Veasna burned his right index finger on a hot stove. His mother treated the injury at home with cold water and wound dressings. Unfortunately, burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around his burn. It is difficult for him to use his hand, and he experiences much discomfort. When Veasna's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he and his mother traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On April 22nd, surgeons will perform burn contracture release surgery to help restore function in his hand. Veasna's family are able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $395 more to fund the procedure. Veasna's mother says: "I hope he can use his hand easily again in the future, be able to hold objects and play."