AIC Kijabe Hospital

Mary is a 58-year-old mother of six from Kenya. She spent years working hard to support herself by selling clothes in the market. Although her children are now grown and caring for families of their own, Mary continues to navigate many challenges. Mary first noticed a painful mass in a sensitive area in October 2025. After seeking treatment at a nearby hospital, she found no relief. Instead, her condition worsened. By time Mary arrived at our facility in February 2026, tests revealed she had developed cancer. The swelling made it difficult for her to carry out daily activities. More than anything, Mary longed for healing, relief from the pain, and the chance to regain her strength and dignity. Thanks to Watsi support, Mary successfully underwent mass excision surgery to remove the infected and cancerous tissue. Since then, she has been healing well, with the pain and burning sensation greatly improved. She now requires skin graft surgery to properly cover and protect the affected area. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Mary receive treatment. On May 18th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to continue her journey toward recovery. Now, Mary needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Mary says, “I was so afraid the disease would keep spreading. Now I have hope again, and I pray this next surgery will help me heal completely and regain my strength.”

Deborah is a 27-year-old mother of two from Kenya. Her husband is a small-scale farmer, while she stays home to manage their household and care for their children. When Deborah was two years old, she lost her hearing. She had an ear infection, underwent treatment and surgeries, but her hearing was never restored. When she was seven years old, she received hearing aids donated by missionaries. Unfortunately, she misplaced one of the hearing aids and was never able to recover it. She relied on the remaining hearing aid throughout her primary school education. Over time, her only hearing aid stopped working, leaving her with profound hearing loss. Since then, Deborah has withdrawn from social interactions, often choosing to remain at home because communicating with others has become extremely difficult. She is unable to help her children as they begin learning and growing, something that deeply saddens her. On July 8th, Deborah will be fitted with hearing aids, and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is seeking assistance in raising $1,171. This will allow her to reconnect with her family, regain her independence, and improve her quality of life. Deborah says, "I can't help my son with his homework, and it breaks my heart to feel left out of my children's lives."

Jacob is a 52-year-old man from Kenya. Before the accident prevented him from working, Jacob earned a living through casual work and was the primary provider for his family. His wife is a homemaker, and together they have six children. On July 20th, Jacob was in an accident on his way to work. He was on a matatu that was involved in a head-on collision with a motorcycle. The accident left him with severe injuries, and he was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency care. Upon examination, doctors discovered that both of Jacob's legs had sustained fractures. Because of this, he has been unable to work, placing tremendous financial strain on his family. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On August 4th, Jacob will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation, that will enable him to recover and return to his family and continue providing for them. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. Jacob said, "I have always worked hard to provide for my family. My greatest prayer is to walk again, return to work, and continue caring for my wife and children."

Maurine is a 36-year-old widowed mother of two children. In 2022, she experienced a sudden and unexpected change that would alter her life. Without warning, she lost the ability to hear. At first, Maurine struggled to understand what was happening. Simple conversations became difficult, and communicating with her children was no longer easy. She could not hear when they spoke to her, and responding to their needs became increasingly challenging. In December 2022, she went to AIC Kijabe Hospital for a medical review. After assessment, the doctors recommended hearing aids to help her regain the ability to hear and communicate. A well-wisher paid for one hearing aid, which made communication easier, including with her children. Sadly, in 2025, the hearing aid stopped working. Gradually, Maurine began withdrawing from those close to her. She works as a house help, but her hearing loss also began to affect her ability to earn a living. In January this year, she returned to the hospital, where she was advised to obtain new hearing aids, but the cost was far beyond what she could afford. Still hoping for a solution, she returned to hospital in August, hoping she would find help. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping her find treatment. On Sept 9th, Maurine will be fitted with hearing aids. For Maurine, this would mean much more than the ability to hear sounds again. It would mean being able to communicate with her children. It would mean understanding her employer, and it would mean reconnecting with family and friends, regaining her confidence, and no longer living in isolation. Now, Maurine needs help to fund this $1,171 procedure. She says: “I wish to hear again, so I can communicate more confidently with my family and friends."

George is a 10-year-old boy from Kenya who enjoys playing and learning new things. His mother is a casual worker who earns a small and irregular income from activities such as selling fruits. Her income is often barely enough to meet the family’s basic needs. George was born unable to perceive sound, which has made it difficult for him to make friends and participate in school. He has learned to lip read to communicate, but the limitations have left him feeling isolated in the classroom when the teacher addresses him but he cannot understand what is being asked of him. Doctors have recommended that George be fitted with hearing aids. They would give him an opportunity to improve his ability to access sound and communication, participate more meaningfully in school, interact with his peers, and communicate more easily with his mother and those around him. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. George is scheduled to be fitted with hearing aids on October 2nd, and he and his family need your help raising $1,171 in order to fund the devices. Hearing aids could help restore George's confidence and give him renewed hope for his education and future. "The hope of one day hearing my son call me ‘Mom’ has been restored,” George’s mother shared.

Gabriel is a six-year-old boy from Kenya who enjoys playing and learning new things. His father is a construction worker, but his income is not always steady, and there are times when it is difficult for him to provide even the basic needs of the family. His mother is a homemaker and depends on her husband’s income to support the household. Gabriel has struggled with his hearing since birth and has not been able to develop speech like other kids his age. His parents first became concerned when they noticed that he did not respond whenever they called his name. As Gabriel grew older, his difficulties became more noticeable, especially when he started school. He struggled to understand his teachers and could not communicate easily with his classmates. While other children followed lessons, interacted with one another, and participated in classroom activities, Gabriel found himself struggling to understand what was being taught. Doctors have recommended hearing aids to help him access sound and support the development of the communication skills he has been missing. For his family, this brought new hope that Gabriel could finally have an opportunity to hear and communicate with the people around him. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. Gabriel is scheduled to be fitted with hearing aids on October 2nd. He and his family need your help in raising $1,171 to fund the devices and his care. Hearing aids could help Gabriel build confidence and reduce the isolation he has experienced for much of his young life. "Seeing my son isolate himself from others pains me deeply. I just want him to hear, communicate, and interact with other children,” Gabriel’s dad shared.

13-year-old Tracy's dream is to be an accountant. Her learning, however, has been marked by challenges beyond her control. She was born with hearing impairment and lived the initial years of her life unable to make out sounds. When she turned five, her mother got concerned and took her to the hospital for medical attention. The medical team recommended fitting of hearing aids, but unfortunately, Tracy's mother, who raises her on her own and earns a modest income working in a salon, could not afford the cost of the hearing aids. She turned to family, friends and well-wishers who helped raise enough funds, and at six years old, Tracy had hearing aids fitted. The treatment marked a turning point in her life. Tracy was able to return to school and, although she had fallen behind her peers, she began making remarkable progress. For the first time, Tracy could hear her mother calling her and respond appropriately. She could also hear her teachers instead of relying solely on lip-reading to follow lessons. More importantly, she gained the ability to interact, communicate and build friendships with other children, giving her a renewed sense of belonging and confidence. Over the years, doctors observed encouraging progress in her development and communication. In January this year, however, Tracy began experiencing complications with her hearing aids. They gradually stopped functioning properly and sometimes produced excessive noise, making it difficult for her to hear and communicate. This setback significantly affected her education, making her miss school and once again experience the isolation she had overcome. Earlier this month, her mother brought her back to AIC Kijabe Hospital for further assessment. Following an examination, the doctors established that her hearing aids had failed and that she urgently required a new pair. Unfortunately, her mother remains unable to meet the cost due to her limited financial resources. Presently, Tracy is struggling to keep up with her peers academically and socially. The loss of her hearing aids has once again placed barriers between her and the world she had begun to experience so fully. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Tracy receive treatment. On October 30th, Tracy is scheduled to have new hearing aids fitted, so she could regain her ability to hear, learn, communicate and interact confidently with those around her. Now, Tracy's family needs help to fund this $1,171 procedure. Tracy says: "Since my hearing aids stopped working, I have been unable to attend school, which has made me fall behind my peers."

Mercy is a 22-year-old woman from Kenya. Her educational journey and social life have been significantly disrupted by progressive hearing loss. Her challenges began in 2023, while she was in Form Three in secondary school, when she suddenly lost hearing in her right ear. From that point onwards, she struggled to follow classroom discussions, understand her teachers, and participate fully in her studies. By the time she joined Form Four, her condition had considerably affected her academic performance. She found it increasingly difficult to comprehend lessons and interact with her classmates. Unfortunately, she also experienced stigma and social isolation because her peers did not understand her condition. This affected her confidence and emotional well-being, causing her to withdraw from friendships and social activities. Consequently, she performed poorly in her final examinations and had to repeat them, falling behind her peers. In 2024, Mercy sought medical attention, and doctors recommended hearing aids to improve her hearing. However, her family could not afford the devices due to their difficult financial circumstances. Her father has been paralysed since 2011, leaving her mother as the sole provider for their family of five children. Her mother relies on casual farming, which provides only a limited and unreliable income to meet the family's basic needs. Despite these challenges, Mercy remained determined to pursue her education. However, her hearing condition continued to deteriorate, eventually affecting her left ear as well. She struggled to hear and understand her lecturers during lessons, making it increasingly difficult to keep up with her coursework and academic requirements. By her second year, her academic performance had declined significantly, and the challenges of communicating and interacting with fellow students became overwhelming. As a result, she made the difficult decision to defer her studies and has been out of school since July 2026. In November 2026, Mercy visited our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital. On November 11th, she will be fitted with hearing aids, which will help her improve her ability to hear, communicate, participate in social activities, and, most importantly, resume her education. She needs help raising $1,171 to help fund the cost. “Being left behind by my peers academically and struggling to make friends because of my hearing condition has been very painful,” Mercy shared.