"I have pain that deprives me from my happiness," shares 55-year-old Tigaita. Three years ago, Tigaita developed a painful swelling in her lower abdomen. She also experienced backaches and stomachaches, and she became unable to bend, do laundry, or dig. She visited a hospital, where she was diagnosed with an incisional sub-umbilical hernia and was advised to have surgery. Tigaita knew she could not afford healthcare, so she returned home. Finally, she visited our medical partner's care center, Holy Family Virika Hospital. She underwent a hernia repair surgery on November 9. Tigaita and her husband work as farmers and have ten children. They cannot afford her treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 in funding, which covers all medical expenses and three nights in the hospital. After recovery, Tigaita hopes to continue farming to support her children's education. Tigaita is extremely grateful to Watsi donors. She participated in a ten-day prayer intention, during which she prayed for God's blessing upon everyone who gives support.

Sorphea is a 26-year-old factory worker who has three brothers and three sisters. She likes to work, do housework, and go out with friends. When she was a child, Sorphea developed an ear infection. The infection spread to both ears and perforated the tympanic membrane in each. She experiences ear discharge and hearing loss, and she hears ringing and buzzing in her ears. Sorphea's condition makes her unhappy and makes it difficult for her to hear at work. Fortunately, Sorphea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) from a relative. On November 3, 2016, CSC surgeons performed a myringoplasty in each ear to repair the perforated tympanic membrane and stop the ear discharge and pain. Over time, Sorphea's hearing will improve. Now, she needs help to fund this $831 procedure. "I hope the ear discharge will stop and I will have good hearing," says Sorphea. Sorphea's aunt, who accompanied her to surgery, adds, "I hope that after the operation, my niece's ear discharge will stop, and she will have good hearing and good health."

Noem is an 80-year-old woman from Cambodia. She is married with two sons, one daughter, and ten grandchildren. She likes to go to the pagoda to listen to monks pray. Noem heard about the Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), a Watsi medical partner, from a neighbor who had surgery there before. She traveled for three hours with her daughter to reach CSC for treatment. Noem developed a cataract in each eye about one year ago. This has caused blurred vision, cloudy lenses, and tearing. It is difficult for her to see things clearly and go places on her own. A phacoemulsification procedure, to break up and remove the cataracts, and an intraocular lens (IOL) implant in each eye will allow Noem to see clearly again. $292 will cover the costs of the surgery and care Noem needs. Noem says, "I hope I can see everything more clear than now so that I can easily go to ceremonies and the pagoda or anywhere else outside."

“We hope that our son can study and one day become a teacher,” shares the mother of 6-month-old Kevin. Kevin lives with his older brother and parents in a one-room cinderblock house in Guatemala. His mother works at home, cooking, cleaning, and taking care of Kevin and his brother. His father works as an assistant bricklayer, building houses and churches in nearby communities. Although Kevin’s parents want the best for their son, they do not have the resources to feed him even one vegetable, piece of fruit, or egg—the minimum that he needs to be able to overcome malnutrition. Kevin's mother noticed that her son is not growing well and is underweight, but did not realize that she was supposed to start feeding her son complementary foods. Subsequently, his current diet lacks protein, calories, and nutrients. If he does not receive treatment, Kevin could face the consequences of malnutrition for the rest of his life—he could have a low IQ, trouble focusing in school, and a greater risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension as an adult. All these consequences make it less likely he will have a well-paying job as an adult, meaning the cycle of poverty and malnutrition would continue if he decides to have kids. Growth monitoring, micronutrient and food supplementation, and deworming medication will help Kevin recover from malnutrition. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age. His immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. This will further increase his appetite and help him use the extra calories to gain motor skills and learn new words instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent illnesses. In addition to Kevin's treatment, his mother will receive the support she need to feel empowered to give Kevin the diet he needs to grow and develop healthily, even with limited resources. Intervention now will give Kevin the chance to live a healthy and productive life and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made him sick in the first place.