Ampaire is an 18-month-old boy and the oldest child of his single mother. Six months ago, he developed a painful swelling in his left groin region. He was taken to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with a left inguinal scrotal hernia. His doctors recommended surgery, but his mother could not afford treatment. Without treatment, hernias can lead to continued pain, infertility, organ strangulation, and other complications. Fortunately, Ampaire and his mother visited our medical partner's care center, Holy Family Virika Hospital. On December 7, he is scheduled to undergo a repair surgery, during which doctors will move Ampaire's organs back inside the intestinal wall, relieving his symptoms. For $249, we can fund this procedure. “I am stressed and worried because my baby is sick, and I don’t have money to pay for his treatment.” says his mother. Let's help her and Ampaire!

Kahunde is a six-year-old girl from Uganda. She is the second child in her family, and she attends primary school. Her father works as a carpenter. Kahunde has lived with a swelling on her abdomen since birth. Three months ago, the swelling grew painful. Eating became difficult, so Kahunde lost weight. Kahunde and her mother visited our medical partner's care center, Holy Family Virika Hospital, where she was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia. In other words, part of Kahunde's intestine was protruding through the abdominal muscles around her naval. Her doctors recommended surgery, but her mother could not afford the cost of treatment. "I am worried about her health," said Kahunde's mother. Kahunde's mother was relieved to learn that Watsi could fund her daughter's treatment. On December 7, Kahunde underwent a hernia repair surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund this procedure. Kahunde's parents hope that she will recover from surgery and regain her strength.

Ilsi is a three-year-old girl from Guatemala. Her family cannot afford to give her a nutritious diet, so she is not gaining weight or growing as she should. She has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. She has little energy to grow, and her immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. She is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, Ilsi began malnutrition treatment on December 19, 2016. Ilsi lives with her five-year-old sister, mother, and extended family in an adobe house. She loves to play dolls with her older sister. Ilsi's father passed away last year, so her mother supports the family by washing clothes. She needs help to fund this $512 treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Ilsi recover. She will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age, and her immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach her mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Ilsi a chance to grow healthy and strong. "Sometimes I don't know what to do for her because I don't have the resources to give her what she needs so she can get better and grow well," says Ilsi's mother. "I want my daughter to grow and study so she can graduate and become a teacher."

Angela is a 20-month-old child living with her parents in a small bamboo house in the Philippines. Angela's father is a farmer, and he earns only a small income. Angela's diet is not adequately nutritious. She was diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition by a health trainer from our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). ICM recommended she join the Home-Based Feeding program to help her fight against malnutrition. On October 17, 2016, Angela began malnutrition treatment. One of five children under five years of age in ICM communities is either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get the additional food to regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child as malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM's professional staff educate the mother, guardian or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, and organic vegetable gardening. The total cost of the support and resources is $268, and her family needs financial assistance. Following her treatment, Angela will resume normal child development, and her family will have the support needed to maintain a nutritious diet. "I hope she will recover from malnutrition and have good health," shares Angela's mother.

Keyli is the youngest of three kids, and she lives with her siblings and parents in a one-room house made of tar and tin in Guatemala. Her mother works at home, cooking and cleaning, and her father works as a day laborer, only receiving a about three dollars for every day he works. This means that expensive formula is out of reach for their family—even though they realize that this is a life-saving treatment. Keyli is two weeks old and is in danger of acute malnutrition if she does not receive treatment. Her mother has been evaluated by our medical team, and cannot produce breastmilk, leaving her without any option but to give her daughter sugar water to make her stop crying. Lactation failure can lead to the child becoming starving, dehydrated, and provoke electrolyte imbalances that can cause seizures. Brain development occurring during this delicate time is compromised and the baby is at risk of long term damage. Lactation failure, while dangerous, is easy to treat. By supplying the baby with formula and the mother with health education, Keyli will receive the calories she needs to grow and thrive. One-on-one education with Keyli’s mother will prepare her for when she needs to start eating solid food, as well as help her watch for further signs of malnutrition and other illness. Keyli’s immune system will strengthen and she will grow up to be a healthy energetic baby. "I feel really sad that my daughter is going to get sick and lose weight. I want to see my daughter grow well so she can go to school and graduate as a nurse so she can help other people," Keyli's mother shared. "I appreciate the help that my daughter is going to receive from you all."

Gerald is a four-year-old boy from Uganda who is living with from malnutrition. He has an oedema (or excess fluid retention), fevers, symptoms of respiratory distress, and is very lethargic. Gerald lives with his parents, Pascasia and Medard, and four brothers and sisters in a village about 50 km away from the hospital. His mother traveled on motorcycle taxi to bring him to the hospital. Gerald is not in school yet, but will be attending next year. At home, he enjoys playing and dancing with the other children in the village. He also enjoys making things out of mud and sticks and playing soccer. His mother and father are small farmers and grow their own vegetables and tea and sell the tea for extra money. When she has leisure time, Pascasia enjoys nothing more than talking with her children. Gerald needs inpatient treatment for his malnutrition, which includes therapeutic food and antibiotics. This treatment will cost his $316. Gerald's family needs financial assistance to pay for this treatment. After the treatment, Gerald will be able to play with his brothers and sisters again. “I could see that Gerald was not feeling well and playing like he normally does," his mother shared. "So when the other women in the village told me he could be treated at the hospital, I was very grateful. I want to take good care of him and learn what he needs to eat. Thank you very much for the help."

Mayvelin is eleven-months-old, but she weighs as much as a healthy four-month old. She is so underweight because she is suffering from malnutrition, a condition that results from a diet lacking in protein, calories, and essential vitamins. Since her body is not getting the fuel it needs, her immune system is weak. She is unable to fight off sicknesses that healthy children can get over quickly, resulting in frequent fevers and sickness. If she does not receive treatment, she could face long-term consequences such as a low IQ, behavioral problems, or increased risk of chronic diseases as an adult. Mayvelin lives with her parents and five older brothers. They live in a house that they are borrowing from family members because they cannot afford to pay for one of their own. Mayvelin does not have any toys, but her older siblings blow up a plastic bag and tie it to make a ball for her to play with. Her father works as a day laborer, making just over three dollars per day, and her mother works at home taking care of Mayvelin and her five siblings. Together, they cannot afford to give her even just one egg, fruit, or vegetable per day. Growth monitoring, micronutrients and food supplementation will help Mayvelin recover from malnutrition. All of this treatment and medication costs $512. She will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age. Her immune system will grow stronger with the increased caloric intake. This will further increase her appetite and help her use the extra calories to develop mentally instead of those calories being wasted on getting over frequent bouts of diarrhea. Her mother will receive the support she needs to feel empowered to give Mayvelin the diet she needs to grow and develop healthily, even with their limited resources. Intervention now will prevent the future devastating effects of malnutrition, and give Mayvelin the chance to live a healthy and productive life, finish school, get a good job, and escape the cycle of malnutrition and poverty that made her sick in the first place. Mayvelin's mother said, "I got worried when I was told that my daughter wasn't growing well, especially because she also always gets sick. I want to see my daughter better so she can grow well. I want to see her go to school and study and graduate and become a teacher. Thank you for this support."