Agnes is a 10-month-old girl from the Philippines. She has three sisters, and she loves to play. Her father works as a tricycle driver. Agnes has been diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition. She began $268 malnutrition treatment on October 21. She is being treated by International Care Ministries (ICM), a Watsi medical partner. One out of five children under five 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 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.

Meet Gloria, a three-year-old girl from Uganda who is one of six children. "When she is feeling good, Gloria likes to sing and play with others in the village," shares our medical partner, The Kellermann Foundation. Gloria's severe malnutrition and respiratory infection cause her to feel tired and weak. In addition, she also has a severe case of edema—a condition characterized by fluid build-up in the tissues of the body—resulting in swelling and discomfort. In Uganda, 14% of children under age five are underweight and 33% of children under age five are stunting—a condition marked by one's "height for age" value falling below the fifth percentile on a growth curve. Although Uganda has made strong economic progress in the last decade, food security continues to be a challenge for nearly a third of all households. “Gloria is very uncomfortable and irritable,” explains our medical partner. “She needs nutritional help to prevent the long term impacts of malnutrition such as stunting and cognitive impairment. Her mother and father will also need to receive nutritional counseling so they know how to prepare healthy meals at home.” $350 will fund the nutritional help that Gloria needs. Gloria’s parents, Sylvan and Buzare, are farmers who grow millet, beans, cassava, and potatoes. “I am looking forward to going home and planting seeds to grow nutritious food for my family,” Gloria’s father says. “Thank you so much for the help.”

Ofelia is a sociable 61-year-old woman from the Philippines. Our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM), shares, “Since all of her kids are already married, she devotes her time helping in the tasks in their local church.” Three years ago, Ofelia experienced sudden weight loss and was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. This condition is caused by the overproduction of a hormone in the thyroid. According to ICM, “She experiences sore throat, choking sensation and palpitations often thus affecting her daily activities and her ministry in their church.” Ofelia has undergone treatments in 2013 and 2014. However, her physician has now advised her to undergo a thyroidectomy—a surgery to remove the thyroid gland. Unfortunately, Ofelia and her husband cannot afford this treatment, as Ofelia does not work and her husband only earns $70 a month—barely enough for their daily expenses. ICM continues, “Her children also can't help with her surgery because they, too, have financial difficulties.” For $525, we can help fund Ofelia’s thyroid surgery, providing medication and a three-day hospital stay as well. The surgery will help correct her hormonal imbalance and eliminate the symptoms and discomfort Ofelia is currently experiencing. “She is very excited to undergo surgery so that she can continue to serve in their local church and sing without any difficulty,” adds ICM. “I’m always praying that there could be somebody who could help me with my surgery. It would be a great help if you could be God’s instrument to answer my prayer,” shares Ofelia.