Yeng is a grandmother of eighteen from Cambodia. She has five sons, one daughter, and enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio in her free time. One year ago, Yeng developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her headaches and vision loss. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Yeng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On July 8, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $211 procedure. She says, "I hope that I will be able to rejoin the ceremonies at the pagoda, as well as recognize my relatives' faces and help to take care of my grandchildren."

Rany is a 46-year-old farmer from Cambodia. She is married and has one daughter and three sons. She enjoys spending time with her children and cooking for her family. When Rany was 10 years old, she developed an ear infection that caused her eardrum to perforate. Despite having been treated previously for this condition, Rany's symptoms persisted. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), has recommended a myringoplasty. Surgeons will repair the tear by patching it with transplanted living tissue. Rany is scheduled to undergo surgery on January 6. CSC is requesting $399 in funding for this procedure. The myringoplasty will alleviate many of Rany's symptoms, including ear discharge and hearing loss. She will be able to hear better and enjoy her conversations with her family.

Duncan is a university student living in rural Uganda. He enjoys playing soccer and listening to music. One night last April, on his way from his university to his hostel, men with iron bars hit Duncan and robbed him of his possessions. Duncan was left helpless and unconscious on the side of the road. He was found in the middle of the night and rushed to a nearby clinic. After he regained his consciousness, he learned that he had fractured his left humerus bone. He was taken to local bone setter, but his fracture never healed. Fortunately, Duncan visited our medical partner's care center, Bwindi Community Hospital. He is scheduled to undergo fracture repair treatment on December 3. Duncan contributed a co-pay of $4, but he needs help to raise an additional $133. After surgery, Duncan is looking forward to going back to school, completing his studies, and re-joining the university soccer team. “I am grateful for the support," shares Duncan. "May God continue to bless the donors to be able to help other people in need.”

Sumaya is a student and an expectant mother from Uganda. In 2014, she delivered her first child through an emergency C-section. At the age of 24, Sumaya is pregnant with her second child. Due to her previous C-section, her doctors expect complications with this birth. Thus, her pregnancy is considered high-risk. She will check into the hospital on December 20, where doctors will provide care and monitor her situation as she gives birth. Our medical partner, the Kellermann Foundation, is asking for $241 to help fund this treatment. Sumaya aspires to be both a loving mother and to continue her studies to provide a better future for her child. “I wish to thank the people that are supporting me to have a safe birth," she says.

Byamukama is an ambitious 23-year-old man who just completed his journalism degree. He has one sibling, and his mother owns a small retail shop. Unfortunately, Byamukama has been living with a hernia in his right groin since 2005. A hernia occurs when an organ pushes through a weakened muscle or tissue. The pain has caused him difficulty walking and even standing. In 2016, Byamukama learned about Watsi, and he decided to visit our medical partner's care center, Holy Family Virika Hospital. He is scheduled to undergo a repair surgery on December 21. The surgery will not only improve his quality of life, but also help to prevent further damage and blockage to his intestine. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund Byamukama's hernia repair procedure.

Prize is a 17-year-old young woman who lives in a rural village in Uganda. She and her aunt are farmers who grow maize, groundnuts, and potatoes. She enjoys praising God, listening to radio programs, and watching netball at the primary school in her village. Prize is pregnant. Recently, she visited our medical partner's care center, Bwindi Community Hospital. Unfortunately, an ultrasound revealed that her umbilical cord was wrapped around her baby’s neck. Her doctors consider her pregnancy to be high-risk, and they recommend that she receive medical attention before, during, and after labor to ensure a safe delivery. On December 3, Prize will begin to receive supplements and attend antenatal checkups and health education classes. She will deliver her baby in the hospital, and her baby will be examined by a midwife. After birth, Prize and her baby will be monitored by the hospital staff. Prize's family is co-paying $8 of her treatment cost, but they need help to raise an additional $241. After she delivers safely, she hopes to nurse her baby and send him or her to school. “I thank the donors for supporting my hospital delivery," says Prize. "How I wish that many mothers who can’t afford hospital deliveries or even prenatal clinics could be supported. May God bless the donors."

Bildad is a 24-year-old man from Kenya. He lives in a rental house with his wife and child. Bildad's younger siblings are in school, and he helps to pay their school fees. He earns a living selling khat plant in his village, while his wife works as a laundress. In early December, Bildad fell from a moving vehicle and fractured his mandible. He was brought to our medical partner's hospital, AIC Kijabe Hospital, to receive first aid and undergo an x-ray. On December 16, he underwent an open reduction internal fixation procedure to mend his jaw. This treatment lowered his risk of continuing pain or other complications. Bildad cannot afford healthcare, so he needs our help to fund this $640 treatment. “I want to be well and continue providing for my family," he shares.

Glorious is a young mother from Uganda that is expecting her second baby. To avoid obstetric complications and to deliver safely, she will need a C-section because her pregnancy is past term, and because she has a fresh C-section scar from April 2015. Glorious and her husband, Pascal, come from a village about 56 kilometers from the Bwindi Hospital. They are subsistence farmers growing Irish potatoes, maize, and beans. During her free time, Glorious weaves mats which she sells to earn some income and also exchanges some for food products in the local market. Glorious also finds joy in seeing her first child grow and play at home. If she produces a boy she would like to name him Akanyijuka (which means God remembered me) and if the baby is a girl, Ayebare (I am grateful to God). $258 will make sure that Glorious undergoes a successful c-section surgery. She is subsidizing $8 of the surgical cost. “I do not have money for a c-section and that is why I have taken long with this pregnancy even though I was told that it is past term," explains Glorious. "I wish to thank all the people supporting my care to have a safe delivery. May God bless you.”

Three weeks ago, three-year-old Stuart, a little boy from Uganda, fell and broke his lower leg while his mother, Aida, was working in the fields. She took him to local healers because she couldn’t afford to go to the hospital, and they did some cutting on his leg to relieve the swelling, but it did not help. When Stuart started to get feverish, Aida thought he might have malaria so she took him to the local health center where he was given medication for malaria, but that didn’t help either. When her cousin came to visit he saw that it was very serious and encouraged Aida to take him to the hospital, where Aida learned that Stuart had fractured his leg. Stuart is one of six children to Aida and Benon, both of whom are small farmers. Benon is gone a lot so Aida does most of the farming to grow food for her family. On her own land she grows potatoes, maize, cassava, and beans. She also works for others to earn extra cash for household items like soap and cooking oil. When he is feeling good, Stuart enjoys running and playing with his brothers and sisters and tries to help his mother by washing the utensils. His favorite foods are rice and beans and goat. Their family needs $138 to fund Stuart's treatment. Stuart will be hospitalized for several days before his leg is set while the swelling reduces and the doctors check his fracture to make sure there is no other infection. Then, once the leg is set and healed, the swelling will subside and Stuart will be able to return to running around and playing with his siblings. Aida would like to say “webare” (thank you) to all those who are helping her. “I didn’t know there was a program like Watsi to help me. I am very grateful,” she shares.

A resident of Uganda, Munyakazi is 86 years old and father to four children. For more than a decade, Munyakazi has been dealing with two hernias, a condition that arises when internal tissue pushes out through a weak spot in the abdominal wall. Over ten years ago, Munyakazi developed a swelling in the upper part of his abdominal area, followed by another swelling in his left groin region. The hernias cause Munyakazi pain, especially when he exerts himself physically. This makes it impossible for him to do many of the tasks associated with his livelihood, farming. Hernias also carry the risk of developing life-threatening complications, such as incarceration, when part of the intestine becomes cut off from circulation and undergoes tissue death. Doctors at the government hospital where Munyakazi was diagnosed with hernias advised him to undergo hernia repair surgery. Although he cannot afford to pay for this operation himself, we can help him by raising $220. This funding will cover the cost of repairing both of Munyakazi’s hernias, as well as his medications, lab tests, and 14-day hospital stay. After surgery, Munyakazi hopes to live without the daily pain he is experiencing now. He also hopes to be able to do little work around his house, such as sweeping and weeding his compound. Let's help make it possible.

Meet Eva, a 31-year-old expecting mother who is very excited to be pregnant. She has no children yet and lives with her parents and husband in a mountainous community in Guatemala. Like many other women in the community, she does odd jobs for her neighbors for work. Unfortunately, about a month ago, she spiked a high fever and began to have severe hemorrhaging, indicating a possible placental separation. This is a potentially life-threatening situation for both Eva and the fetus. Two years ago, the same thing happened, and she ended up losing her baby. It was a very difficult process for her, and it has been hard for her to move forward with this recent pregnancy complication. When these life-threatening symptoms returned, she and the family put together all their money, so she could go to a private doctor. The doctor simply prescribed her medications she could not afford to buy, and told her to rest. Eva has had to quit her job in order to be able to stay in bed, and her family no longer has the money to pay for more medical care. Her midwife referred her to Watsi's medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, so she could have the pregnancy monitored and to prepare Eva for travel to the hospital if her condition worsens. This $377 treatment will allow Eva to get a full diagnostic workup for her condition. Once our medical team has a better idea of what has been causing her hemorrhage, we can ensure she receives treatment to prevent another miscarriage, and keep both her and her unborn child alive and well. Eva shares, "I am very appreciative for the help that I will receive. A few weeks ago, I began to feel my baby move and I am so happy. I know that I need medical care; I just don't have the resources at this time." Our support will allow Eva and her family to bring a healthy baby into the world.

“We long for the day when Alex is healthy. We hope he grows up to be healthy and intelligent,” shares Alex’s parents. Meet Alex, a 10-month-old infant from Guatemala. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us, “Alex lives with his family in a rural mountainous community in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. Alex's mother works weaving traditional maya blouses and his father works in the fields harvesting and cultivating corn, a job that does not provide a stable income to the family. Although both of his parents want the best for him, they often don't make more than $2 per day, which makes it impossible to give him even one fruit, vegetable, or egg every day,” Alex was diagnosed with acute malnutrition. “Alex is below the average height and the average weight for his age,” WK reports, ”He currently is not consuming enough calories and enough quality foods. As a result his physical growth is stunted, and we worry his mental growth will be stunted as well.” As a result of food insecurity and marginalization, indigenous Guatemalan villages have the highest rates of stunting in the world. In addition to growth stunting, malnutrition can lead to lower IQ, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. $512 will fund the treatment Alex needs to address his nutritional deficit and improve his low energy and subsequent limited mental potential. This involves micronutrient and food supplementation, deworming medication to rid Alex of a parasitic infection, and nutrition education for his parents. With these combined efforts, Alex will recoup his weight and height and strengthen his immune system, laying the foundation for a healthier future.