Kyigambo is a 4 year old from Uganda. Her parents operate a small scale retail shop earning very little profit. Since birth, Kyigambo has had an umbilical hernia. She feels pain when she is playing, coughing and after eating. Fortunately, on December 31st, she will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Kyigambo's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. Kyagambo’s father says, “I hope my child will get better after her surgery and believe she is brilliant enough to study hard for a brighter future.”

Constance is a nursery school teacher from Uganda. She has a neck disfigurement that affects her sleeping and causes headaches and swallowing problems. She has struggled with this condition for the past four years. She has tried managing the condition with medication. Constance was reviewed by our surgeon and diagnosed with goitre. She requires a thyroidectomy to correct the condition and was referred to Watsi for funding since she lacks finances to meet the cost of surgery. Constance is the firstborn child in her family and still supports her younger children through her nursery school teaching job. With limited income and numerous demand for money, she is not able to raise the funds needed. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Constance receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 22nd at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $240, and she and her family need help raising money. Constance says, ‘I hope all will be back to normal after my surgery.”

Tugumisirize is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is married with seven children, with the youngest still home and doesn’t know whether she will make it to continue with education due to lack of money in their family. Though she is married, Tugumisirize lacks social support from her husband as he went to a faraway place. Since 2015, Tugumisirize began to experience troubling symptoms, including loss of weight, neck pain and chest pain. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Tugumisirize receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy at our medical partner's care center. This procedure will cost $240, and she and her family need help raising money. Tugumisirize says, “I hope to get a better quality of life after surgery to I continue with faming and if I work I will support the education of my child beyond primary level.”

Rachel is a very social and talkative six-year-old from Tanzania. She has not had the chance to join school yet but her grandmother plans to enroll her next year. She is the first born child to her mother who had two children and is currently being raised by her grandmother for the past few years. Her grandmother had to take Rachel and raise her since their mother would spend her money on alcohol and would leave both children at home for hours without food or anyone to look after them. Rachel was diagnosed with genu varus. bilateral bowing of the femur. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Rachel has difficulty walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Rachel. The procedure is scheduled to take place on November 14th. Treatment will hopefully restore Rachel's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Rachel’s grandmother says, “Please help treat her, her mother has abandoned her and I can’t afford the treatment cost."

Ashley is a baby from Kenya. Ashley’s father is employed casually in a company in the Coastal region of Kenya. Her mother on the other hand is a full-time mom. Ashley lives with her parents and elder sister in a two-room house with an income that barely sustains their needs. Ashley underwent a colostomy, in which the end of the colon is brought through an opening in the abdominal wall. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may call for closure. In Ashley's case, her colostomy requires closure in order to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $619 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Ashley. The surgery is scheduled to take place on October 29th and, once completed, will hopefully allow her to live more comfortably and confidently. “The journey has been long and tedious, but hopefully we will make it through soon,” says Ashley’s mother.