Baraka is an 18-month-old boy from Tanzania and the only child in his family. Baraka is a Swahili name that means "blessings." When Baraka was born, he was indeed a blessing to his parents, who had wanted a child since they were married. At birth, Baraka's mother noticed that her son was experiencing unusual symptoms. He was diagnosed with hypospadias, an abnormal condition in a sensitive area. This condition causes Baraka difficulty urinating and can lead to complications later in life. Baraka will undergo corrective surgery on January 25. Baraka's parents work on a small farm in a rural village, and they cannot afford treatment. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $837 for the surgery.

Ceasar is a wife and mother of two children. Her husband works as a driver. Her family lives in a house owned by their church minister. For five years, Ceasar has been experiencing irregular menstruation, headaches, body weakness, and leg cramps. These symptoms prevent her from working. She never sought treatment because she could not afford it. Fortunately, Ceasar is a member of one of our medical partner's sponsored communities. She underwent an ultrasound and was diagnosed with adenomyosis, an overgrowth of endometrial tissue in the uterus. On February 20, Ceasar will undergo a hysterectomy to remove her uterus. Our medical partner is requesting $187 to fund her treatment. The surgery will alleviate her symptoms and improve her quality of life. "I am overjoyed for the help you have extended on my condition. I am looking forward to the day after the treatment that I will no longer experience heavy bleeding, and I will be healed. I am excited to be fully recovered and help my husband in sustaining the needs of our children and for their brighter future," she says.

Meet Stephen, a 78-year-old farmer living in rural Uganda. In his free time, Stephen enjoys telling stories to his grandchildren. He loves to watch the youngsters play around the family compound, sing, and dance. Stephen’s grandchildren are orphaned, so he works to support them. To earn money, Stephen grows maize, beans, and coffee. Unfortunately, a recent medical problem affected Stephen’s ability to carry out manual labor. He had a femoral hernia. In other words, tissue from his bowel pushed through his stomach wall and into his upper leg. Over the past four years, the hernia grew acutely painful. On December 2, Stephen underwent hernia repair surgery in order to relieve his discomfort and to prevent possibly fatal complications. However, his financial resources are already stretched thin. He needs our help to raise $229 for his operation, tests, and five-day hospital stay. Stephen looks forward to returning home after recovery. “I thank the people that will be donating to my surgery,” he shares. “This will help reduce the pain, and once that is done, I can get back to helping my family and supporting my community.”

Bunheng is nine years old and in the second grade. He has one older sister and two older brothers. He likes to play games and read books in his free time. One year ago, Bunheng developed adenoid hypertroph, an unusual growth in his tonsil that causes obstruction of his nasal airways. He was treated in a private clinic, but his symptoms did not improve. It became difficult for Bunheng to breathe. He could not sleep well at night, which caused him difficulty in school. He was also losing weight. When Bunheng's parents learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), the family traveled for seven hours to seek treatment. On December 12, surgeons at CSC performed an adenoidectomy to remove the growth and allow Bunheng to breathe easily again. CSC is requesting $221 to fund this procedure. "After I heal," says Bunheng, "I hope that I can breathe easily and sleep well at night."

Meet John, a three-year-old boy from the Philippines. John lives with his parents and siblings in house made of bamboo. They source water from a deep well. His mother is a housewife. John loves to play basketball with his older brothers. John has been diagnosed with moderately acute malnutrition. He began $184 malnutrition treatment on October 20. He 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. "I hope that John recovers from malnutrition and finishes school someday," says his mother.

Kamal is a 12-year-old boy who lives with his parents and three siblings in Nepal. He studies in grade four. Kamal's father works in India to support the family back home, while his mother is responsible for grazing the cattle and looking after the children. Kamal was returning from school to home when he slipped and injured his right hand. His elbow got dislocated and his hand has swollen and has been in pain. He has been missing school and needs help with his basic everyday activities. $195 will cover the costs of the x-ray, cast, and physiotherapy Kamal needs for his hand to heal well. Let's help raise the funds! "I want to go back home and play with my little brother once my hand heals," says Kamal.