86-year-old Sofiti lives in Malawi with his wife. Together, they have five children and ten grandchildren. Their children manage the day-to-day responsibilities of their farm. Sofiti handles the simpler tasks and plays with his grandchildren. For the past two years, Sofiti has experienced urinary dysfunction. This has left him feeling weak and unable to work as he once did. He has been diagnosed with an enlarged prostate gland. With the help of our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, Sofiti is scheduled for surgery on February 15 to correct his condition. Watsi is asking for $733 to fund the procedure. Your donation will help pay for the surgeon's fees, the anesthesiologist, theater time, medication, and 17 nights stay in the hospital. Once this procedure is done, Sofiti can go back to living a normal, healthy life.

Jeevan is a four-year-old boy from Nepal. He lives with his parents and siblings. His father runs a tea shop, and his mother looks after the family's cattle and children. Jeevan was playing with his friends when he fell and fractured his hand. Since his accident, his hand has swelled, and he is in a lot of pain. Jeevan's grandfather took him to our medical partner's care center, Bayalpata Hospital. On February 22, Jeevan will undergo surgery to correct his fracture. Our medical partner, Possible, is asking for $541 to cover the cost of Jeevan's surgery, medications, hospital fees, and supplies. Jeevan's grandfather is looking forward to Jeevan feeling better!

Brenda is a nine-month-old baby girl from Guatemala. She lives with her parents and three older siblings. On Sundays, her family enjoys being together and attending mass. Brenda's favorite foods are hard boiled eggs and bananas. Brenda was recently diagnosed with malnutrition. On February 16, Brenda will begin treatment at our medical partner's care center, Clinic Tecpán. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is asking for $437 to cover the costs of nutrient and food supplementation. This will also pay for an education program that will teach her mother how to create a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. "I am very happy, because I hope that through the program, my daughter will be able to improve her development," says Brenda's mother.

Jerelen is a three-year-old girl from the Philippines. She lives with her family in a small house made of bamboo and palm leaves. Jerelen's father is a salesman at the mall, and her mother stays home to care for the family. Jerelen loves to play with friends, sing, and take photos. Jerelen has been diagnosed with moderately acute malnutrition. Fortunately, on February 20, Jerelen will begin $184 malnutrition treatment. Jerelen will be 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 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.

Jessica lives with her family near Lake Atitlan in rural Guatemala. Her father works as a day laborer, and her mother takes care of their home. Jessica has been diagnosed with severe stunting, which means that she has a low height measurement for her age. She has malnutrition, and her body lacks the protein, calories, and nutrients it needs to grow and support her. Our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq, will start treatment for Jessica on February 20. She will be given micronutrient supplements, and her growth will be monitored. Community health workers will visit her family's home and teach Jessica's parents how to prepare nutrient-rich meals for their daughter. Jessica's parents wish to see their daughter recover, but with limited financial resources, they cannot afford to pay for her treatment. Wuqu' Kawoq is requesting $437 to cover the costs of Jessica's treatment program. Jessica's parents say that they "dream for their daughter to grow up well and study when she is older."

Meet Abner, a four-year-old boy from Guatemala. Abner lives in a one room house with a tin roof. He is the youngest of three children. His mother takes care of Abner, cooks, cleans, and provides for the family. Unfortunately, they cannot afford to give Abner high-calorie and high-protein foods such as eggs and buy nutritious fruits. Abner's dad works as a messenger, but he only gets paid when there is work to do. Abner's family are often left without an income sometimes for days at a time. Abner was diagnosed with acute malnutrition. He is below the average height and the average weight for his age. He is currently 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 Abner 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 Abner of a parasitic infection, and nutrition education for his parents. With these combined efforts, Abner will recoup his weight and height and strengthen his immune system, laying the foundation for a healthier future. "I am very worried about my son because he is not gaining weight," Abner's mother shares. "We have fought for him, but we haven't gotten any results. Nevertheless, we are hopeful."

Lim is a 62-year-old Cambodian man with an active social life. In his free time, he enjoys talking with his neighbors and listening to the news on the radio. Recently, Lim has been dealing with several eye-related issues. He has cataracts, or clouded lenses, in both eyes, which gives him blurry vision. And his right eye has developed a pterygium, or non-cancerous growth, further impeding his sight. The pterygium also causes him burning in his right eye. Combined, these visual impairments cause Lim frequent discomfort, and make it hard for him to do his work as a rice farmer. Lim’s family depends on his income from farming to meet their daily needs. He and his wife have two sons, four daughters, and five grandchildren. Because of the money it takes to support this family, Lim cannot afford the surgery he needs to fix his eye conditions. But we can help. With our funding of $225, Lim will receive surgery to remove his cataracts and simultaneously treat the pterygium. This funding will also cover his post-operative stay in the hospital as he recovers from his operation. After surgery, Lim’s vision will improve, and he won’t have to deal with the irritation he feels in his right eye. Let’s help make it possible!

Votey is a 14-month-old girl with one brother. She enjoys playing with her brother and with her dolls. Votey traveled two hours with her mother to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. Votey was born with a deformity of her left hand and both her feet. She has a constriction band of the second, third, and fourth fingers on her left hand, of three toes on her right foot, and of four toes on her left foot. Constriction band syndrome occurs in the womb, and is when the baby becomes entangled in amniotic bands. It leads to the restriction of blood flow and can affect the baby's physical development. Her diagnosis is a congenital abnormality that can be corrected with surgery. Surgeons will perform syndactyly repair surgery to release the constriction bands and improve the appearance and functionality of her hand and feet. The treatment will cost $321 and will allow Votey to grow and develop normally.

Kihunde is 25 years old, and a single mother of one child living in Uganda. Her two-year-old baby girl was delivered by cesarean section (C-section) because the baby was too big for a natural delivery. Kihunde is now pregnant again. She has to deliver by C-section because of her previous scar, but she is unable to pay for her surgery. She is not yet in labor but she has pain on the incision. If Kihunde does not have the surgery, she may suffer a ruptured uterus. Currently she is not working anywhere but she is looking for a job. Her father passed on and her mother doesn’t have money to support her. Kihunde is living with her grandmother who is supporting her almost in everything. The elective C-section will cost $270, and will allow Kihunde to deliver her baby ensuring the safety of herself and her newborn. After completing school, Kihunde started a certificate course in journalism. She dropped out of the course due to a lack of funds, and started working with Gold FM Radio as a volunteer. When she became pregnant with her first child, Kihunde stopped working at the radio station. After surgery and recovery, she plans to continue looking for a job so that she can be able to support herself.

Toeur is a 21-year-old student in grade five. He has four sisters, one brother, and is the youngest child in his family. Toeur enjoys watching TV, listening to Khmer pop songs, and playing with his friends at school. Toeur was in a moto accident on April 15th that caused a left distal femur fracture. He was treated only by a traditional healer in his village, and he can't walk and is in great pain. Toeur traveled three hours with his father to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. "I hope the doctors can help my son walk again," Toeur's father shares. Surgeons at CSC will perform an open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) procedure to treat the fracture. The surgery will realign the bones into a normal position. The treatment will cost $405, and covers the cost of check-up appointments and five days in the hospital along with surgery. Once he heals, Toeur will be able to walk again.

“Jairo’s older siblings love to play with him. They let him run around through their soccer matches, and tie him to their backs when they climb the peach trees in their front yard," says our medical partner, Wuqu' Kawoq (WK). An adorable one-year-old boy from Guatemala, Jairo is the youngest of six siblings and according to his mother, “a surprise gift from God.” As six years separate him from the second youngest child, Jairo is definitely the baby of the family. Unfortunately, he suffers from acute malnutrition – a condition marked by a below average weight and height for his age. “Jairo has chronic diarrhea and his family has no access to clean water," says WK. "Without any intervention he will be at risk of the long-term effects of malnutrition.” For a kid who loves to play outside and “is obsessed with cats, chickens, and cows” – all of which inhabit his front yard – this diagnosis is particularly distressing. If his condition goes untreated, WK shares, “He will start to miss developmental milestones. His energy will decline, and he will be unable to develop to his full mental potential, thus limiting his ability to concentrate and go far in school. His immune system will weaken, putting him at risk for infections, such as pneumonia, and later in life he will be at higher risk for chronic illness such as diabetes and hypertension.” Though Jairo’s father works as a corn farmer and “his older siblings help support the family by weaving beautiful blouses or working on the corn farm,” the family is unable to afford his treatment. $535 in funding, however, can fully treat Jairo’s acute malnutrition and guarantee him a healthy future – providing food supplementation, nutritional support and medication. “His treatment will supply supplemental nutrition to physically bolster Jairo’s capability to recoup his weight and height, as well as intensive nutrition education for his parents. The education will give Jairo’s parents the tools they need to continue providing nutrition to their children even after Jairo’s treatment is complete,” explains WK. When asked what she most enjoys doing with her little brother, Jairo’s sister responds, “Squeezing him, and telling him stories.” She also thinks he’ll grow up one day to be a great doctor and dad. Let’s help Jairo reach his full mental and physical potential and continue to spend quality time with his family!

Meet Khamt, a 16-year-old boy from Burma. When Khamt entered ninth grade he came down with a fever and fatigue, so his mother took him to the closest private clinic, six hours away. "At the clinic, they learned that he had a heart problem and needed to go to Rangoon for treatment," says our medical partner Burma Border Projects (BBP). "Since his family lacked the financial resources required to get him treatment, they were not able to pursue further care." Even though Khamt continues to experience fatigue, labored breathing, and a poor appetite due to his ventricular septal defect, he still attends school. "He strongly desires to complete school and attend a university to become a public worker," BBP explains. "He thoroughly enjoys studying economics and is also intrigued by the idea of medic training." However, his mother worries that he may not be able to reach these goals with his current condition. "She fears for his prognosis and worries about the possibility of his health declining," BBP says. For $1,500, we can fund Khamt's heart treatment so he can regain his health. "Khamt says the idea of surgery does not scare him and that he would love to be able to play sports with his classmates and friends," BBP tells us. "He hopes that surgery will allow him to be more active and live life to the fullest."