Yohana is a baby from Tanzania. He is an active, cute, and happy baby. He is two months old. He lives in a family of three people. His mother is a small-scale farmer with one acre of land who cultivates maize and beans. His father is a security guard. Yohana has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, Yohana traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on January 2. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Yohana's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk and wear shoes when he grows up. Yohana’s mother says, “I am positive that Yohana will be healed after receiving treatment, and I will take him to school when he grows up and fulfill his dreams that he will be having in his life.”

Dibora is a 14-year-old girl from Ethiopa. She is one of 10 children, and her parents work as farmers to support their large family. Dibora was born with anorectal malformation, a birth defect in which the anus and the rectum do not develop properly. As a result, Dibora cannot make stool and urine in a normal way. Furthermore, Dibora has had to drop out of school several times and is now many grade levels behind her peers. She has faced discrimination from other students and community members because of her medical condition, which has been very psychologically taxing. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to fund corrective surgery for Dibora. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 11 and, once completed, will hopefully allow Dibora to live more comfortably and confidently. Dibora's father says “I lost all hope and the money I had after we returned home for the third time without a treatment. All these years, Dibora has been without treatment, facing so many social and psychological problems. I couldn’t bear to see her situation and I tried to find someone who can help us in my hometown and in other towns. I found this organization who told me about the service you are providing and they brought me here.”

Melisa is a two-year-old living in Tanzania with her mother, father, and two siblings. She is currently in nursery school and loves to sing and play with her friends. Melissa's mother works as a tailor, and her father works in construction. When Melissa turned one and began to take her first steps, her mother noticed that her legs were bent at an odd angle. Her parents took her to the local hospital for medical attention, where she was diagnosed with genu varus. Genu varus is a congenital musculoskeletal condition in which the knees angle towards one another and touch when the legs are straightened. If left untreated, the condition can cause pain and result in difficultly walking. Doctors have suggested that Melisa undergo surgery to correct her condition so that her legs grow and develop normally. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $835 to fund her operation, which will be performed on August 18. Melisa's family is concerned about her condition but hopeful that with treatment she will have a bright future.

Pyin is a 42-year-old Burmese woman from Mandalay Division in Burma. She is married with four children. After experiencing high fever and swelling in 2016, Pyin was diagnosed with a disorder of her heart's mitral valve, the valve that separates the upper and lower left chambers. She needs surgery to fix her condition. On July 10, surgeons will replace her mitral valve, allowing it to close properly and preventing blood from leaking through. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, requests $1,500 for Pyin's medical care. Pyin hopes for a speedy recovery, saying, "I hope to be able to return to work soon, so that I can support my family. I want to be a good mother for my children."

Bwe is a six-year-old boy who lives with his family in Mae La Refugee Camp in Thailand. His family has lived in the camp since leaving their home in Karen State, Burma twelve years ago. Bwe’s father sometimes works as a day laborer in the cornfields outside of the camp, and his mother stays at home. When Bwe was an infant, he was diagnosed with thalassemia, a blood disorder. Bwe has to visit the clinic often, and he is underweight and pale. His frequent hospital visits have disrupted his schooling. This past month, his condition has worsened and he now needs surgery. On August 21, surgeons will operate on Bwe's spleen to help alleviate some of his symptoms. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, requests $1,500 for his treatment. Bwe looks forward to growing up healthy, saying, "I want to be a soldier or a pilot when I grow up." His mother adds, “I want to fulfill his dream. That would make me happy.”

Srim is a 65-year-old woman from Cambodia. In her free time, she likes to listen to the monks pray at the pagoda. About two years ago, Srim developed a pterygium, or a growth on the outer eye's clear tissue, in each of her eyes. Srim's condition has caused her to experience blurred vision, tearing, itchiness, irritation, and headaches. It is difficult for her to see things clearly and go anywhere by herself. Srim traveled for three hours with her nephew to reach our medical partner, Children's Surgical Center (CSC), for treatment. CSC is requesting $201 to cover the cost of eye surgery for Srim. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 20 and, once the pterygium from each eye is removed, will hopefully help Srim to see clearly and live more comfortably.

Akumu is a 40-year-old woman from Uganda. She and her husband support their family through farming, cultivating enough food to feed themselves, and selling the rest. The couple use the money they make from selling their produce to support the education of their seven children. Two years ago, Akumu developed a swelling in the left lumbar region. She visited the hospital and was diagnosed with a lipoma, which is an excess growth of cells that can sometimes press against a nerve and cause significant discomfort. She tried to treat the condition with home remedies, but her pain continued to worsen, making it impossible for her to lift heavy objects or lay on her side. After visiting our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, doctors recommended that Akumu have the mass removed. If left untreated Akumu's pain will continue to increase. Akumu is scheduled to undergo surgery to remove the lipoma on May 17. She is requesting $196 to cover the total cost of her operation. Akumu is excited to have the mass removed so that she can resume farming and caring for her large and loving family.

Musana is a 30-year-old married man and father of two children from Uganda. He works as a motorcycle taxi driver. About five years ago, Musana began to feel pain in his left inguinal region around his stomach. He started to use herbs, which made the swelling disappear for about two years. Unfortunately, it later came back. Musana visited a government hospital, where he was diagnosed with a hernia and was scheduled for surgery twice. Unfortunately, each time, Musana was not given any attention and was told to come back on a different date. If left untreated, Musana will be at risk of experiencing hernia strangulation. On some days, he does not earn any money because the pain from the swelling prevents him from riding his motorcycle. Finally, he was advised to come to our medical partner's care center to have the surgery done. Musana is now scheduled to undergo surgery on April 19 to repair the hernia. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to cover the costs of the operation. Musana says, “I am requesting help for surgery so that I can continue working hard to support my family.” After the surgery, Musana hopes to continue with his work as a motorcycle taxi driver and also plans to do some farming.

Inday is a two-year-old girl. She loves to sing, dance, and play with other children. She lives with her parents and four siblings in a small house made of concrete and wood. Their water comes from a manual water pump. Her father works hard as a driver. Inday has been diagnosed with moderately acute malnutrition. Malnutrition threatens her growth and development and could even be fatal if not addressed. Fortunately, she will begin $184 malnutrition treatment on February 24. Inday 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. Inday's mother says, "I hope my daughter will finish her studies, get a degree she likes, and be active in the church."

Namnyaki is a 24-year-old woman who works as a housekeeper to support her family. Since birth, Namnyaki has had a large benign mass on her neck. The mass is painful, uncomfortable to the touch, and has been increasing in size. Namnyaki is worried about further discomfort from the enlarged mass. She sought treatment in the past, but these treatments were not successful in relieving her discomfort. On February 12, Namnyaki will undergo surgery to remove the entire mass from her neck. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is asking for $920 to fund the surgery. Namnyaki is excited to work without experiencing pain from the back of her neck. She says, "I hope that I will be able to live a life without worry. If this surgery is successful, I will be able to work harder in life."

Esther is an adorable 13-month-old girl with spina bifida, a swelling on her lower back. After Esther was born, a scan revealed that her brain contained excess fluid. One week later, doctors performed surgery to drain the fluid, but they did not treat her lower back. Having used her savings to fund the first operation, Esther's mother could not afford a spina bifida repair. However, without treatment, Esther risked further complications and infection. Fortunately, on November 4, 2016, Esther received a spina bifida closure surgery. Esther lives with her mother and grandmother in a three-room house in the eastern region of Kenya. Her mother, a single mother, earns her living doing laundry. She cannot afford this $1,097 procedure. “This is an answered prayer," says Esther's mother. "I am touched by the love and kindness I have had from every person I meet. I will appreciate your help as we focus on Esther’s surgical care."

Lazaro is a one-month-old boy. He is the second child in his family. The family lives in Tanzania, where his parents raise livestock. When he was born, his mother noticed that his feet were turned inwards. His family took him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed him with congenital talipes equinovarus, more commonly known as bilateral clubfoot. Clubfoot is a musculoskeletal malformation present from birth, in which one or both feet bend inward due to shortened tendons. If left untreated, this condition will make walking quite difficult for Lazaro throughout his life. Fortunately, Lazaro will undergo corrective surgery on January 17. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1160 to fund Lazaro's care. "I hope that my child will be treated and then be able to straighten his legs," says Lazaro's mother.