Alinda is a baby from Uganda. He has been diagnosed with an inguinal scrotal hernia. He needs to undergo corrective surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund Alinda's surgery. On June 12, he will undergo hernis surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Alinda will no longer be at risk of complications. His mother says, "After surgery my son will no longer have pain.’’

Ikiriza is a farmer from Uganda. He is married with six children, and all are in school. Both he and the wife are small-scale farmers. For six months, Ikiriza has had an inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him pain and discomfort and if not treated, the hernia may result in intestinal tissue damage. Fortunately, on September 18, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Ikiriza's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Ikiriza says, “I look forward to being relieved of this after surgery as I continue with farming for the care of my family.”

Esther is a 24-year-old woman from Uganda. She is a farmer who grows cassava, beans, groundnuts, potatoes, millet, and bananas. Her husband, Ventra, builds houses. They live in a village ten kilometers from our medical partner's hospital, Bwindi Community Hospital. Their two children are in school. Both of Esther's children were delivered via C-section. When she became pregnant with a third child, her doctors advised her to undergo another C-section to ensure a safe delivery. Esther plans to check into the hospital on January 2, where she will deliver her baby. She needs $333 to fund this procedure. During her free time, Esther weaves baskets and mats, sings in her church, plays with her children, and visits her relatives. She looks forward to a safe delivery. In the future, she plans to support her children’s education. “I am so grateful to the donors for loving and caring for me through paying for my safe delivery," says Esther.

Sokhon is 69 years old and is married with five sons, one daughter, and five grandchildren. She enjoys visiting the pagoda to listen to the monks pray. She traveled three hours with her daughter to reach Children's Surgical Centre. Sokhon has entropion of both eyes. This causes her eyelids to turn inward so that her eyelashes scrape the surface of her eyes. She experiences blurred vision, irritation, tearing, and it is hard to open and close her eyes. She can't see everything clearly, do work well, or travel alone. A lid correction surgery will make it easier for Sokhon to open and close her eyes, and the tearing will stop. $290 pays for the surgery as well as three days of hospital care, eye drops and ointments, medicine to reduce pain and prevent infection, and pre- and post-operative consultations. "I hope my eyelids can open easily without my eyelashes touching my cornea," shares Sokhon. "[Then] I can see everything more clearly and easily go anywhere outside."

Mobimba is the oldest in a family of seven children from Tanzania. He was born in 2001, and is 15 years old. Mobimba has severe bilateral clubfoot -- he is walking by using the lateral aspect of his feet, and he is unable to wear shoes. His condition has severely affected his gait. Due to the condition of his feet, Mobimba has not been able to go to school like his siblings. The school is too far away and when he walks for a long time, he feels pain on his legs. Despite his condition, Mobimba enjoys playing soccer. He also herds a few of his father’s goats. Mobimba’s parents are small scale farmers, and they also keep a few goats. With a large family to look after, children to take to school; coming up with the funds to cover the cost of Mobimba’s operation has been difficult. $1160 will fund the treatment Mobimba needs, including surgery, casting, and long-term rehabilitation. Treatment will allow him to return to school, and walk normally for the first time. “I will be happy to go to school like my friends,” Mobimba said.

Night is a 40-year-old pregnant woman from Uganda who developed a swelling in her left groin area four years ago. When she went to a clinic, Night was told it was a hernia and she was given an injection, and told that the hernia would disappear - but it did not. In August 2015, Night visited another clinic and was again diagnosed with a hernia. Since then, Night has not gone to the hospital because of lack of money. Although there is treatment available, Night is not able to afford the $220 that a hernia repair would cost. Night has pain, feels weak, and she is unable to bend to either dig or do laundry. When asked what makes her happy in life, she said, “I like praying and I get strength and courage in life from meeting with fellow Christians in prayer. When I share with them my challenges in life, they counsel me and I go back home feeling better.” Night is married and a mother of seven. She is a farmer and her husband has no job. After surgery, Night hopes to regain her strength and resume digging. She plans to specialize in producing and selling tomatoes so that she can get money to support her family. A hernia repair will lead to an improved quality of life for Night. She will be free from the pain and risk of strangulation. After surgery, Night will be able to take care of her family.

“My wish is for him to be able to walk properly, get educated and live a comfortable and better life,” says Kelvin’s father. Say hello to Kelvin, an energetic six-year-old boy from Tanzania who loves learning to read and write. He also enjoys running around and playing hide-and-seek with his friends, although his condition may hinder his ability to do so in the future. Kelvin has a bilateral clubfoot, a condition that causes his feet to turn inward and can lead to early osteoarthritis. His father also has the same condition and wants his son to enjoy a better quality of life as he grows. Kelvin’s parents are small-scale farmers and cannot afford to pay for treatment. For $1,160, Kelvin will receive the treatment necessary for him be able to walk properly and develop normally without the risk of early osteoarthritis.

Meet Laurie, a sweet 15-year-old from Haiti. She lives on an island off the coast of the mainland with her parents and several younger siblings. She's in the eighth grade, and loves playing with her classmates at school. Unfortunately, Laurie is living with a heart condition called patent ductus arteriosus, where a hole in the heart which normally closes after birth remains open. As a result, not all of the blood that circulates through her body passes through her lungs to obtain oxygen, and she is frequently out of breath and fatigued. Without surgery, this condition could be fatal. Because she lives on a remote island off of Haiti, her family cannot afford both the travel and the treatment for Laurie. This is where we come in! For $1,500, Laurie will receive surgery to repair the hole in her heart and allow her to live a long and healthy life. "I am excited to have surgery because I don't like being tired all the time and want to be normal like all of my classmates," Laurie says. Let's help Laurie regain her energy, her time spent with friends and family, and her health!

Meet Margaret, a 48-year-old wife and mother from Kenya. She and her husband have a small business where they sell basic goods to their neighbors and friends. About six months ago, Margaret began experiencing lower abdominal pain and bleeding. After trying to receive help from local doctors, she learned she has cervical cancer which could easily spread to other organs, and has made it impossible for her to work and socialize with friends. For $885, we can give Margaret a life-saving surgery, a radical hysterectomy, to stop the cancer from spreading and alleviate the pain and heavy bleeding. Margaret says she is looking forward to getting the medical treatment she needs to save her life, so let's make sure we can give it to her!