Kiiza is married and a father of five children: two boys and three girls. His children are in school. Kiiza and his wife are farmers, and they cultivate food for home consumption and sell the surplus. He is working hard with his wife to get school fees paid for their children. In May of this year, he started experiencing pain after working or walking for long distances. He has been diagnosed with a right inguinal hernia and was advised to have surgery, but he has no funds to pay for himself. Fortunately, we can help by raising $249. He is scheduled to undergo surgery on August 9. Kiiza says, “After surgery, I will continue with farming as it is a source of food for my family.”

Since she was five years old, Sas has been dealing with the painful aftermath of a serious ear infection. Sas is a married 30-year-old woman from Cambodia who has two sons and farms to make ends meet. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), explains that her childhood ear infection "caused hearing loss, a perforated tympanic membrane, discharge, and pain. The infection developed into a cholesteatoma and she still experiences these symptoms." A cholesteatoma is an abnormal skin growth in the middle ear which causes unpleasant symptoms like the ones Sas is experiencing. Removing it requires surgery, which Sas cannot afford. "I am unhappy that I have daily ear pain and it is difficult to communicate with other people. Sometimes I can't do anything because of the pain," Sas says. In hopes of receiving care, Sas traveled for five hours with her mother to reach CSC for surgery. With our help and $809, Sas will receive surgery to remove the growth and treat the underlying ear infection. As a result of this surgery, CSC says, "her pain and discharge will stop and over time her hearing can improve."

Dennis is a 23-year-old father to one son. He is a hardworking man and a loving husband to his wife. Dennis and his family live in a small bamboo house in the Philippines. His wife stays at home with their son while he works as a contractual laborer, making about $80 a month. Three years ago, Dennis felt pain in his inguinal area but did not have any consultation because of financial issues. The pain worsened while he was working as a laborer because he was lifting heavy objects at work. Dennis was unable to stop working as his income was the only financial means for his family. Dennis verbalized that he wants to be a reliable provider for his family and now that he is already a father, his first priority is their welfare, even though it means sacrificing his own comforts. Dennis really desires to give his best to provide the needs of their family. Dennis was screened at International Care Ministries, one of Watsi's medical partners. He underwent a series of tests and was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia. The doctor strongly suggested that he undergo an emergency operation because Dennis' condition is getting worse. However, Dennis and his family cannot afford the treatment because Dennis' income is only enough for their daily needs. $1,437 will fund Dennis' hernia repair. After the surgery, he is looking forward to seeking a more stable job and to spend time with his family. "I did not expect that my condition would be given attention," shared Dennis. "Now that I have my own family, they are my number one priority and I thought I would have this condition forever. A fellow father may know how I feel. I am thankful that there are still people who are willing to help me. Thank you so much, it means a lot."

Iker is a playful, 10-month-old baby boy who lives with his parents and older brother in an adobe house in Guatemala. Iker enjoys eating fruit, bananas being his favorite, and he eats eggs and beans whenever his parents can buy them. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), tells us that because of this limited access to the nutritious food he needs, Iker is living with malnutrition. "His height and weight are far below the average for his age, and he is lagging developmentally behind his peers.” Along with the lack of hearty and nutritional food, his condition is amplified by a gastrointestinal disease that has "prevented this little boy from absorbing the nutrients necessary to grow.” WK shares. “Without intervention, this will then affect Iker’s ability to build a strong immune system, thus increasing his susceptibility to other illnesses.” $512 pays for a thorough diagnostic work and treatment for Iker. A deworming medication will help his ability to absorb the micronutrient supplementation he will receive. "His immune system will strengthen, and his energy will increase," WK adds. "Over time, he will be able to recoup the weight and height he has lost, and catch up to his more healthy peers.” His family will also be paired with a nutritionist that will help plan meals and monitor his growth. “In this program, his mother will receive intensive nutrition education that will give her skills to purchase nutrient dense food options and prepare healthier meals." His mother shares: "Without this, I am not sure my little Iker would be able to get better.”