“Sifa is a happy and friendly nine-year-old girl,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “Sifa is the first-born in a family of four children. She is in class three and likes Swahili, geography, and history subjects. While at school, she enjoys playing rede, a local ball game, and is actively involved with Sunday school choir.” Sifa, who lives in Tanzania, has enlarged tonsils and adenoids (the lymphatic tissue near the nasal cavity). Both issues combined, Sifa has trouble breathing normally, as AMHF explains, “She mostly breathes through her mouth and cannot sleep peacefully through the night.” “Sifa’s parents are livestock keepers and they also do a little bit of farming,” AMHF says. “Their income is not enough to cover the cost of their basic needs as well as pay for the operation that Sifa needs.” For $488, Sifa will undergo an adenoidectomy to remove her adenoids. AMHF explains that this operation will allow Sifa to breathe through her nose easier, while also helping her sleep better at night. “I will be happy not to snore at night and, during the day, be able to breathe silently like other children,” Sifa shares.

“Jose loves to play with plastic balls and little cars passed down to him from his older siblings,” shares our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK). “He is 12-months-old, and is the youngest of three children. His father is a coffee farmer, but has not had a job for several months due to drought.” A young Guatemalan boy, Jose was diagnosed with acute malnutrition, commonly known as stunting. Stunting is the most common form of growth failure in children in Guatemala. This condition has long-term health effects, including a weakened immune system and delayed brain development. Children who are malnourished often miss important developmental milestones and have a low IQ. If left untreated, Jose will later be at risk for developing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. WK explains, “When we visited him in his home our team recorded that his height and weight was well below the average for his age, and he was suffering from a cough and chronic diarrhea. His energy level was low, and his diarrhea was preventing him from gaining weight or absorbing the nutrients he needs to develop normally.” For $512, Jose will receive treatment for acute malnutrition. Treatment includes growth monitoring, micronutrient food supplementation, and medication to treat his respiratory infection. Treatment also includes intensive nutritional education for his parents, which will benefit both Jose and his siblings’ health. WK tells us that following treatment, “He will recover from his cough, and his diarrhea will subside. His energy will increase, and he will have the capacity to learn and eventually succeed in school.” Jose’s mother shares, “It is so hard sometimes to give them what I know they need. We are poor, we are trying our best, and sometimes it is not enough. Thank you for wanting to help us.”

“Stephen is almost four years old now,” our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), tells us. “When he was nine months old, his parents noticed that his right testicle had not dropped. During the usual clinical reviews, his mother alerted the doctor, who assured her that it would drop with time. It’s now three years down the line and it has not yet dropped.” Stephen lives with his parents in a two-room house in Kenya. “Stephen’s parents are casual farmers who have a quarter of an acre farm,” AMHF says. “The little they earn only caters for their daily needs.” An orchidopexy for Stephen costs $540 and “will reduce the risk of testicular torsion, developing a hernia, and infertility in the future,” AMHF explains. “I want what is best for my little boy,” Stephen’s mother explains. “Finances are hard to get and the little we are able to raise is spent on our daily needs.” This holiday season, let’s help Stephen get healthy!

“My child is so small and I now understand that it is due to his nutrition. I want to know what I can do to help my son because I do not want to have a sick child that is growing poorly,” says the mother of Juan, a 19-month-old baby from Guatemala. According to our medical partner Wuqu’ Kawoq (WK), “Juan is the youngest of 9 children. Juan loves to play with his sister Alma and brother Oscar. Together they play with little toy cars and a plastic ball.” Juan is acutely malnourished and his immune system is weak, which WK believes “is mainly due to lack of education.” WK says, “Juan’s family constantly struggles financially to afford food and clothing for every family member, and as a result the oldest children work instead of attending school.” In addition to Juan’s symptoms of frequent illness and below-average height and weight, WK says, “Insufficient intake due to food insecurity, and excessive output due to parasitic disease, have prevented this little boy from absorbing the nutrients necessary to grow developmentally. Without intervention, this will then affect Juan’s ability to build a strong immune system…his capacity to concentrate and do well in school will be limited, therefore causing declined economic productivity in long term.” For $512, Juan can receive treatment for his acute malnutrition. Children enrolled in WK’s recuperative nutrition program receive several months of intensive intervention, which includes an evaluation for thyroid disease, anemia, and intestinal infections and weekly monitoring visits to the home by doctors. Juan will also receive food supplements to reintroduce essential micronutrients into his diet. To prevent the issue from recurring, WK will enroll Juan’s parents in an intensive nutrition course. “In this program his parents will receive intensive nutrition education that will give the skills to purchase nutrient dense food options and prepare healthier meals,” says WK. “Over time he will be able to recoup the weight and height he has lost, and catch up to his more healthy peers. He will avoid the detrimental long-term affects of malnutrition.”

“Chab began having recurrent ear discharge and hearing loss when he was five years old,” says our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre, (CSC). At 23 years old, Chab’s chronic ear issues have persisted, causing him to experience tinnitus (ringing in the ear), ear pain, and hearing loss. “It is difficult for me to communicate with other people,” Chab explains. Without intervention, Chab’s condition will continue—possibly leading to permanent ear damage. So far Chab’s condition has led to a perforated eardrum in each ear. For $598, Chab will receive a bilateral myringoplasty—providing him with a long-term medical solution. During the operation, the perforation in each of Chab’s ears will be closed and the damaged parts restructured. “A myringoplasty surgery on each side will treat Chab's ears,” CSC states. “The drainage will stop and his hearing will improve.” Chab, who is currently studying at a beauty school, hopes to work in a salon. He spends his free time learning about makeup and reading. The aspiring hairdresser lives with his parents and four siblings in Cambodia. Eager to continue his studies, Chab shares, “I hope the ear discharge will stop and I will have good hearing. In the future, I want to be a hairdresser.”

Two-year-old Gwaruga is a smiling little boy from Tanzania. He was born on January 1st, 2013 and will soon celebrate his third birthday. He was born with unilateral clubfoot, and uses the lateral aspect of his right foot when walking. He is in pain and his gait is affected. If left untreated, he may develop osteoarthritis. “Gwaruga’s mother is the second wife to her husband who has two wives and a total of fifteen children,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “Gwaruga is very active and enjoys playing with all sorts of toys and tins. He also likes to play with mud making different shapes out of mud. He likes to hum when playing.” Gwaruga’s parents are small scale farmers and rely on growing and selling maize and peanuts. With so many dependents, Gwaruga’s parents have not been able to come up with enough money to cover the cost of treatment which their son needs. For $1,160, Gwaruga will receive treatment that includes surgery, casting, rehabilitation, and physiotherapy. After completing treatment, “Gwaruga’s right foot will be straight allowing him to walk on plantigrade,” says AMHF. “I will be happy to see my son able to walk properly like my other children,” his father says.