Oltumo is a nine-year-old boy from Tanzania and the third of five children. He is currently in first grade, and his parents are livestock keepers who depend entirely on their animals to support the family’s daily needs. Oltumo was born with clubfoot affecting his left foot. Since birth, the condition has made it difficult for him to walk comfortably, play with other children, and keep up with his classmates at school. As he grows, the condition continues to limit his mobility and independence. To correct the condition, Oltumo will undergo a series of corrective casts followed by an Achilles tendon lengthening procedure and the use of a night brace to maintain the correction. Clubfoot is a congenital condition in which the foot is twisted inward because the tendons and other soft tissues are tighter and shorter than normal. Without treatment, it can make walking painful and wearing shoes difficult. Fortunately, Oltumo's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Kafika House, where his treatment will begin on June 25th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,119 to fund Oltumo's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Oltumo has a strong chance of walking confidently and gaining greater independence. Oltumo's father shared, "With the right treatment, Oltumo can take confident steps toward a brighter and more independent future where he can walk without complaining of pain."

Hikma is a charming 20-month-old girl who lives with her parents and older brother in Ethiopia. Her parents were small-scale farmers until they were displaced due to war in their area. Now, her mother is a dedicated home maker, and her father works as a daily laborer. As with many other displaced families, it has been difficult for them to afford their daily necessities. Hikma was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital condition that can lead to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. However, the symptoms were not obvious until she was around one year old. Her mother was deeply distressed by what she observed and immediately informed Hikma’s grandmother, who then began seeking for medical assistance. To avoid social stigma, however, the family tried to keep Hikma’s condition private. Eventually, the grandmother came across a Catholic missionary organization, which connected the family with a field coordinator of our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre (BKMCM). With the support of relatives and the Catholic missionaries, Hikma's family raised funds to travel to Addis Ababa. Upon arrival at the hospital, doctors explained that Hikma would need a series of surgeries to eliminate bowel dysfunction. The family was relieved and encouraged to hear that Hikma could be helped. Presently, Hikma has already undergone the first surgery, a colostomy creation, and recovered well. Now, Hikma needs support for her second surgery, which will occur on April 20th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Hikma's procedure and care. After her recovery, Hikma will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Hikma’s mother said, “I would like to thank you sincerely for your support and the services you provided. Thank you again. I truly hope my child will grow up to be a wonderful woman.”

Michael is a 10-year-old student from Kenya. When his mother was pregnant with him, she went through a very hard time. She had married into a different tribe, and this brought her a lot of pain. “I was rejected because I was seen as a foreigner,” she said quietly. “This made my pregnancy very difficult. Then my only son was born with clubfoot, and life felt too heavy to bear.” Clubfoot is a condition where one or both feet turn inward, affecting the bones and muscles. Michael lived with this condition on both of his feet for almost ten years without treatment. As he grew older, walking became painful and tiring. “My feet are very sensitive,” Michael said. “I cannot walk without my slip-on shoes. I want to walk fast or even run, but I cannot.” Many times, he leaned on walls for support while watching other children walk and play freely. His mother's pain grew deeper when her in-laws rejected her and her husband, saying their child was cursed. Michael’s father supported them at that time. But after everything they went through, they stopped looking for treatment, and Michael grew up with the condition. Even so, they still hoped that one day things would change. In 2025, that hope came back when they moved to a new village. A neighbor told Michael's mom about CURE Children’s Hospital of Kenya. Fortunately, Michael traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. At the clinic, the doctors examined Michael and quickly scheduled him for surgery. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on March 25th. While Michael is scheduled for surgery, his family cannot afford it. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,286 to fund Michael's clubfoot repair. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily and attend school without disruptions. "I am looking forward to getting better so that I can continue with my studies and engage with my friends in playing football," Michael told us.

Jane is a 45-year-old woman from Kenya. She works as a domestic worker, washing clothes for others to support her family. Her husband is a construction worker, and they have three children together. In 2012, people began to notice that Jane could not hear well. She was diagnosed with hearing loss and advised to use hearing aids, but she could not afford them. Jane has learned to cope with her condition. She avoids public spaces and prefers to stay at home with her family, who understand and support her. In 2023, Jane visited our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, hoping to receive help, but when she discovered that she still could not afford the hearing aids, she returned home discouraged. Since then, she has largely kept to herself, praying for an opportunity to hear clearly again and live a normal life. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, can help. On January 14th, Jane will be fitted with hearing aids, and she needs help to raise $1,171. With this support, she hopes to be able to reconnect with her community and live a better life. Jane says, “I’ve lost so many friends. I always feel like a burden asking people to repeat themselves or speak louder so I can understand.”

Modester is 49 years old and a farmer from Malawi. She is married with five children aged 30, 22, 20, 19, and 12. In 2012, Modester began to experience troubling symptoms, including a painless swelling on the left side of her neck. She did not seek medical care until 2020 when the swelling grew, causing symptoms like breathlessness, weakness, neck pain, and difficulty climbing steps. Despite visiting several hospitals, she could not afford surgery or transport to larger facilities. Modester was referred to our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center, where she was diagnosed with a goiter, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Modester receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 17th, where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $1,015, and she and her family need help raising money. “The breathlessness has severely disrupted my daily activities. I look forward to your support so I can find relief and focus on farm work," Modester said.

Divyana is a cheerful eight-year-old boy from Ethiopia. He loves playing football and spending time with his friends and younger brother. He lives in Sekota, and they travelled approximately 870 kilometers to seek treatment, a journey that took three days. His mother is a dedicated housewife, while his father works as an agricultural officer in a government institution. Together, his parents work hard to support their family and meet their children’s needs. Divyana's mother discovered his condition at birth and was immediately overwhelmed with frustration and panic. Questions raced through her mind, she says, “What is wrong with him? Is it my fault? How can I help my child?” Fear and stress consumed her, but her instinct to protect him never wavered. She began seeking information about his condition, choosing not to share too much with him to safeguard his emotional well-being. To prevent potential teasing or stigma, she instructed him to isolate himself whenever he went to the bathroom, warning him that other children might ridicule him if they saw him. She repeated this often, worried about how his condition might affect his social life and learning, especially since hypospadias is uncommon in their community. Divyana frequently compared himself to his younger brother and asked his mother why he was different. These moments left her feeling helpless, with no answers, only tears. One day, while visiting a relative in Addis Ababa who was undergoing orthopedic treatment, Divyana ’s mother heard about several successful cases being treated at the facility. Curious and hopeful, she began asking questions, but without revealing her son’s condition. Eventually, she received the contact information for the field patient coordinator at our medical partner's care center, BethanyKids Myungsung Christian Medical Centre. Doctors confirmed that Divyana was born with hypospadias, a condition that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of future complications. Fortunately, Divyana is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on November 20th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,293 to cover the cost of his procedure and care. Divyana's mother said, "I wish my child were very healthy, and I am thrilled to get this opportunity."

Noh is a 48-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her son, daughter, and son-in-law in Karen State, Burma. Her entire family engages in subsistence farming. They also grow vegetables in a small garden and raise chickens and pigs for their own consumption. Additionally, they go fishing and forage for vegetables in the forest and sell them. Currently, Noh experiences discomfort and pain in her back, and it intensifies when she sits for an extended period. When she walks for a longer period, her back pain increases. This has also affected her appetite. Noh has been diagnosed with kidney stones, and doctors determined she should undergo a procedure called percutaneous nephrolithotomy, which removes kidney stones from the body when they cannot pass on their own. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to fund this procedure. The treatment is scheduled to take place on October 6th and, once completed, it will hopefully improve Noh's quality of life. Noh said, "I want to receive surgery and recover soon. I have been suffering from this condition for a long time. I do not want to continue to suffer anymore. I just want to be a healthy person, to be able to look after myself, work, and spend time with my family."

Selam is an active and cheerful little girl from Ethiopia. She shares a very close bond with her mother. As the first child in the family, her birth was a source of great joy, especially for her mother, who had always longed for a baby girl. Selam’s mother works tirelessly as a daily laborer, baking injera, washing clothes, and taking on any job she can find to provide for the household. Sadly, when Selam was only one year old, her father went missing due to the conflict in their area. To this day, the family does not know his whereabouts. Before his disappearance, he, too, worked as a daily laborer, supporting and feeding his family. Selam was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. She needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Selam is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct her condition on September 25th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Selam's procedure and care. After her recovery, Selam will be able to grow up more comfortably without further risk of developing health complications. Selam’s mother expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, saying, "I feel fortunate and hopeful that her daughter will grow up like other children. She added that she is committed to doing her very best to ensure a brighter and better future for her child."

Florence is a 41-year-old single mother of three from Malawi. She and her ex-husband separated in 2012. As he does not provide support, Florence works hard as a nanny to provide for herself and her children. Her sisters also help her with living costs. When Florence began experiencing worrisome symptoms four years ago, she visited a clinic where they perform cancer screenings and learned she was showing possible signs of cervical cancer. She has been undergoing their prescribed interventions, but when the concerns grew out of the clinic's scope of practice, she was referred to a gynecologist for further assessment. She visited our medical partner's care center, where she was diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN-3). Florence needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Fortunately, on April 4th, Florence will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Florence will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Florence contributed a co-pay toward her care, and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,363 to cover the cost of her procedure. Florence said, "I will be a very happy mother after regaining my good health, for I will be able to continue to support my children as a single mother because I am not ready to die and leave my children suffering."