Pendo is a five-month-old girl from Tanzania. She is the firstborn child in her family. Pendo and her mother live with her mother's father and brother while Pendo's father is away working. Pendo was born with spina bifida, a dangerous malformation of the spinal cord. She is also now beginning to develop hydrocephalus, a buildup of cranial fluid surrounding the brain. Her head is 30% larger than it should be. “Please help my daughter get better,” says Pendo’s mother. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,369 to fund Pendo's operations. She is scheduled to undergo surgery on May 15 at our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. After treatment, Pendo will be able grow and develop normally.

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."

Dee Mu is a 39-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her husband, parents, sister, and two sons, aged six-years-old and 7-months-old. Dee Mu works as a farmer with her husband and sister, harvesting beans and rice all year round. However, in her current condition, Dee Mu is not able to contribute to the farm work. She is currently living with uterine prolapse - a condition that causes her a great deal of pain and discomfort. She feels better when she is lying down, but she cannot participate in daily activities. Dee Mu’s quality of life has diminished greatly in recent months due to her prolapsed uterus. Dee Mu really wants to return to work because she is not able to contribute to the household income in her current condition. She stays at home cleaning and keeping house and taking care of the animals. For $1,500, Dee Mu can receive the treatment she needs to get healthy and return to work. In her free time, Dee Mu enjoys relaxing and napping in her home and growing vegetables on the side of her house. She wishes to be happy. "I want to feel better and after surgery I want to go back to work with my husband and sister on the farm," she said. "I want to send my children to school to be educated."

Meet Abubeker, a two-year-old boy from Ethiopia. Abubeker’s father is a newly employed teacher in a government school. “Abubeker was born with an abnormally placed urination hole," says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF), "As a result, Abubeker cannot pass urine normally. This condition puts Abubeker at risk of contracting urinary tract infections and infertility in the future." Abubeker's condition is known as hypospadias. For $1,155, we can fund an operation that will correct the abnormality. “Abubeker will have a straight penis with a urination hole at the tip. He will be able to pass urine normally and his risk of urinary tract infections and infertility in future will be minimized,” explains AMHF. Abubeker's father says, “I really pray and wish that in future, Abubeker will be an intelligent and educated professional.”

"Pyae Son first became aware he had a heart condition two years ago," says our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP). "He remembers supervising on a construction site and feeling overly tired. Since that day he says he experiences poor appetite, difficulty breathing and numbness in his chest." Pyae Son is a 27-year-old young man from Burma. He lives with his parents and grandfather. "He was enrolled at university but had to stop his studies one year ago in order to financially support his family," BBP tells us. Pyae Son was diagnosed with rheumatic heart disease, and needs surgery to correct his defect. "Pyae Son hopes to receive surgery shortly so he can contribute financially to his family once more," BBP says. "He stated he want a ‘stable and simple life.’ The only thing he desires is to live a life where he has energy; he no longer wants to live as a patient." $1500 will fund a complex cardiac treatment for Pyae Son. BBP expects that this will resolve the underlying condition and resolve his current symptoms, such as the inability to sleep, pain, and numbness. He will also be able to return to work and support his family.