Laurencia is a 9-year-old girl and the seventh born in a family of nine siblings. She is a student at the nearby primary school. Her parents are small-scale farmers who plant vegetables for sale and for the family's needs. Some of her siblings are in high school, so her father uses his small income to pay for their school fees and to provide for other family needs. They are from a semi-arid area which faces drought and most of their crops are sorghum and millet. There is a food and water shortage in the area, and they shared that bandits often attack them. Life has been quite challenging, but they have persevered. Laurencia came to AIC Kapsowar Hospital with a bandaged right arm. She had an x-ray from another facility, which showed that she had broken both the ulna and the radius after falling from a mango tree while harvesting mangoes. She is in pain and unable to use her hand. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On November 1st, Laurencia will undergo an open reduction and internal fixation surgical procedure to put the broken bones back in place. Her hand will be able to heal well and she will be able to use it again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $941 to fund this procedure. Laurencias’ father says, “This incident happened just when I was paying my other children's school fees. I am worried now that I cannot help my daughter when she is in need. Please help her so that she can be able to grow in a normal way.”

Jennifer is a hardworking farmer and a mother of three children. Her eldest has completed school, but the other two are still in school and require her assistance in paying school fees. To complement her income, Jennifer earns wages by working on other people's farms. She shared that her income is only sufficient to meet their family's daily needs. Five years ago, Jennifer began to experience troubling symptoms, including anterior neck swelling, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and headaches. She was diagnosed with nodular obstructing goitre. She had tried treating the condition with medication but her symptoms did not improve. When Jennifer was reviewed at Nyakabale Hospital, surgery was recommended but she is not able to pay the required amount. Jennifer needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse, and she appeals for help. Luckily, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Jennifer receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 21st at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Jennifer says “I have been in pain for quite a long time and I ask for your support to undergo surgery and regain my health. I will continue with farming to cater for my children."

Sok Nim is 14 years old and in the seventh grade. She has four brothers and one sister. She likes to read books, sleep, and watch TV. When Sok Nim was seven years old, she developed an ear infection. The infection caused her left tympanic membrane to perforate. Since then, she has experienced ear discharge, pain, buzzing in her ear, and hearing loss. Sok Nim used medication from a nearby pharmacy, but her symptoms did not improve. When Sok Nim's parents learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), the family traveled for eight hours to seek treatment. On December 21, ENT surgeons at CSC performed a myringoplasty surgery on Sok Nim's left ear to repair the perforated tympanic membrane and treat the infection. After recovery, Sok Nim's ear discharge and pain should stop. Over time, her hearing should improve. Now, her family needs help to pay for this $399 procedure. "I hope that I can go back to school with good hearing," says Sok Nim. "I want to become a teacher."

Meet Rim, a 75-year-old woman from Cambodia. “Rim is married with three sons, four daughters, and 15 grandchildren. She enjoys visiting the pagoda and listening to monks pray," shares our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Two years ago, Rim developed mature cataracts in each eye. A cataract occurs when a thin, cloudy layer forms over the eye’s lens. "This causes her blurred vision, discharge, tearing, and fear of bright lights. It is hard for her to see clearly, do work, or go anywhere outside," CSC explains. After learning about CSC, Rim and her son travelled two hours to visit their clinic. They learned that a simple surgical procedure may restore Rim's sight. With $292, Rim will undergo cataract surgery, during which her old lenses will be removed and replaced with sheer artificial implants, allowing her to see again immediately after her operation.

"When I had the accident, I was very afraid that I would never walk again. I thank God that I can now walk with crutches and I know that one day I will walk on my own again," says a very optimistic Beatrice, who was recently hit by a car that lost control and drove into a nearby shopping center. 36-year-old Beatrice is married and has three children. She runs her own business in Kenya, buying beans from farmers and selling them at the market. Beatrice’s business does quite well, and she was even able to purchase a few goats with her savings. However, our medical partners at Africa Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF) tell us that Beatrice no longer has any savings and has sold her goats. "She has not been able to work since then [the accident] and has had 2 procedures on her leg. This has left her in debt and she is not able to meet the cost of the bone transport that she now needs." Beatrice is currently fitted with external hardware to support her bone and if not treated soon, she could develop a severe infection that could require amputation of her leg. Bone transport surgery will cost $1,500. Help Beatrice avoid these serious complications and be on the road to recovery!

Ganga Kumari is seven and loves to dance! She lives in Nepal with her mother and six siblings. She is currently in first grade and proudly reports that English is her best subject. Her mother is a farmer and herds animals, while her father works in India to earn more for the family. When Ganga Kumari was one and a half years old, she fell on a hot pot of oil and sustained severe burns on her back and thighs. To prevent lifelong disfigurement, Ganga Kumari needs plastic surgery that will cost $1,415. Let's help Ganga Kumari to pursue her education without the stigma and limited mobility that she currently faces.

Shwe Shwe lives with her grandparents in Burma. Her mother works as a day labourer at a construction site in Thailand, sending about $118 back to the family every four months. Shwe Shwe speaks with her mother on the phone, but has not seen her for three to four years. Because of her family's financial situation, Shwe Shwe's eye growth has gone untreated for nearly her entire life. The growth is benign, but it causes Shwe Shwe pain and impedes her vision. A few years ago, she was forced to drop out of school because of it. If left untreated, it will continue to increase in size and Shwe Shwe will be unable to open her eyelid. Burma Children Medical Fund submitted Shwe Shwe to Watsi for help funding the $1500 surgery to remove the growth and restore functionality to Shwe Shwe's eye. After receiving treatment, Shwe Shwe says she wants to join her mother in Thailand.