Alex is a baby from Kenya. Alex lives with his two siblings and parents in the Eastern region of Kenya. Alex underwent a colostomy, in which the end of the colon is brought through an opening in the abdominal wall. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may call for closure. In Alex's case, his colostomy requires closure in order to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $619 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Alex. The surgery is scheduled to take place on February 1 and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. “Please help us once again and we will appreciate,” says Alex’s mother.

Paulo is a child from Tanzania. He is the youngest in a family of three children. Paulo’s parents are subsistence farmers who grow vegetables for food and selling. Paulo’s two siblings are both in school, and Paulo’s parents hope to enroll Paulo in school soon. Paulo was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus. His legs bow outwards. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, walking is painful and difficult for him. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Paulo. The procedure is scheduled to take place on April 13. Treatment will hopefully restore Paulo's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Paulo’s farther says, “I will be very happy to see my son walk without discomfort or difficulty. God bless you all for wanting to help my son. Thank you so much.”

Truphena is a farmer from Kenya. She is an orphan whose parents died when she was still a teenager. Truphena is epileptic and partially paralyzed in her right side. On February 25, Truphena fell and broke her left hand. She is in pain and is not able to perform any tasks without help. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On March 17, Truphena will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. After the surgery, Truphena will be able to work again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $771 to fund this procedure. Truphena says, “My right hand is paralyzed, now my left hand is broken. I cannot hold nor touch anything."

Friday is a 40-year-old married father of five. Friday and his wife are farmers who cultivate food for home consumption and for sale. In 2015, Friday developed an occasional swelling in his left inguinal region that was also associated with pain. The swelling continued to increase in size, prompting Friday to visit a nearby hospital. He was diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia, and surgery was advised. If not treated, the hernia may come to strangle Friday's intestines, causing life-threatening tissue damage. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to cover the cost of Friday's hernia repair surgery. The procedure is scheduled to take place on June 29 and, once completed, will hopefully allow Friday to live more comfortably. Following treatment, Friday hopes to continue working in the field with his wife. “My health is disturbed with this condition, and it has affected my daily work. I need help,” expresses Friday.

Diego is a six-month-old baby boy from Guatemala. He is his parents' second child. Diego's mother takes care of the family's household, and his father works as a tailor. Diego was recently diagnosed with malnutrition, a condition that results from consuming too little protein, calories, and nutrients. On June 9, Diego will begin growth monitoring at Clinic Panajachel, our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is asking for $492 to cover the cost of Diego's micronutrients and food supplementation. Funds will also go towards an educational program that will teach Diego's mother how to create nutrient-rich diets for him using limited resources. Diego's parents are very grateful for all the donors' support!

Muhiirwa is a 22-month-old baby boy who lives in Uganda with his parents and four siblings. His father works as a motorcycle driver, and his mother farms a piece of land in order to supply food for the family. Muhiirwa was born with a umbilical hernia, a condition in which the intestines protrude through the abdominal muscles at the navel. While his mother attempted to arrange a surgery for her son, no children's doctors were available whenever Muhiirwa and his mother arrived at the hospital. After trying to receive medical treatment several times but to no avail, Muhiirwa's mother decided to go home and await her baby’s fate. Without treatment, the hernia may grow painful and potentially damage Muhiirwa's intestinal tissue. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund hernia repair surgery for Muhiirwa. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 12 and, once completed, will hopefully give Muhiirwa's mother peace of mind and allow Muhiirwa to develop along a healthy trajectory. “My baby has a big swelling on the umbilical. I have no peace and no money for his surgery," says Muhiirwa's mother.

Ya is a 67-year-old rice farmer with three sons, two daughters, and nine grandchildren. She likes to listen to the news on the radio. Ya developed a cataract in each eye about one year ago, causing her blurred vision and tearing. It is difficult for her to see things clearly, do any work, and go anywhere outside on her own. Ya learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), from a neighbor. She traveled for four hours with her son to reach CSC for treatment. On October 25, Ya underwent a phacoemulsification procedure and an intraocular implant in each eye. After recovery, her vision will be restored. "I hope that I can see everything more clearly," says Ya, "so that I can continue my work as a farmer. I want to be able to go anywhere outside without needing another person to take care of me." Ya's son adds, "I hope that my mother can see more clearly so that she can go anywhere easily, and I won't have to worry about her vision loss anymore."

Meet Yuth, a 66-year-old woman from Cambodia. “Yuth is married with two sons, five daughters, and 12 grandchildren. She enjoys visiting the pagoda and listening to monks pray," shares our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Five years ago, Yuth 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, Yuth and her daughter travelled six hours to visit their clinic. They learned that a simple surgical procedure may restore Yuth's sight. With $292, Yuth 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.

The second born of three children, six-year-old Francis was diagnosed with hypospadias at birth: a condition where the urethral opening is abnormally placed. He has lived with the condition, along with the pain and social stigma that it can bring. His parents work hard to provide for Francis and his two siblings. However, finances have always restricted Francis’ parents from funding the medical care he needs. Francis’ father's small income as a school cook, along with his wife’s income from the posho mill she operates, cannot pay the $700 for the surgery Francis requires. The family lives in a single-rental house in Eastern Kenya. Francis is in preschool, but he tends to be shy and keep to himself. His father hopes that after surgery, he may become more outgoing. “I hope Francis gets treated and grows up to have a bright future and be lively like other children. It hurts me to see him isolate himself. I will appreciate if anyone can help fund towards his surgery,” says Francis’ father.

Shalom is a nine-year-old girl who lives with her family in a single rental house in Nairobi, Kenya suburbs. Shalom’s mother sells meals in construction sites to sustain her two children, since their father left them seven years ago due to the rising demands of taking care of a sick child. Her income barely sustains her family's basic needs. Shalom was born healthy but three days on, her mother noted a nearly invisible lump along her lower spinal back. She sought treatment at the pediatric clinic. Since the lump was tiny, a scan was recommended and later revealed that Shalom had an open defect of the spine called spina bifida. At about one-year-old, Shalom had a surgery to correct the defect on her back. A year later, Shalom could take a few steps but something was not right with her back, it was curved. Shalom has tethered cord syndrome, a neurological disorder caused by tissue attachments that limit the movement of the spinal cord within the spinal column. Shalom is now back in the hospital with progressive scoliosis, loss of bladder and bowel control, and paralysis on her right leg. The symptoms have increased in the last two years, forcing Shalom to leave school. Shalom cannot interact with peers as she is afraid that if they touch her back, it will hurt. $1,165 will cover the costs of the tethered cord release surgery and care Shalom needs. This will greatly improve Shalom's daily life, allowing her to return to school.

Peter is the youngest in his family, and is a one-year-old boy from Kenya. He has a brother, Ainea, who is also featured on Watsi with hearing difficulties. When his mother brought Peter’s brother, Ainea, in for a hearing checkup, she was advised to have Peter checked as well. He had an Auditory Brain-stem Response test done at the age of one. He was diagnosed with severe sensorineural hearing loss, due to damage to the inner ear. Hearing aids were recommended for Peter, however his mother was not able to raise the full amount needed. His family and friends have subsidized his hearing aids by $104, but he still needs $929 in order to receive them. The hearing aids will allow Peter to hear more clearly and will give him the chance to learn to speak as he grows up. “My hope is to see my children able to hear and talk," Peter's mother said.

“We are the same as any parents: we only want the best for our son,” says the mother of Anselm, a 2-year-old boy from Kenya. Anselm’s mother recently noticed that her son had an empty scrotal sac. “Having already raised three children, she knew straight away that this was not normal and sought help at her nearest clinic,” says our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). “Further investigation revealed that Anselm had undescended testes,” continues AMHF. If untreated, Anselm could be at risk of developing testicular cancer or hernia. Anselm also risks infertility in the future. “Surgery is required to help Anselm,” says AMHF, “but with limited finances, his family is unable to raise the funds to pay for his surgical care. Anselm’s mother sells secondhand clothes with an average daily income of only $2. His father is unemployed and is trying desperately to find a job to support his family,” which currently lives together in a single-room rental house. For $570, we can fund Anselm’s double orchidopexy procedure, during which doctors will surgically move the undescended testes into the scrotum and permanently fix them there. This operation will reduce Anselm’s risk of developing the aforementioned complications. “We pray that someone can help him,” says Anselm’s mother. Let’s help fund Anselm’s surgery!