Sisay is a healthcare worker from Ethiopia. At just 26 years old, this young man is a vital heartbeat for the healthcare center where he works. As a key member of the staff, he serves as the bridge between the clinic and the community. At home, he is the pillar for his two siblings, balancing the roles of breadwinner and protector. However, a grueling battle with chronic tonsillitis is slowly silencing the very voice he needs to build his career, and has made it challenging to do his work. Sisay shares how heartbreaking it is when the illness breaks his focus, keeping him from the job he loves. About one and a half years ago, Sisay began experiencing a difficulty in breathing, fever, pain, and exhaustion. Every day is a grueling battle against a searing sore throat, transforming his essential duties, from warmly greeting patients to managing a relentless stream of phone calls, into a profound and painful struggle. Sisay was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Despite the constant pain, he continued to serve at his local health station. He knew a tonsillectomy was necessary, but a lack of specialized doctors and medical equipment in his area kept that relief out of reach. The moment he heard about a new opportunity for care at our medical partner's care center, he was filled with hope. He arrived at Saglan Waje General Hospital, clutching his referral papers, ready for a second chance. Our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, is requesting $700 to fund a tonsillectomy for Sisay, which is scheduled to take place on March 7th. During the procedure, surgeons will remove his tonsils, hopefully relieving Sisay of his symptoms, and allowing him to go back to work with ease. Sisay says: "I am so excited for the opportunity to interact freely with my siblings again, instead of just collapsing into bed exhausted every night. I feel ready to truly show up for my patients as well as my siblings, and build the stable, happy future we all deserve together."

Amon is a 28-year-old man from Zambia. He lost his mother at a young age and was raised by his maternal grandmother. His father, a businessman in Malawi, later remarried, and Amon's stepmother works as a farmer. Amon dropped out of secondary school some years back due to illness. In 2015, Amon was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. At the time, Amon needed his guardian's consent to proceed with surgery. His primary caregiver, his grandmother, was hesitant about the treatment and believed that it should be Amon's father’s decision. Over time, Amon continued to experience increasing pain, and decided to travel to Malawi to look for his father, and a sister who was also married in the country. They finally got reunited a year later, and soon after, Amon was referred to our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center (PIH) for treatment. Amon has been scheduled for hernia repair surgery on May 6th. He remains hopeful for a brighter future following surgery, now that he's reunited with his family, and has gained access to the care he needs. Amon's family is contributing to his surgery, but need help in raising $575 for the procedure. Amon says: "Your support will help me to resume school, and enjoy life with my father, with whom I have just been reunited."

Innocent is a 56-year-old farmer from Uganda. She and her husband normally grow food crops on a small scale meant for home consumption but often sell off some to earn an income to keep up the family. She has 8 children who are all adults. She enjoys singing and is part of her church choir. For two years, Innocent has been experiencing severe abdominal pain and heavy bleeding. She has been seeking treatment at a local government facility, but there has been no improvement. Innocent has been diagnosed with dysfunctional uterine bleeding with a left ovarian mass. The doctor recommended she undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $219 to fund Innocent's surgery. On December 4th, she will undergo gynecological surgery that will enable her to resume her daily activities free of pain. Innocent says, “I have been with this condition for so long and tried to seek treatment but all in vain. I trust that, as the doctor says, with surgery I will get well.”

Srey Nich is a 26-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She is married with one child, and both she and her husband work as rice farmers. In her free time, Srey Nich enjoys cooking and playing with her two year-old daughter. When she was ten years old, Srey Nich had an ear infection. This infection caused the ear drum in both ears to perforate. For this reason, Srey Nich experiences recurrent ear discharge and dryness in both ears. She feels uncomfortable due to the ear discharge, and has difficulty communicating clearly with her family and others. Srey Nich traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On August 14th, she will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in both ears, where surgeons will close the perforations. Srey Nich is able to contribute $100 towards the cost of her treatment and needs help raising $814 more to fund the procedure. Srey Nich says, "After surgery, I hope to improve my hearing so I can focus on work and take better care of my daughter."

Mekides is a 2-year-old toddler and the youngest of four who lives with her family in Ethiopia. Her father is a traditional farmer, while her mother is a homemaker. She loves milk, playing ball, and laughing with her mom and dad. She feels so happy when her dad brings home a new pair of shoes and a dress for her. Mekides was born with a birth defect called Hirschprung disease. She has an abnormally functioning segment of her bowel. This condition has been a struggle for the family to cope with. Mekides previously underwent a colostomy creation and now needs a colonic pull-through, where the diseased section of her intestine will be removed and the healthy portion will be pulled down. Doctors with our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) will perform this surgery on July 25th and are requesting $1,500 to fully fund the procedure. This surgery will help Mekides thrive with the other children in her village. Mekides' dad said “After her treatment, I believe she will heal. I will not give her the duty to do labour work as other girls have in my area. But I will educate her. I will work hard to upgrade her life and give her a quality life. I gave her to God, believing God will lead her to a better future.”

Gladness is a 5-year-old smart and vibrant girl who enjoys interacting with all kinds of different people. She is the firstborn in a family of two children, and her parents make a living by selling thrift clothes and shoes in Arusha city. Gladness has faced significant health challenges since she was one year old. During playtime she tripped and fell, resulting in an injury to her leg. Her father promptly took her to the hospital, where they received ointment to massage the affected area. Unfortunately, two years later, she had another accident that dislocated her right knee. It was during this hospital visit that the medical professionals discovered a previous, untreated fracture from her first accident, which has caused other problems. Gladness and her father traveled over 180 kilometers to the medical center and our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) is requesting $880 to fund her surgery, which is scheduled for June 27th. Treatment will hopefully restore Gladness's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Gladness’s father shared, "I hope this treatment will help my daughter. I wish for her to grow up without any abnormalities."

Sefas is a small-scale farmer and mother to 4 children. She lost her husband in 2000, but managed to raise her children through small-scale farming. She grows food crops on her small piece of land. Sefas also keeps a cow and earns supplemental income by selling the milk. Despite facing challenges and myths surrounding girls' education in her generation, Sefas was determined to complete primary school. However, her parents were unable to support her further education and she was forced to drop out. Now two of her sons are teachers, and both of her daughters are tailors. For the past six months, Sefas has been experiencing bleeding, causing her to develop anemia. She also experiences severe lower abdominal pain and backaches. She has a history of blood transfusions and was recommended for surgery but could not afford the cost of the treatment. As the pain worsened, she was brought to the hospital again. She has been diagnosed with premalignant cervical lesion. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Sefas's surgery. On December 16th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Sefas will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Sefas says, "My health has always been good until recently when this illness took over my life. I trust that with your support, I will be able to receive treatment and get well."

Mbula is a young girl from Tanzania. She has one sibling and lives with her family in a remote area far from the city; it’s hard for them to access basic social services. Mbula is raised by two loving parents who are farmers. They depend on their harvest to provide for their family. With the recent years' weather changing and droughts, it has been hard for them because they cannot depend on the rainy season for agriculture. This has made it difficult to sustain food at home. Mbula was diagnosed with genu varus, which causes her legs to bow outward. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she has difficulty walking and running.. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is asking for $880 to fund corrective surgery for Mbula. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 2nd. Treatment will hopefully restore Mbula's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Mbula’s mother says, “I feel sorry for my daughter, she has to go through pain almost every day.”

Dortensley is a 14-month-old baby from Haiti who is loved and cared for by his mother. Dortensley has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases pressure within the skull. As a result of his condition, Dortensley's head grew beyond his expected development and he experiences seizures. Without treatment, Dortensley will experience severe physical and developmental delays. On November 9th, Dortensley will undergo surgery at the care center of our medical partner, Project Medishare. Surgeons will place a shunt to drain the excess fluid from Dortensley's brain to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. Upon recovery, Dortensley should develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Project Medishare is currently the only site in the country to offer this critical care and is requesting $957 to help fund Dortensley's procedure. Dortensley's mother shared that she could not afford surgery for her child, but is now feeling hopeful. She said: "There is a God after all. God bless everyone that is helping my child."

Som Ath is a 72-year-old retired soldier. He has four sons, five daughters, and many grandchildren. Som Ath lives with his eldest son who is in the military. Nowadays, Som Ath stays at home and takes care of his grandchildren. In his free time, he likes to listen to the news on the radio. Two years ago, Som Ath developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision and sensitivity to light. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Som Ath learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On October 19th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Som Ath shared, "I hope my eye can see clearly again so I can teach my grandchildren how to read and write, and help them do their homework after school."

Lai Houy is a cheerful, 69-year-old mother who has one son who works near the Cambodian-Thai border. Lai Houy currently lives with her niece who sells palm sugar. She enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio. Five years ago, Lai Houy developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her light sensitivity and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Lai Houy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On July 21st, doctors will perform a cataract surgery and lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, CSC is requesting $229 to help fund this procedure. Lai Houy shares her hopes to be independent again, "I hope my eye can see well after surgery so I can help my niece do housework, cook, take care of my grandchildren, and go back to visit the pagoda by myself."

Chamroeun is a 55-year-old rice farmer with one daughter, five sons, and two grandchildren. He currently lives with his wife, a vegetable seller at the market. In his free time, Chamroeun enjoys listening to the news on the radio. Three years ago, Chamroeun developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision and photophobia. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Chamroeun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for one hour seeking treatment. On July 22nd, doctors will perform a cataract surgery and lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, Chamroeun will be able to see clearly. Now, CSC is requesting $229 to fund this procedure. Chamroeun shares, "I hope I can plant rice like before and help my wife sell vegetables at the market."