Brian is a cheerful 10-year-old student. He is the third and youngest child of the family. His mother is a homemaker and his father is a farmer. Brian lives with his parents and siblings in a village, and attends the local primary school, where he is in fifth grade. Despite his birth condition, Brian is a passionate footballer. Brian was born with a clubfoot condition in which his feet are twisted out of shape, and has been treated with serial casting starting from when he was just a day old. His left foot has corrected while his right foot has not - he currently tiptoes when he walks and feels pain whenever he runs, including pain on the field while playing football. Fortunately, Brian traveled to visit our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation. There, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on March 13th. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $1,286 to fund Brian's procedure. After treatment, Brian will be able to walk well, play football, and continue with his studies uninterrupted. Brian's mother said, “I am pleading for help from the donors for my son to undergo surgery and I will appreciate your support.”

Neang is a loving grandmother. She is 80 years old and lives in Battambang province with her husband. They have four sons, four daughters, and twenty-one grandchildren. She and her husband live with their youngest daughter who is a rice farmer. At home, she enjoys listening to the monks praying on the radio and joining ceremonies at the pagoda with her husband. Five years ago, Neang developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurry vision, irritation, and tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Neang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for five hours seeking treatment. On January 4th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Neang said: "I hope after surgery I can see more clearly, so I can see everyone's faces and go back to our pagoda."

Nicholaus is a young boy from a family of five living in Tanzania. His parents are local farmers who practice subsistence farming. They try to provide for the family, but it has been hard for them to provide the basic needs. They sometimes live on one meal a day, and shared that buying clothes for their children is difficult. When Nicholaus was two years old, he fell into a pit of hot ashes, burning his right hand. The parents applied honey on the wound and left it to heal. They got rid of the open wound, but it left the boy with a burn scar contracture on his right hand. They live in a remote area where it is hard to access social services like medical care. The contractures tighten the area around the burn, and it is now hard for him to move the hand especially around the wrist and part of the fingers. Nicholaus' parents have tried seeking professional medical opinion for their son before, but have not been able to afford the recommended treatment. When they heard about Friends of the Plaster House (ALMC), they were hopeful, and travelled over 600 km to seek assistance for their son. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Nicholaus receive treatment. On October 12th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help him move his hand easily. Now, he needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Nicholaus’s mother says “We left home with hope that when he comes back, his hand will be okay."

Jovinah is a 63-year-old Kenyan farmer and mother of 3 children, all of them now working small jobs whenever they can. Jovinah lost her husband in 2004 and has been farming to make ends meet. Her farm does not produce enough to cover her day-to-day needs and other costs like the medical care she needs. For 16 years, Jovinah has lived with a mass on her left hand near the scapula. Recently, she has been experiencing pain and difficulty in using her hand especially with the mass growing in size. On October 18th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Jovinah needs help to raise $137 to fund this procedure. Jovinah says “My condition has been on for a long time but I had no money to get treatment. I will be grateful when am supported so that I can live a better life and have an easier time with my farming.”