Zawadi is a one month old infant from Tanzania. Her name means "gift" in Swahili, because to her parents she is a gift from God. Her parents are small scale farmers who mainly grow food crops like maize and vegetable for their own use at home. The father also seeks day jobs at construction sites to be able to supplement their living, and through the money they get from this work, they are able to pay bills and buy other home commodities. Zawadi has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Zawadi has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Zawadi will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $765 to cover the cost of surgery for Zawadi that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure will drain the excess fluid from Zawadi's brain, to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Zawadi will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Zawadi’s mother says "It’s been a step at a time trying to treat my daughter, but money is what has been our biggest challenge. She needs another surgery. Please help my daughter."

Turyakira is a 67-year-old woman from Western Uganda. She is a married mother of eight children who practices subsistence farming. She lives with her husband who is unfortunately bedridden due to a stroke. For the past two years, she has struggled with an intragluteal lump that has gradually increased in size. She has pain, itchiness and discomfort, especially when she tries to sit down. She was diagnosed with elastofibroma, a benign tumor that requires excision. Turyakira traveled to the care center of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, to receive treatment. On February 16th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Turyakira needs help to raise $196 to fund this procedure. Turyakira shared, “I am the only one taking care of my family because my husband is sick. I hope with surgery, I will regain my health and continue with farming to keep up with my family.”

Mugisha is a farmer from Uganda. He is a married father to four children. He and his wife earn a living through practicing small-scale farming. He grows native local food like ground nuts, maize, beans, and cassava. They farm basically for home consumption and he sells the surplus to provide other essential needs to his family like clothes and to pay for his children's school fees. Sine eight years ago, Mugisha has had an inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him pain when walking and when standing for a long time. Fortunately, on March 9th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Mugisha's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Mugisha says “I hope that I will be well after my operation and be healed from this condition.”

Goodluck is a six-year-old boy from Tanzania. He is the last born child in a family of three children and is currently in class two. Goodluck is a very active and playful boy who loves playing football with friends. His mother is a livestock keeper and she is able to sell the milk she gets from her two cows and through this she is able to support her family. His father is in Kenya working as guard. Goodluck was born a healthy baby without any problem, but at the age of two months his parents noticed he had a small swelling on the upper side of his left eye. His parents thought it would disappear with time but to date, the swelling has not disappeared and it keeps increasing in size. If not treated, the mass will continue increasing in size and cause facial deformity, pain, and discomfort. Goodluck traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 14th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Goodluck needs help to raise $689 to fund this procedure. Goodluck’s mother says, “The mass keeps growing. We are worried, please help treat our son.”

Lowasa is a three-year-old boy from Tanzania and the firstborn child in his family. At two years of age, his knees started curving inwardly forming knocked knees. His parents thought it was a normal ricket condition that would end with time. With time, the swell kept worsening and made walking painful and difficult for Lowasa. He would sit most part of the days while his friends played. Lowasa was referred to our facility by a friend. He was diagnosed with knocked knees and surgery recommended. Upon successful surgery, he will be able to walk with ease and less pain. His parents are livestock keepers who rely on selling them to make ends meet. The only money they had was exhausted in a different facility to relieve Lowasa the swelling on his legs. They are not able to afford the planned surgery and are requesting help. Fortunately, Lowasa traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre. There, surgeons will perform surgery on December 10th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $890 to fund Lowasa's treatment. After treatment, he will be able to walk easily and with less pain. Lowasa's parents say, “His legs keep worsening as days go by and we are unable to afford the cost. Please help our son if it’s possible.”

Naw Khu is a 18-month-old baby girl from Burma who lives with her parents and grandparents. Her mother wants her to become a medic when she grows older so that she could help people in her village. About a month ago, Naw Khu started to have difficulty passing urine. Her parents took her to a hospital where she had the catheter inserted. Since then she has been living with the catheter on because whenever the catheter was removed she had difficulty. The family arrived at our partner hospital last week and Naw Khu received an ultrasound. The result revealed mass-like object which is pressing onto her bladder. Doctors now want Naw Khu to undergo a CT scan, a procedure in which x-ray images taken from several angles are combined to produce cross-sectional images of the body. This scan will hopefully help doctors diagnose her condition and formulate an appropriate treatment plan. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $414 to cover the cost of Naw Khu's CT scan and care, scheduled for December 9th. Naw Khu’s father said, “We do not have money and could not speak Burmese well, so it was very difficult for us to go Yangon. We were very sad because we don't have any money. I just cried. I want her to be healthy and I also want her to grow up healthy like other children.”

Abdulnasir is a baby from Ethiopia. He is a cute baby boy. Abdulnasir has one brother and he loves to play ball with him. He also loves cars. Abdulnasir’s father is a labor worker and he earns low income which is insufficient for their daily food. His mother is a house wife and she raises her two children full time. Sometimes she tries and bakes bread to make some extra money. Abdulnasir was born with an anorectal malformation, a congenital abnormality that leads to a complete or partial intestinal blockage. He needs to undergo a series of procedures to eliminate bowel dysfunction. Abdulnasir is scheduled to undergo surgery to correct his condition on October 24th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of Abdulnasir's procedure and care. After his recovery, Abdulnasir will no longer experience bowel dysfunction or be at risk of developing health complications in the future. Abdulnasir father said, “We are worried because our child is sick. And with his wound and with all his suffering we suffer a lot. We are so poor and we struggle even to feed our boys. We can’t afford the medical bills. We are living by the support of our mosque and men from our mosque. I don’t have land to farm so I am a day laborer.”

Luy is a 79-year old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has a son and two grandchildren, and enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio One year ago, Luy developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her vision loss. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Luy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On November 19, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $211 procedure. Luy said, "I hope that I will be able to see clearly again so I can help to take care of my grandchildren and go anywhere I want to on my own."

Faimu is a baby from Kenya. She has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Faimu has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Faimu will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $685 to cover the cost of surgery for Faimu that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 21 and will drain the excess fluid from Faimu's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Faimu will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl.

Haji is a farmer from Uganda. For seven years, Haji has had an inguinal hernia. Fortunately, on March 20, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $249 to fund Haji's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Haji says, "After surgery I will be happy because what has been disturbing me will have been removed."

Brian is a baby from Kenya. The family lives in Makulani village in the Eastern region of Kenya. Brian has been diagnosed with encephalocoele, a type of neural tube defect in which brain tissues and overlying membranes protrude through openings in the skull. Encephalocoele usually results from a failure of the neural tube to completely close during fetal development. Without treatment, Brian is at risk of developmental delays, brain damage, or premature death. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $929 to fund encephalocoele repair surgery for Brian. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 7. Hopefully, the repair of this condition will allow Brian to grow up healthy. “I hope he gets treated,” says Brian’s mother.

Elvin is a baby from Tanzania. He is the first born child in a family of two children. Elvin is a playful and talkative boy. Elvin was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus. His legs bow outward so that his knees do not touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, he experiences pain when walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $940 to fund corrective surgery for Elvin. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 7. Treatment will hopefully restore Elvin's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Elvin’s father says, “You are the only hope we have. Please help our son. His condition is worsening each day.”