Ayebale is 13 years old. He lives with his aunt, who is a farmer. She cultivates food for both home consumption and for sale in order to provide for her family's needs. In 2014, Ayebale developed a painful swelling in his groin. Due to pain, he is unable to sit comfortably and he finds it hard to put on tight pants. Sometimes he misses school when he is in pain. His aunt brought him to Virika Hospital, our medical partner's care center, where he was diagnosed with a right hydrocele and was advised to have surgery. If not treated, Ayebale will continue experiencing pain and discomfort. Fortunately, with the help of our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, Ayebale is scheduled to receive a $185 hydrocele repair surgery on September 20. After surgery, Ayebale will have good health and continue with his studies without missing classes due to sickness.

Joice is a farmer from Malawi. She recently traveled to our medical partner’s care center, Kabudula Community Hospital. Kabudula is a rural community outside of the capital city of Lilongwe. The health catchment area serves roughly 350,000 people, but the health centers and the hospital are often poorly stocked and staffed.  One of Joice’s teeth has been causing her bothersome symptoms. Diet is an issue for dental health in Malawi, where sugarcane is prevalent. Also, there is little to no oral health education in Malawi and limited access to a dental professional. In fact, there are fewer than 20 dentists across the country. Fortunately, a visiting dentist will perform a dental extraction. A dental extraction is a simple procedure with few risks, and it will result in a significant reduction in her symptoms. Joice is scheduled to undergo treatment on July 17. Our medical partner, World Altering Medicine, is requesting just $28 to fund the procedure.

Muhindo is a 23-year-old single man from Uganda who is the oldest of seven children in his family. His parents are farmers who grow food to eat at home and to sell to raise school fees for his younger siblings. Muhindo helps his parents on the farm to raise enough money to enroll in university next year. Two years ago, Muhindo developed a mass on his scalp. He tried using local herbs but saw no improvement, so he decided to seek medical advice at our medical partner's care center, Holy Family Virika Hospital. The mass was determined to be a sebaceous cyst, a small, closed sac under the skin that presents as a smooth, firm bump and results from a blocked sweat gland or hair follicle. Doctors recommended surgery to excise the cyst to prevent further swelling and pain. Muhindo and his family are unable to pay for the procedure that he needs. "My condition needs surgery," shares Muhindo. "I have no money. I need help." Watsi's medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, requests $196 to pay for excision of the cyst, three nights in the hospital, blood tests, a biopsy, and medicine. Muhindo's surgery is scheduled for August 23. After surgery, Muhindo hopes to have peace of mind. Let's help fund his surgery!

Francis is a 14-year-old student living in central Kenya. After he was born, Francis's mother abandoned the family, leaving him to be raised by his grandmother. Francis is currently in the seventh grade at a school for students with disabilities as he was born with severe hearing issues. About two years ago, Francis received a hearing aid at school that dramatically improved his hearing. Unfortunately, he has continued to struggle and needs much strong hearing aids. Francis went to the hospital with the hopes of getting stronger hearing aids. He was accompanied by his grandaunt, who is currently caring for him because his grandmother is very ill. Because of his hearing issues, Francis is falling behind in school and having trouble making friends. The audiologist at the hospital recommended Francis get a stronger pair of hearing aids. Without these new hearing aids, Francis's family is concerned he will fall farther behind academically and socially. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $712 to purchase new hearing aids. Francis hopes the new hearing aids will allow him to do well in school and give back to his community. Francis says, “I want to be able to help needy children when I grow up just as I have been assisted."

Yeimy is a fun-loving 11-year-old girl from Guatemala. She lives with her parents and sister. Yeimy loves playing with her little sister and going to school. At school she enjoys playing with friends and pretending to be a ballerina. She hopes to one day become a nurse. When Yeimy was a newborn, she sustained an injury that caused the loss of one of her legs. On July 19, Yeimy will be fitted for a custom prosthetic leg at our medical partner's care center, Hospital Regional de Zacapa. Our medical partner, Wuqu’ Kawoq, is asking for $1,166 to cover the cost of her prosthetic leg. Having a prosthetic will allow Yeimy to dance like she's never danced before! “I am so excited to receive this prosthetic because then I won’t get tired anymore," says Yeimy. "Now I know that I will achieve my dreams.”

Tukamushaba is a 23-year-old married mother from Uganda. She has one daughter who is four months old. Tukamushaba works as a farmer, cultivating food for home consumption. Her husband works as a vendor and owns a retail shop in their village. Tukamushaba was born with a swelling in her umbilical region, however her parents did not pay it much attention because it never pained her. As she grew up, the swelling began to increase in size. Although her parents thought it might disappear with time, the swelling persisted. After Tukamushaba delivered her first child, she was diagnosed with a large epigastric hernia. Without immediate surgery, Tukamushaba's hernia may become strangulated and cause severe tissue damage. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is therefore requesting $249 to fund hernia repair surgery for Tukamushaba. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 12 and, once completed, will hopefully give Tukamushaba peace of mind and allow her to comfortably take care of her young child.

Estherline is a 14-year-old girl who lives with her parents and four siblings in Haiti. Before she became sick, Estherline enjoyed going to school and church, and playing with her brothers and sisters. Several years ago, Estherline contracted rheumatic fever, which caused damage to her heart. She developed a condition called mitral and aortic regurgitation, where blood backs up into her heart and does not properly circulate through her body. This condition causes Estherline to experience shortness of breath, painful breathing, fatigue, and swelling of the legs. If left untreated, her condition could become fatal. Seeking treatment through our medical partner, Haiti Cardiac Alliance, Estherline is scheduled to undergo heart surgery to correct her condition on July 6. Although Estherline's [transportation](https://watsi.org/profile/b6c83c8bebe1-estherline) to our medical partner's care center has already been funded by Watsi, she is still in need of $1,500 to cover the cost of her heart surgery prep. The organization, Have a Heart Cayman, is also subsidizing Estherline's surgery, donating $27,000 to cover the rest of her medical bills. "I will pray that God blesses everyone that is helping our family through our daughter's illness," her mother says.

Ruth is a 10-year-old girl from Kenya. When she was two years old, she lost both her parents. She currently lives in New Beginnings Children's Center orphanage. Ruth has had difficulty hearing from both her ears. She was taken to our medical partner's care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, where she was recommended for a tympanoplasty, a procedure to help prevent her from losing total hearing. On August 15, Ruth will undergo surgery at AIC Kijabe Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is asking for $591 to cover the cost of her procedure. After surgery, Ruth will be able to hear and pursue her schooling to the fullest!

Joseph is a 14-month-old baby who lives with his parents in Kenya. His mother is a subsistence farmer, and his father is a motorbike taxi driver. At birth, Joseph was diagnosed with spina bifida, which has led to the development of hydrocephalus. Spina bifida refers to an incomplete closure of the spinal cord, which puts Joseph at risk of infection of exposed nervous tissue, a tethered spinal cord, loss of muscular function in his lower limbs, and intensification of his hydrocephalus, which is a build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,097 to fund spina bifida closure surgery for Joseph, which is scheduled to take place on June 21. A local NGO, APDK, is subsidizing $206 of Joseph's treatment. Joseph's mother says, “I am devastated. I wake up every morning to the painful reminder that this isn’t a dream. I go to bed every night hopeless, exhausted from worry and despair. My one lingering thought is, 'Why my baby?'”

“I need to regain my strength so that I can keep running the restaurant,” Kenyangi shares. “It is the only way I can earn money to pay my children’s school tuition.” 50-year-old Kenyangi has been raising three children alone since the death of her husband. On top of caring for their needs, she has earned money for the family by operating a small eatery. These days, however, she often has to skip work due to a medical condition. For about nine years, Kenyangi has been experiencing pain in her abdominal region, as well as extremely heavy menstrual periods. She has been diagnosed with uterine fibroids. Although non-cancerous, these growths can be extremely painful—and if Kenyangi’s intense periods continue, she risks becoming anemic. A reliable treatment for fibroids is a total hysterectomy, or removal of the uterus. However, Kenyangi is already on a tight budget, and cannot afford the procedure. That’s where you come in. When we raise $208, we will be able to pay for Kenyangi’s operation on July 6, as well as the associated lab tests, medications, and day-long hospital stay. With your help, this mother of three will once more be able to experience a pain-free daily life with the family—and work—that she loves.