Gift is a 16-year old girl from Tanzania. She is the oldest child in her family. Gift's mother runs a small business, and her father is a carpenter. Gift had a seizure near a fire, and her clothes caught fire. Since then, she has been undergoing treatment for the burns she sustained. She received two successful surgeries to release burn contractures on her arms, which restored function to her arms and allowed her to perform tasks independently. On November 8, 2016, doctors at our medical partner's hospital, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre, performed a skin graft surgery to remove damaged skin. After recovery, her arm should appear and function normally. Now, Gift's family needs help to pay for this $780 treatment. "I hope to be able to help my parents again soon," says Gift.

Joy is a 21-month-old toddler living in the Philippines with her parents and siblings. They source their water from a nearby well, and they share electricity with their neighbor. Joy loves playing with her siblings at home. Joy is underweight, and she has been diagnosed with moderately acute malnutrition by our medical partner, International Care Ministries (ICM). One out of five children under five in ICM communities is either severely or moderately acutely malnourished. Worldwide, poor nutrition is associated with nearly half of all deaths in young children. In remote communities and urban slums of the Philippines, the lack of clean water and unclean environments add risk to potentially fatal childhood diseases. Fortunately, Joy began ICM's malnutrition treatment program on October 18, 2016. ICM’s Home-Based Feeding program provides nutrient-enriched food packs to ensure malnourished children get the additional food to regain normal weight and achieve optimum physical and mental development. After identifying a child as malnourished, staff and community volunteers make weekly visits to monitor this child’s progress. To help sustain the health of the child, ICM's professional staff educate the mother, guardian or other family members about proper nutrition, sanitation, hygiene and organic vegetable gardening. The total cost of the support and resources Joy needs is $184, and her family is unable to afford this cost on their own. Following her treatment, Joy's nutrition will improve and her risk of complications and fatality will significantly decrease. "I am praying that Joy will finish her studies and become a successful person someday," shares Joy's mother.

Meet Ev, an 85-year-old woman from Cambodia. Ev is married with three sons, two daughters, and 20 grandchildren. She enjoys visiting the pagoda and listening to monks pray. Three years ago, Ev developed a mature cataract 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 difficult for her to see clearly, do work, or go outside. Ev says, "I hope I can see everything more clearly...so that I can easily go to the pagoda or go anywhere else outside by myself without needing anyone to take care of me." After learning about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, Ev and her grandson traveled five hours to visit their clinic. They learned that a simple surgical procedure may restore Ev's sight. On October 19, 2016, Ev underwent cataract surgery, during which her old lenses were removed and replaced with sheer artificial implants. Now, she needs help to pay for this $292 surgery, which should allow her to see clearly again immediately.

Three-month-old Kiiza lives with his parents and seven older siblings in Uganda. As casual laborers, his parents work in other peoples' gardens to make money to support their family. They work especially hard to pay for their children's education, and fortunately have some help from a friend who pays for one of their daughter's high school fees. When Kiiza was one-month-old, his mother noticed a swelling in his right scrotum. She took him to a health center where he was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia-- a protrusion of a portion of intestine through a tear in the abdominal wall near the groin area. Doctors also discovered a congenital right hydrocele. Though this build-up of watery fluid near the testicle is typically painless, Kiiza's hernia causes him to cry a lot when he is in pain. Kiiza needs surgery to treat these two conditions. His brother also has a hernia, and unfortunately Kiiza's parents' income is not enough to support either of their medical costs. Without treatment, Kiiza is at risk of a hernia strangulation, where the protruded section of intestinal tissue may lose blood flow. "I am worried about the life of my children," shares Kiiza's mother. $249 will fund Kiiza's operation, where doctors will surgically reposition the protruded intestinal tissue back into place, and repair the tear near his groin. They will also drain the fluid from his hydrocele. After surgery, Kiiza will return to a healthy, happy childhood back home with his family. His mother hopes to have peace of mind and have time to work and produce food for her children.

Ana lives in Guatemala with her husband and two children, who are 12 and seven. They live in a one-room adobe house, and she is 16-19 weeks pregnant. She is indigenous Maya Quiche, which means she speaks little Spanish, and going to the hospital where nobody speaks her language can be intimidating. Ana's husband is a bus driver, and she embroideries traditional Mayan blouses with flowers, leaves, and small animals. Although she and her husband are excited to have another child, they are concerned about being able to afford transportation to the hospital from their rural village, medications, and labs she needs. Ana was previously funded for diabetes care in 2014. Due to her diabetes condition and a large fibroid in her uterus, she needs extra prenatal care to ensure the safety of her and her baby. Although she didn't need insulin before getting pregnant, she needs it now. She also needs regular consults with an obstetrician, and a cesarian birth to make sure her or her baby do not suffer any life-threatening complications. For $281, Ana will receive treatment for preeclampsia. She will also receive transportation, interpretation, and advocacy services as she goes to the hospital for her prenatal care. All labs and medications will be provided, and our partner's team will work with her to create a custom birth plan so she can quickly and safely arrive at the hospital to give birth when the time comes. This treatment not only will save her life, but will give her the chance to bring a new life into the world!

Evan is a bright, sharp and collected young man. He is the last-born in a family of two children and lives with his mother, grandmother and elder sister in Central Kenya. Two months ago, Evan began complaining of lower abdominal pain after a meal and when passing urine. His mother bought over the counter painkillers at a local chemist but that did not help the situation. Due to its persistence, she sought help at the nearest hospital only to learn that Evan’s left testis had not descended. A surgery is required to descend the testis and save Evan from effects such as infertility, testicular cancer and/or hernia. The surgery comes at a cost his mother cannot meet. Evan’s mother does casual tasks, such as farming to fend for her family, while his grandmother stays at home. Evan’s father left them, and therefore his mother is not able to fund his surgery. Evan's mother shares: "I work hard to give my children the best I can. I was confident that the surgery would not cost me much and the little savings I had. I hope someone can contribute towards Evan’s surgical care."

22 year-old Sharif lives with his extended family in a village about 50km from the hospital. When he is feeling well, he contributes to the family income by working as a motorcycle mechanic, but his painful hernia has made working difficult. He has had a hernia for about three years and his pain makes it difficult to have the strength he needs to release and tighten the nuts and bolts on motorcycles. At first, the pain would come and go, and he thought it might be a boil. He tried different treatments in the village, but nothing helped. Surgery will repair the weak area in his abdominal muscles through which tissue is bulging, resolving his discomfort. “After I have surgery, I will be able to do the work I have difficulty doing now and be able to help support my family, which is important to me” says Sharif. He is also looking forward to being able to play on the village soccer team again, which he enjoys doing when he is not working. Sharif adds, "Thank you very much for helping me get back to work. May God bless you.”