Zakaliya is 53 years old, married with five children. from Malawi. He used to work as a machine operator in one of the brick molding companies around the industrial area, but he had to stop working due to his current health condition. He now engages in farming to support his family. Fourteen years ago, Zakaliya started experiencing a swelling in his left inguinal region. He has visited several hospitals, but has not received the surgery he needs. An inguinal hernia is a condition in which soft tissue protrudes through a weak point in the abdominal wall, causing pain, especially during strenuous activities such as farming. If left untreated, it may lead to serious incarceration and strangulation. Zakaliya is very optimistic that surgery will help him change his life for the better and enable him to resume his work as a machine operator. Fortunately, on January 13th, Zakalilya will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $575 to fund Zakaliya's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Zakaliya shared, "The pains and discomforts I experience have taken all my peace of mind; I am very positive that your surgery support will bring back my joy."

Loserian is a two-year-old boy from a family of five children. Loserian’s parents depend on raising livestock and small-scale farming to support their family. Their livelihood is modest and vulnerable to environmental and economic changes, making access to specialized healthcare services challenging. Nevertheless, they have made determined efforts to seek medical support for their son. Loserian’s condition was first noticed when he began bearing weight and standing independently. His mother observed a downward bending of his right leg, along with mild weakness in his left arm. These challenges have affected his physical development and daily activities. Despite these limitations, Loserian remains active and enjoys playing with his peers. However, Loserian's condition has exposed him to innocent but painful teasing and bullying from other children, which has been emotionally difficult for both him and his family. His parents are concerned about how this may affect his confidence as he grows. Loserian's family was referred to Kafika House by a community leader. Here, he was diagnosed with clubfoot on his right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. The tissues connecting the muscle to the bones are shorter than usual, and this causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Fortunately, surgeons will begin clubfoot treatment on February 2nd. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $341 to fund Loserian's clubfoot repair. After treatment, this intervention will gradually correct the position of his lower limb and support improved mobility. Loserian's mother says, "I pray that treatment will be a step towards him fitting in with his friends and family."

Lucy is 50 years old and a laboratory technician from Malawi. She has four daughters. For seven years, Lucy has been experiencing lower abdominal pain. She was treated, but the pain reoccurred in 2023. In December 2024, she experienced intense pain and went to a hospital where she was diagnosed with a right pelvic mass. A pelvic mass refers to a growth or enlargement originating in the cervix, an ovary, the uterus, or a surrounding structure in the lower abdomen. Pelvic masses may lead to pelvic, abdominal, or back pain, discharges, or bleeding. If left untreated, it may continue increasing in size, hence worsening symptoms, and may be fatal. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Lucy receive surgery. On February 14th, Lucy will undergo a hysterectomy, where surgeons will remove her uterus. Lucy needs help to raise $1,363 to fund her procedure and care. Once recovered, Lucy will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Lucy shared, "I will be the happiest person after getting surgery support, which will enable me to become more productive after surgery both at work and at home as the current breadwinner."

Megersa is 57 years old and a farmer from a small village in Ethiopia. It has been challenging for Megersa to go outdoors, particularly at night. He has been diagnosed with a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye that affects his vision. Fortunately, Megersa is scheduled to undergo cataract surgery with the help of our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital. Surgeons will remove and replace the blurred lens. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $150 procedure. Megersa shared, "I hope my right eye will heal."

Srey Len lives with her parents and three siblings in Krong Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia. Her mother sells a few grocery items from their home and her father is a fisherman. She is the oldest daughter in the family, and all her siblings are currently studying at school. Srey Len is in 8th grade, and enjoys studying Khmer history. When she grows up, she wants to be a nurse. At home, she likes to eat noodles and help her mom run her grocery business. Around nine years ago, Srey Len injured her right lip following an accident while riding a tractor in the rice fields near her home. She went to a public hospital for sutures and dressing on her lip. However, she now has a prominent contracture scar on her lip, which makes her feel uncomfortable, especially at school. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. Surgeons have diagnosed Srey Len with a fissure of the lip resulting from the old scar. She is scheduled for contracture release surgery on June 12th. This procedure will improve the scar on her lip. Srey Len and her family are able to contribute $100 but need help to raise $387 more for this procedure. After surgery, Srey Len hopes to see an improvement in the scar on her lip.

Amina is a 11-year-old girl from Musoma region in Tanzania, the seventh child in a family of ten siblings. Her parents are small-scale farmers who rely solely on their harvest for sustenance and income generation. They often struggle to meet their needs, and climate change has resulted in poor harvests over the past year. About a year ago, Amina developed a swelling on her chin. Initially, it was considered insignificant as it did not bother her, but over time, the swelling grew larger and began to cause her significant discomfort when she was eating. This prompted concerns from her parents, who initially sought advice from a nearby pharmacy. However, the cream provided proved ineffective. Consequently, the family took her to a nearby hospital, where she was diagnosed with a mass requiring surgical removal. Due to financial constraints, her parents could not afford Amina's treatment so they went back home. Sometime later, the outreach team of our medical partner's care center visited their village, and the family was directed to Kafika House for further review and treatment. The team also assisted the family with transportation costs as they could not afford it. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Amina receive treatment. On April 2nd, surgeons will remove the mass and ease Amina's symptoms. Now, Amina's family needs help to fund this $724 procedure. Amina's mother says: “Please help with my daughter’s treatment. I hope she recovers from this condition so that it won’t be a problem as she grows older.”

Michael Anthony is a single father who lives with his sister who supports him and his child. He used to work as a host for events but had to stop because of his symptoms. Michael Anthony needs to undergo a hernia repair procedure to relieve him of the discomfort and pain he currently experiences. Our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines, has scheduled his surgery for June 14th and needs help to raise $1,265 to fund this procedure. Michael Anthony shares, "I want to help his sister in our household expenses and fully support my child. I am grateful to everyone behind this initiative. Once completed, this will greatly affect my life and my family's life so I am very grateful to all of you."

Sena is a two-year-old boy from Ethiopia. Sena's father is a farmer but he was asked to serve in the war. Sena loves driving handmade toy cars. Children in the village make toys with wheels and love to drive them. He also loves to play outdoors with his sister. Sena was born with epispadias, a birth condition affecting the urethra. Because of this condition, he is unable to pass urine properly. If not treated, Sena may have health complications, such as infertility, in the future. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. On May 2nd, Sena will undergo corrective surgery for his condition and AMH is requesting $1,040 to fund this procedure. Sena's mother said, “I hope my child will get the treatment and heal. I hope he will be as healthy as other boys. I want to teach him and I hope he becomes a doctor.”

Aymy is a loving housewife and mother of two children. A year ago, Aymy began to experience severe pain and frequent acid reflux. During these bouts of pain, her husband misses work to stay home and care for their children. Aymy was found to have gallstones and was advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, her symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications. Aymy is scheduled to undergo the procedure on March 5th with our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP). The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation is supporting a portion of the cost of the procedure and WSFP is raising the remaining $1128 to cover the cost of Aymy's surgery and care. Aymy says, "I am grateful to everyone who will donate for my surgery. We cannot afford the treatment, especially when the necessities are costly. Thank you for making this possible for me and my family."

Sokhon is a 49 year-old soup seller. She moved from a rural province to the capital Phnom Penh around 20 years ago, when she first got married. Her husband is a rickshaw driver, and together they have three daughters. One daughter is recently married, and the other two are in their final years of high school. Sokhon sells soup from a street cart. In her free time, she enjoys sleeping and watching Cambodian sitcoms. Around two years ago, Sokhon had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Sokhon experiences hearing loss, tinnitus, and persisitent ear discharge. It is difficult for her to hear and she experiences constant discomfort. Sokhon traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On September 14th she will undergo left ear surgery. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $926 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. She shared, "I hope I can go back to work and speak clearly with my customers, friends, and family."

Jemusi is a 29-year-old man from Kabwazi Village in Dedza District in Malawi. Jemusi lives with his mother and brother. He has one child from his previous marriage, who lives with his former wife. Jemusi works hard to support his child through small-scale farming. Since he was young, Jemusi has experienced painful swelling on the left side of his scrotum. He was diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia and underwent hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital in 2012. Recently, Jemusi noticed that the painful swelling has returned and he went back to Nkhoma Hospital, where he was diagnosed with recurrent left inguinal hernia. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $500 to fund repeat hernia repair surgery for Jemusi, which is scheduled to take place on April 19th at Nkhoma Hospital. Jemusi's hernia has impacted his life negatively, causing him constant pain and discomfort. Treatment is essential to improving Jemusi's quality of life and ensuring that he doesn't suffer any serious complications in the future. Jemusi says: “I am glad that help has been found for me to receive treatment. I am looking forward to finally getting healed of this condition.”

James, who is 51 years old, enjoys sharing entertaining stories that elicit laughter from those around him. He and his wife have four children, and live in Uganda. James teaches at a local secondary school, which provides him with a small salary to live from. His wife works as a farmer to help support their family. James also engages in farming when he isn't teaching. Thirty years ago, James began to experience troubling symptoms, including an anterior neck swelling. As the swelling was painless, he never considered seeking treatment. However, when he began experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, and high blood pressure, he resorted to traditional remedies. Unfortunately, nothing he tried helped, so he decided to consult a doctor. He was diagnosed with bilateral thyroid nodules, and he has been told that he will need surgery to prevent his symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping James receive treatment. He is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on August 8th at Karoli Lwanga Hospital, Nyakibale, during which surgeons will remove all or part of his thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and James and his family need your help to raise this money. James says: “I hope for a complete recovery, and I will be relieved from the symptoms I’ve been experiencing for so long."