Meet Joshua! Joshua is a fourteen-year-old boy who lives in Tanzania. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, describes him as “very shy... but he always has a smile on his face.” Joshua’s father died years ago, and as the second oldest in a family of six children, it’s up to him to look after his mother’s cattle. The cattle are his family’s primary source of income, and he feels that he is contributing the most to his family by herding cattle rather than attending school. Joshua has been diagnosed with bilateral genu valgum, a physical condition in which the knees curve inwards. Right now, Joshua is unable to walk without knocking his knees, affecting his gait and ability to walk or run. If left untreated, Joshua risks developing early osteoarthritis. For $940, we can help cover the three surgeries that Joshua needs, along with two weeks of hospital stay and medication. “I feel pain on my knees especially after walking a long distance. I don’t want to fail helping my mom herd cattle; so I hope that my legs can be straightened so that I can walk properly,” Joshua shares.

“Helena makes everyone at home smile because of her activeness and cheerfulness," her mother says. "We want her to continue to be cheerful when she grows up and not look at herself as different from everyone else." Helena has congenital deformity of both feet called clubfoot. This condition will cause her to use the sides of her feet when she starts to walk; leading to a pain and early osteoarthritis if not treated now. "Helena is a happy five-month-old baby girl," her doctors write. "She is very friendly and likes to be carried around. She is the fourth born in the family and her parents are small scale farmers. They earn their money from selling maize and beans. With two children going to school, what they are earning is not enough to cover the cost of their basic needs as well as the cost for treating clubfoot. They need financial support so that their little daughter can walk like the rest of the children." Let's fund Helena's care so she can grow up walking!