Glendi is an 18-month-old girl from Guatemala who loves to play with her plastic tea set. She has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. She has little energy to grow, and her immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. She is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, Glendi began malnutrition treatment on October 28, 2016. Glendi lives with her family in a cinderblock house with a tin roof. Her father works as a day laborer, earning only a couple dollars per day. Her mother stays home to care for the family and weaves textiles to sell. While Glendi's parents want the best for their daughter, their resources are already stretched thin. They cannot afford to pay for her $512 treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Glendi recover. She will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children her age, and her immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach her mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Glendi a chance to grow healthy and strong. "I am excited to see my daughter grow better," says Glendi's mother. "I hope that one day she will be a good student, have better opportunities, and be in good health."

Angelica is 10-years-old and lives with her five siblings and parents in a one-room house with a tin roof. Her father works as a day laborer, making only $3 per day. Her mother works taking care of Angelica and her siblings, cooking, and cleaning. Angelica has strabismus, a condition which means that she is unable to control the direction of both of her eyes. This condition has made her have trouble with depth perception and headaches, but more importantly has prevented her from going to school. After finishing the first grade, she got so worried about what others thought of her 'bad eye' that she stopped going. Although they want the best for Angelica, her parents cannot afford to pay for her surgery. This surgery will correct Angelica's strabismus, giving her better control of both of her eyes. This will alleviate her physical symptoms, as well as improve her self-esteem so she can continue to attend school. Angelica said, "This next year I would like to keep studying if my eye is better and I can see better. I want to continue studying and get a job, so I can earn money and support my parents. I appreciate the help that you can give me."

Naro is a seven-year-old boy in the first grade from Cambodia. He has one younger brother. He enjoys playing football with his brother and friend, and like to draw pictures. Naro has had esotropia in his left eye since he was a baby. This is a type of strabismus that causes his left eye to turn inward. For $264, Naro will undergo a squint correction procedure to improve his vision and make him more confident around others. Naro's father says, "I hope my son's eye is good looking with a straight eye so that he feels good and not be shy with somebody when he goes to school or go anywhere outside. In the future, I hope he can graduate to become a lawyer."

Akugizibwe is a 28-year-old father living in Uganda with his wife and two children, aged three-and-a-half and one. He is a peasant, and sometimes he does casual work such as serving as a porter at buildings. He cultivates food mostly for home consumption and sells the surplus to get money for essential items for the family. He doesn't own land, and his family lives in his mother's house. Akugizibwe began to have some swelling on his right side of his inguinal region about seven years ago. His pain worsens when he walks, eats, and when he sleeps on his side. He is able to sleep on his back because the swelling will recede back inside him. He was first diagnosed with a hernia three years ago when he sought treatment, but he was unable to afford it. Again he sought further evaluation after feeling the pain return, but his diagnosis had not changed. Due to the pain, he is unable to stand for a long time, lift heavy items, or work in his gardens for more than an hour. A hernia is when an internal organ pokes through the abdomen wall, causing severe pain. Left untreated, a hernia can cause intestinal blockage or prevent blood from reaching vital parts of his intestines. Akugizibwe's doctors recommended surgical intervention to repair the abdominal wall, remove the bulging tissue in his abdomen, and reposition his herniated tissue. The total cost of the procedure is $249, and covers the procedure, supplies, medications, and three days of inpatient care. After surgery, Akugizibwe plans to regain his strength and build his house. "I've lived with this sickness for a long time because of lack of money," he explains. Following his surgery, Akugizibwe will be better able to support his family.

Meet Srun, a 58-year-old man from Cambodia. “Srun is married with three sons and four grandchildren. Srun enjoys watching Khmer on TV and listening to the news on the radio" shares our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). Two years ago, Srun developed a pterygium in each eye. A pterygium occurs when growth starts in the clear tissue of the eye and spreads to the cornea. "This causes him to have blurred vision. He also experiences tearing and burning sensations in his eyes," CSC explains. After learning about CSC, Srun and his brother travelled two hours to visit their clinic. They learned that a simple surgical procedure may restore Srun's sight. With $148, Srun will undergo an excision surgery, and his cyst will be removed. “The burning, pain, and irritation will be relieved. His eyes will look much better after the operation. The redness and tearing will also stop,” CSC explains.

"I hope I can see everything clearly again so I can continue my work as a moto taxi driver and support my family," says Soeun. For the past year, Soeun has had difficulty seeing clearly, working, and going outside on his own due to cataracts that developed in each eye. Soeun, a 56-year-old Cambodian man, is married with two daughters. He enjoys watching news on the television. Soeun traveled five hours with his wife to reach Watsi's medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), for treatment. The income that Soeun makes as a driver is not sufficient to cover the $292 surgery he needs to restore his vision. Doctors at CSC will perform a phacoemulsification procedure, during which they will break apart Soeun's clouded lenses and replace them with clear implant lenses. After his procedure, Soeun will no longer experience the blurred vision and tearing that makes it difficult to do his work. Let's help fund Soeun's surgery so he can return to work and continue to support his family.