Kevin is a 15-month-old boy from Guatemala. His parents have had trouble affording foods rich in calories, protein, and nutrients. For this reason, he is only the size of a healthy seven-month-old. Kevin has been diagnosed with acute malnutrition. This means he has little energy to grow, and his immune system is weak and vulnerable to illness. He is also at risk of chronic disease and delayed development. Fortunately, he began malnutrition treatment on November 24, 2016. Kevin lives with his mother and older siblings in a one-room adobe house with a tin roof. His older sister takes care of him, so both of his parents can work as day laborers on a local plantation. While Kevin's parents want the best for their son, their resources are already stretched thin. They cannot afford to pay for his $512 treatment. While malnutrition can have devastating effects, it is also very treatable. Growth monitoring, micronutrients, and food supplementation will help Kevin recover. He will gain weight and grow taller to catch up with other children his age, and his immune system will grow stronger. Community health workers will teach his mother about creating a nutrient-rich diet from limited resources. Treatment will give Kevin a chance to grow healthy and strong. "We are a family with few resources, so this is going to benefit my son in a big way," says Kevin's mother. "Now I can give my son the best foods, so I can improve the health and growth of my little boy."

Chhoun is a 70-year-old man from Cambodia who is married with three sons, one daughter, and six grandchildren. He likes to listen to monks praying on the radio, read Buddhist books, and go to the pagoda to listen to monks pray. Chhoun heard about Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), a Watsi medical partner, from a neighbor who had surgery there before. He spent three hours traveling with his son to reach CSC for treatment. Chhoun developed a cataract in each eye about two years ago, causing blurred vision, irritation, cloudy lenses, and photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light). This makes it difficult for him to see things and people clearly, do any work, and go anywhere. A surgery consisting of an extra-capsular cataract extraction (ECCE) and intraocular lens (IOL) implant in each eye will allow Chhoun to see clearly again. ECCE is a category of eye surgery in which the lens of the eye is removed while the elastic capsule that covers the lens is left partially intact to allow implantation of an IOL. $292 will cover the costs of the surgery and care Chhoun needs. Let's help raise the funds! Chhoun says, "I hope my eyes can see everything more clear than now so that I can easily see everything and go anywhere outside by myself."

“I am taking care of my sick parents, but am also sick myself,” shares Kahunzire, a 30-year-old woman from Uganda. Kahunzire used to work in a supermarket, but her father fell ill and had no one else to take care of him. She decided to quit her job and look after her father and her mother, who is also sick. With no source of income, Kahunzire began harvesting produce from her garden to feed to her parents. But recently, due to a new ailment, she has lost her ability to work in the garden. Last year, Kahunzire started feeling abdominal pain after eating, and noticed a swelling in her stomach. She visited a hospital, and was diagnosed with a hernia in her umbilical region. Kahunzire’s hernia causes her pain not only when she eats, but also when she bends over, or does any strenuous physical activity. For this reason, she can no longer dig the vegetables on which she and her parents are dependent for meals. And if she is not treated, Kahunzire could suffer fatal side complications like intestinal strangulation, where part of the herniated tissue becomes cut off from blood flow. But there is hope for Kahunzire. When we raise $220, Holy Family Virika Hospital will provide her with hernia repair surgery, as well as the medications, lab tests, and two-week hospital stay she’ll need to recover from the procedure. After surgery, Kahunzire wants to continue harvesting produce to support her parents. She also plans to increase her yield so that she can begin selling some of the surplus food for income. By helping Kahunzire recover from her hernia, we can help her begin her small business and support her parents.

Mutabaazi is a 17-month-old boy from Uganda whose family describes him as a very jolly kid. He has one sibling-- a three-year-old sister. Mutabaazi's mother is a housewife and his father is a cattle keeper who works for someone else. Both are migrants originally from Rwanda, and they have no piece of land or house of their own. When Mutabaazi was six months old, his mother noticed a swelling on his right scrotum. She took him to a health center where he was given injections and told that the swelling would go away, but nothing happened. Mutabaazi has since been diagnosed with a right inguinal scrotal hernia, a condition in which part of the intestine protrudes through the lower abdominal wall and into the scrotum. The swelling increases in size when Mutabaazi laughs or cries. Mutabaazi's mother is worried about her son's condition. When he is in pain he cries a lot and sometimes he stops playing and appears sickly. At these times, Mutabaazi's mother cannot get her work done as she has to pay him full attention. However, she was not able to bring her son to the hospital because she knew she wouldn't be able to afford the bills. If not treated, Mutabaazi may suffer intestinal incarceration, obstruction, or strangulation. The salary Mutabaazi's father earns is not even enough to sustain the family, and they therefore seek assistance to cover the cost of hernia repair surgery for their son. During the surgery, which costs $220, doctors will return Mutabaazi's herniated tissue to his abdominal cavity and repair the weakness in his abdominal wall. This procedure will eliminate the aforementioned risks and put an end to Mutabaazi's pain. After surgery, Mutabaazi’s mother hopes to have peace of mind, do her house work without interruption, and to know that her son is in good health.