Zawadi is a one month old infant from Tanzania. Her name means "gift" in Swahili, because to her parents she is a gift from God. Her parents are small scale farmers who mainly grow food crops like maize and vegetable for their own use at home. The father also seeks day jobs at construction sites to be able to supplement their living, and through the money they get from this work, they are able to pay bills and buy other home commodities. Zawadi has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of her condition, Zawadi has been experiencing an increasing head circumference. Without treatment, Zawadi will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $765 to cover the cost of surgery for Zawadi that will treat her hydrocephalus. The procedure will drain the excess fluid from Zawadi's brain, to reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve her quality of life. With proper treatment, Zawadi will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young girl. Zawadi’s mother says "It’s been a step at a time trying to treat my daughter, but money is what has been our biggest challenge. She needs another surgery. Please help my daughter."

Paw is a 21-year-old who lives with her parents, a brother, three sisters, a daughter and a niece in a refugee camp. Her father used to be an agricultural day laborer, but had to stop working due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Her sisters go to school and her brother is unemployed. Paw looks after her daughter and niece, who are too young to go to school, while her mother looks after the household chores. In her free time, Paw likes to play with her daughter and visit her friends. On March 9th, Paw left the camp alone to collect firewood. While climbing a hill, she slipped, falling onto her right shin. She was in so much pain that she could not stand up. She got herself to a nearby road where a motorcyclist drove her back to the camp. At home, Paw was treated by a traditional healer, and a couple of days later, a second traditional healer told her family that Paw had fractured her leg. Paw's father made a bamboo brace for her leg, and carried her to the hospital in the camp run by International Rescue Committee (IRC). Knowing that she would need surgery, IRC staff referred her to Burma Children Medical Fund to receive treatment at a local hospital. Currently, Paw experiences a lot of pain when moving her right leg. She cannot stand up by herself and she cannot sleep at night when the pain is severe. Since she injured her leg, she feels more tired and she has lost her appetite. With the help of our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, Paw will undergo surgery to reset her fractured bones and ensure proper healing. The procedure will help her walk and live pain-free. The procedure is scheduled for March 12th and will cost $1,500. Paw shared, "once recovered, I will take care of my parents. I will work and save money for my daughter, so that I can make sure that she has food and clothes."

Kome is a 15-year-old student and his parents fish to earn a living for their family. In December of 2020, Kome's left leg became swollen and later ruptured exposing the bone. He has since developed a severely infected wound. He is in pain, unable to walk, and has since stopped walking to school. He was undergoing treatment and wound cleaning in his hometown, but unfortunately, his condition has worsened. After being examined by both general and orthopedic surgeons, he is now scheduled for surgery as an urgent case. Kome requires debridement and a possible sequescretomy to avoid amputation of his infected leg. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Kome receive treatment. On April 2nd, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure. After treatment, Kome will no longer be at risk for a severe bone infection and possible amputation. Now, Kome's family needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Kome's father shared, “Kome has not been going to school or playing because of the wound. The best we could do is the herbal treatment, but it seems it wasn’t working. He can lose the leg if it is not treated, and that is very sad.”