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.

Chilo wants to pursue a degree in medicine. But in 2003, Chilo was involved in a road accident that left him with a left ankle deformity that's limiting his education. “The damage to his ankle has caused severe pain, limping, and limitations on where he can go and how far he can manage. Since it was the result of an accident, there aren't social stigmas attached to it, but plenty of curious looks and it's limited his schooling significantly,” says our medical partner, CURE international. Chilo’s family has not been able to afford treatment for him and they tell us, “We are happy that we got contacts to come to CURE International through a group that Chilo joined back at home. It was a long journey to get here but we are happy that we are here.” For $1000 we can fund a left ankle infusion that will give Chilo the ability to walk without pain and limitation.

Mohamed is a little boy with big dreams. He is a math lover and soccer player, and at the young age of 7 he has already declared he wants to be a doctor when he grows up. Mohamed has an abscess in his liver and the infection is making him increasingly sick. First, Mohamed lost his appetite. Then, he began losing weight. After that, he became too weak to attend school. Now, Mohamed is so weak he cannot walk. Doctors at Project Muso tell us that, "without treatment, his life is in danger." Mohamed comes from Mali, one of the 25 poorest countries in the world. His father works as a community organizer and earns a modest income. It's enough to feed his family, but not enough to pay for Mohamed's medical care. We need to raise the $515 Mohamed needs to have his abscess drained, monitored, and medicated. With treatment, Mohamed's doctors say he can "return to school and a healthy, normal life." Note: Mali is currently embroiled in [serious civil conflict](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/11/world/africa/militants-battle-malian-and-french-troops-in-liberated-town.html?ref=mali&gwh=F11709FE56DDA38DF7683285C5ABC0E0). This may impact the rate at which we can provide updates on this patient, so please bear with us.