Joshua is a 12-year-old boy from Tanzania. He lives with his parents, who are livestock keepers, and is one of five children in the family. Joshua is currently in middle school and is described as a bright and responsible child. He enjoys completing his homework and helping care for animals after school. Joshua dreams of becoming a politician when he grows up. For the last three years, Joshua has experienced limited hand movement, making tasks such as writing, feeding himself, and helping with household chores difficult. His doctors recommend an amputation of Joshua's left hand, which has a burn scar with contractures involving multiple fingers. This will prevent his symptoms from getting worse as he grows. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,088 to fund Joshua's surgery on February 17th. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully help improve his health and quality of life. After recovering, Joshua is looking forward to improved hand function that will enable him to regain independence in daily activities and continue developing his leadership potential without physical barriers. Joshua's father says, “He cannot grip objects well because some fingers are damaged and tight from the scar.”

Ilhaam is a seven-year-old girl from Tanzania. She lives with her parents and her younger sister, the only surviving children after her parents tragically lost their first set of twins shortly after birth. Ilhaam is a cheerful child who enjoys playing with other children in her neighborhood. She loves singing and dancing. Ilhaam’s father works as a primary school teacher and is the sole provider for the family. Although he works hard to support his household, the cost of surgery is beyond what he can afford. Her parents are hopeful that with support, their daughter will receive the treatment she needs to walk comfortably and return to enjoying childhood activities. Ilhaam has been diagnosed with unilateral left valgus, a condition where the left knee angles inward. Several factors could cause this condition, such as growth disorders, vitamin deficiencies, or excessive fluoride found in contaminated drinking water. As a result, the knees can be angled inwards or outwards, making it difficult to walk and may cause long-term joint damage. Over time, Ilhaam's condition has worsened, and she has begun experiencing pain while standing or walking for long periods. Her parents first sought help at a nearby health facility where they were told that her bones might be weak and she was given calcium supplements. Despite following the advice, her condition did not improve. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $631 to fund treatment for Ilhaam. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 10th at our medical partner's care center, Kafika House. Treatment will hopefully restore Ilhaam's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Ilhaam's father says, "I only wish to see my daughter walk, dance and play without pain, and grow up like other children."

Kosal is a 41-year-old grocery seller from Cambodia. She lives in Kampong Chhnang Province with her husband and three school-aged children. Her husband works as a construction worker, while she runs a small grocery business to support the family. She enjoys cooking for her family and taking care of her children’s education in her free time. Kosal had an ear infection when she 15 years old. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Kosal experiences chronic left ear discharge (otorrhea), recurrent ear infections, intermittent ear pain, and hearing loss. The long-term ear condition causes ongoing discomfort and repeated discharge, affecting her daily comfort and confidence. It has also been a persistent health problem for many years, interfering with her quality of life and causing worry due to continuous symptoms despite previous treatments. Kosal traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On May 21st, she will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in her left ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Kosal and her family are able to contribute towards the cost of her treatment, but need help raising $377 more to fund the procedure. She says: “I have lived with ear pain and discharge for many years and never knew surgery could help me. I am very hopeful that this treatment will finally stop the pain, heal my ear, and allow me to live more comfortably without worry.”