Mesa is 10 years old and a Grade 4 student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents and younger brother in Kompong Spue Province. His parents run a small shop where they take photos for students and print documents. He enjoys math at school, looks after his younger brother, and plays football with friends in his village. His favorite meal is lemongrass sour soup with eggs. When Mesa was one year old, he was burned by hot water, causing an injury to his left hand. He received a skin graft to the back of his hand at a governmental hospital, followed by a release of the fourth web space about a year later. He has since developed burn scar contractures between the second, third, and fourth fingers. The scars between his fingers restrict the spaces between them and make it difficult for him to fully straighten his left-hand fingers. He sometimes struggles to hold objects, and the appearance of his hand makes him feel shy around other people. Mesa's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and sought treatment. On September 15th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help open the tight spaces between his fingers and improve the movement of his left hand, making it easier for him to straighten his fingers and hold things. Now, he needs help to fund this $652 procedure. Mesa's father said, “I hope this surgery will help my son straighten his fingers and use his left hand more easily when holding things. I also hope that as his hand improves, he will feel less shy and more confident around other people.”

George is a 10-year-old boy from Kenya who enjoys playing and learning new things. His mother is a casual worker who earns a small and irregular income from activities such as selling fruits. Her income is often barely enough to meet the family’s basic needs. George was born unable to perceive sound, which has made it difficult for him to make friends and participate in school. He has learned to lip read to communicate, but the limitations have left him feeling isolated in the classroom when the teacher addresses him but he cannot understand what is being asked of him. Doctors have recommended that George be fitted with hearing aids. They would give him an opportunity to improve his ability to access sound and communication, participate more meaningfully in school, interact with his peers, and communicate more easily with his mother and those around him. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare (AMH) can help. George is scheduled to be fitted with hearing aids on October 2nd, and he and his family need your help raising $1,171 in order to fund the devices. Hearing aids could help restore George's confidence and give him renewed hope for his education and future. "The hope of one day hearing my son call me ‘Mom’ has been restored,” George’s mother shared.

Yin is a loving 74-year-old grandfather from Kampong Speu province in Cambodia. He is married and has five sons, two daughters, and 20 grandchildren. He previously worked as a housekeeper, but now lives with his wife, who helps take care of their grandchildren, and his youngest daughter, who works in the garment industry. His favorite hobbies are attending ceremonies, listening to the radio, listening to monks pray, and visiting the pagoda. About a year ago, Yin developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on his own. When Yin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On August 17th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Yin is able to contribute towards the cost of his treatment, but needs help raising an additonal $238 to fund the procedure. He said, "I hope that after cataract surgery, my eyesight will improve so that I can see more clearly, attend ceremonies, visit the pagoda, and continue doing housework independently."