Meet Nafissa. She is a 25-year old woman who shared that she tends to be very shy and reserved. She lives with her parents and her young child in an area of Burkina Faso where conflict is currently impacting their lives deeply. When she was a child, Nafissa developed a painful growth on the left side of her chin. This swelling in her lower jawbone affected her ability to eat, and was determined to be a benign tumor that needed to be removed. Her parents were able to secure the funds to send Nafissa to a hospital in Togo, where she could be treated at no cost to her family. The growth was removed, and for several years, Nafissa did well. However, the growth recurred, and in the middle of last year, Nafissa returned to Togo, where the second growth was excised. This time, however, the surgeon determined that her whole jawbone would also need to be removed. As the doctor in Togo did not have the necessary training to perform the surgery that Nafissa needed, he referred her to a physician with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Miraculously, Nafissa is now scheduled for a major jaw surgery with the leading team at AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. As Nafissa's husband abandoned her because of her condition, and provides no support to Nafissa or their child, Nafissa and her parents are looking to you to help fund the $1,500 procedure, which will finally relieve Nafissa of the pain and symptoms that result from the tumor. Nafissa says: “It pains me that I have to stay at home with no friends. Making it worse, I cannot work to provide for my child.”

Amina is a shy 11-year-old student living in Tanzania. Amina was born with albinism, a condition feared and misunderstood within her culture. But Amina enjoys going to school, as it is when she is able to socialize with her friends. While she is at school, her parents work on people's farms to earn money, and Amina's mother also sells fruits, vegetables, and spices at the market. Amina suffered burns to both of her hands in an accident in 2020. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around her burns. Her right wrist has limited extension, which makes it difficult for her to accomplish a variety of daily tasks. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Amina receive treatment. On March 9th surgeons at Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre will perform burn contracture release surgery to help Amina to use her hands freely. Now she needs your help to fund this $874 procedure. Amina’s mother says: “We are excited that Amina is going to get better after the surgery.”

Ly Vay is a cheerful boy with a loving family. His parents are rice farmers and his 10-year-old sister helps take care of Ly Vay after school. According to his parents, his favorite activity is to play and splash in water by the river near their house. Ly Vay was born with contractures on four of his fingers on the left hand, where the muscles of his fingers are hardened. As he is getting older and exploring the world with his hands, he is unable to do many things because of the contractures. When Ly Vay and his family learned about our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre(CSC), they traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 22nd, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery so he can have improved hand function. Now, his family needs help funding this $487 procedure. His father hopes that Ly Vay's fingers can be straightened and that he can play, pick up toys, and do many more things with both hands.