Savan is a 69-year-old retired rice farmer. He lives in Prey Veang near the border of Cambodia and Vietnam with his family. He and his wife have three sons, four daughters, and twelve grandchildren. His youngest daughter still lives at home and helps support the family by working at a local construction company. At home, Savan and his wife like taking walks, spending time with family, caring for his chickens, and watching the news. About three months ago, Savan 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 been having difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about potential falls while walking, which has made him reluctant to venture out independently. When Savan learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On April 1st, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, Savan needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Savan shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better so I can easily go out in the village on my own and help take my grandkids to school."

Kila is a sweet 19-month-old boy from Ethiopia. He already loves to play football with his dad and mom. His mom and dad went to school up to grade three and dropped out since the schools were far from their neighbourhood. They now work as casual labourers at a construction site; his mom carries Kila to work and works with him tied on her back. They earn $1.76 per day and live in a rented house. They work hard, but their income is hardly enough to sustain the family and to raise their child. They support each other in the housework too. Dad buys water and carries it on his back for their daily use. They buy charcoal to cook their food. Since birth, Kila has had an inguinal hernia. His parents took him to a health centre, but they were referred to a hospital in another city. A month ago, they heard of an organization around their area that helps families in need who don't have access to surgery because of a lack of funds to support their treatment. They went to the mission organization and communicated with the sisters about the condition of the child and their financial status. The sisters called our local partner's care center Bethany KidsMCM and informed them of Kila's condition. BKMCM arranged accommodation for his family on their treatment stay in Addis Ababa, working in partnership with Missionaries of Charity, and assigned a date and informed the sisters to bring the family on that date. The family is unable to afford Kila's surgery and is requesting financial assistance. This hernia causes him weakness and pain that prevents him from walking. Fortunately, on December 12th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $512 to fund Kila's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live and grow more comfortably and confidently. Kila's dad said, “This is in the hands of God, but I hope with this surgery, the bulge will disappear and he will get normal and free of any complication.”

Alazar is a sweet boy from Ethiopia. He is the seventh child in his family. Five of the children are girls and two are boys. He loves to sing songs, go to church, try martial arts, and drink juice. His dad is diabetic and his condition causes him to faint often. He has government health insurance and gets treatment in a local government hospital. Because of his condition, Alazar's dad cannot work. His mom makes traditional bread and sells it on the street to feed her children. She makes her bread by firewood and this makes it hard for her to always have the smoke of the wood making the bread. She is the only one who works for income in their family, but her older children help with housework. They bring water from the spring carrying it on their back. She proudly sends all her children to school. Alazar underwent an earlier colostomy, in which the end of the colon is brought through an opening in the abdominal wall. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may call for closure. In Alazar's case, his colostomy requires closure in order to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,009 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Alazar. The surgery is scheduled to take place on January 9th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Alazar's mom said: “After he gets the treatment and heals I will praise my Lord. I will tell everyone who knows me about the hand of God. I did ask God ‘to heal my baby. You gave me this child; don’t take it away from me. I always cry and pray.’ I hope God has heard my prayer leading me to you. I will go to my church and testify what God did to all community in the church.”