Anastazia is a 5-year-old girl. She comes from a big family, with 7 children and two parents. She enjoys spending time with her siblings helping around their house; cooking, washing, and fetching water are some of her favorite activities at home. She lives in a small village called Maji moto located in the northwest of Tanzania, where people from the area are mostly farmers. Anastazia's parents are small-scale farmers who cultivate maize and nuts which are rain dependent. Due to the recent climate change, that has affected rains, they have not had a good harvest in the past two years that has resulted in an unreliable market and income. One year ago, Anastazia got in an accident; while she was trying to help her older sister take a pot of hot tea from the stove, the steam from the pot burned her hand and she let go of the pot and the tea spilled all over her right arm, axilla, and groin. She was given first aid by her sister and then rushed to the hospital. It took almost two months for the wounds to fully heal. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around her burn. She has had difficulty and discomfort while walking. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Anastazia receive treatment. On March 2nd, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help her walk easily again. Now, she needs help to fund this $639 procedure. Anastazia’s mother says, “She enjoys spending time playing with her siblings and friends but the pain from her thighs makes her enjoy it less. I hope this treatment will give her the chance to enjoy games with her siblings.”

Khine is a 17-year-old girl from Burma. She lives with her mother, her older sister, and her uncle's family. She works as a domestic worker. Three months ago, she started to feel dizzy and have headaches. She had a CT scan at Mae Sot Hospital, which indicated she might have a brain tumor. Shine experiences headaches, dizziness, and sometimes vomits. She has also had seizures multiple times and weakness in her limbs. She has little appetite and has lost weight. Gradually, she is losing her ability to speak. Khine sought treatment through our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund. She is now scheduled to undergo surgery to remove the tumor on February 3rd. She is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Her uncle said, "Although I am a man, I have cried for my niece. I even thought about selling one of my organs (for money), one of my kidneys perhaps, because we cannot afford to treat her. Thank you to all the donors for helping my niece. After she is treated, I want her to have a happy family, with a husband and children. I cannot wait to see my niece happy."

Hot is a 55-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has one son, three daughters, and five grandchildren. She and her husband practice rice farming and live with their two daughters, who are students. In her free time, Hot likes to watch the news and movies on TV. About seven years ago, Hot developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and photophobia. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage, and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. As a result of this condition, Hot has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going outside. When Hot learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for six and a half hours seeking treatment. Hot will undergo surgery on February 7th to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of this procedure is $225, which covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. Hot said, "I hope I will no longer have eye irritation, tearing, or redness after surgery. I want to be able to go outside and see well to plant rice and vegetables."