Anitah is sociable woman from Uganda. She is a mother to three children - all her children are in school, the eldest in primary school class three and the youngest attending baby class. Her parents are farmers, and she is the fifth child in a family of eight, with six brothers and one sister, all of whom are married and engaged in farming too. At university, Anitah pursued a diploma in crafts and digital design. However, despite her qualifications, she struggled to secure employment in her field and now focuses on homemaking duties such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for her children. Her husband is a businessman specializing in roadside meat roasting. They reside in a three-room semi-permanent house constructed with mud and reeds in the Kasozi Rwempisyi trading center. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family. She is currently expecting her fourth child. Her doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section because of her higher risk pregnany. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Anitah undergo a C-Section on February 16th. This procedure will cost $252, and Anitah needs your support. Anitah says, “I am hopeful that if I get support, I will be able to deliver well, have a live baby and continue hustling, looking for jobs to sustain my family.”

Christopher, who is 12 years old, lives with his parents and three siblings in a small fishing village in southwest Haiti. As a young child, Christopher suffered from a bout of rheumatic fever, which severely damaged one of his heart valves. As a result, it is difficult for his heart to efficiently pump blood through his body. The Gift of Life International will be subsidizing Christopher's heart surgery, which is scheduled to take place on February 5th, at Welcare Hospital. During this procedure, surgeons will remove the damaged valve, and implant an artificial replacement. Our medical partner, International Cardiac Alliance, is requesting $1,500 to fund the preoperative testing that Christopher will need, his post-operative care, and the travel expenses for Christopher and his family. Christopher shared: "I am very excited to have a healthy heart after waiting for so long!"

Allen is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She completed primary school but was not able to continue because her parents were unable to support her education. She is separated from her husband and raising two children. Her firstborn is 14 years old and no longer in school, and her secondborn is 13 years old and is in primary school. She lives with her parents in a three-room mud house. Ten years ago, Allen began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small painless swelling on her neck which was rapidly increasing in size. She resorted to using herbs, but they did not help her at all. Currently, the mass has enlarged excessively and has caused difficulty in swallowing. She also experiences mild airway obstruction and on-and-off episodes of severe headaches. She was diagnosed with a goiter and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Allen receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo thyroid surgery on February 3rd at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Allen says, ‘‘I pray to have a successful surgery. I hope to continue with farming after complete recovery to be able to support our family. May God bless you.’’