Monika is a five-year-old student and the oldest child in her family. She just started the first grade. When she is not at school, Monika likes to play with other children around her house. In April, Monika was playing with friends and tripped causing a fracture of her left forearm. This injury has left Monika's arm red and swollen and has made it difficult for her to dress and feed herself. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. On April 18th, Monika will undergo a fracture repair procedure and CSC is helping Monika and her family raise $483 to cover the cost of the surgery. This procedure will repair Monika's forearm, and she will be able to use her hand again. Her mother said, "I hope this surgery can fix her arm and she can return to school. It is hard to see her cry every day."

Latifa is a beautiful young girl and the second born of three children. She is charming and bright, and joined the first grade earlier this year. Latifa loves to sing the vowels and to color. Latifa's father is a casual laborer working at construction sites while her mother sells deep fried cakes outside their home every morning. Latifa was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus which causes her legs bow outward at the knees. Latifa's mother says she noticed the problem when Latifa was learning to walk. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she walks with a challenging gait and has exhaustion and pain. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Latifa. The procedure is scheduled to take place on May 20th. Treatment will hopefully restore Latifa's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and decrease her risk of future complications. Latifa’s mother shared, “My daughter is struggling to walk, and her legs get worse every day. Please help her.”

Jane is a small-scale farmer and a loving mother of five. She and her husband, who is a retired teacher, do subsistence farming to support themselves. They own a mud house for shelter and have worked hard to raise and educate their children. They proudly shared that their youngest is now 22 years old and has a diploma in journalism. All their children went to school and they are grateful for support from relatives and friends whenever they faced school fee-related challenges. One year ago, Jane began to experience troubling symptoms, including swelling on her neck and severe neck pains. She was diagnosed with a Non-Toxic Nodular Goitre. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Jane receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on March 18th 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. Jane says, "I am worried about this condition and I need treatment. It could become complicated in the future, affecting my day-to-day life and duties. I hope to continue with farming as soon as I am well."