Bakihawekyi is a farmer from Uganda. She is married and a mother to nine children, including five boys. Her daughters are married and are all small scale farmers. She practices small scale farming alongside her husband. Thirty years ago, Bakihawekyi began to experience troubling symptoms, including difficulty breathing, persistent headaches and blurry vision. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse and can’t afford the costs of her surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Bakihawekyi receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 27th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $240, and she and her family need help raising money. Bakihawekyi says, “I hope my surgery will be successful."

Delvin is a baby boy from Tanzania, and is the second born to his parents. Delvin’s mother has another child who stays with his father in a different region after they separated. She got married to Delvin's father who also had another child. His parents depend on small-scale farming for their living thus their income is very little. Delvin has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Delvin has been experiencing seizures. Without treatment, Delvin will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,238 to cover the cost of surgery for Delvin that will treat his hydrocephalus. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 11th and will drain the excess fluid from Delvin's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Delvin will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Delvin’s mother says, “Kindly help my son please, we are unable to afford the treatment cost and his health is worsening each day."

Rachana is a 38-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He has two sons and two daughters, and when he has free time, his favorite activities include cooking, watching television, and listening to the radio. Twelve years ago, Rachana noticed a mass growing inside his nose on the left side. He has tried various treatment options and he still experiences nasal obstruction. This makes it very difficult for Rachana to breathe, and he often has a runny nose and headaches. Rachana traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 19th, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), will remove the mass. Now, Rachana needs help to raise $231 to fund this procedure. "I hope that Rachana's surgery will go well and that we will no longer have to worry about his condition and he will feel better again." -Savuth, Rachana's Brother-in-Law