Jeremia is a nine-month-old infant from the Ngorongoro district in Tanzania. He lives with his mother and over 20 family members in a boma, a type of family-based communal living space where the community provides for each other's basic needs. Jeremia's father works in the production and sale of sandals in the city and sends money to his family. He has been away from home for over a year. Jeremia was born with a congenital condition wherein his right leg is twisted inward and downward. After Jeremia’s birth, her mother had little to no understanding of this condition, and she has since lived with concerns about her son’s future. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), visited Ngorongoro earlier this year to hold outreach clinics. Jeremia's mother attended one of AMH's clinics and received education about her son’s condition. She was delighted to hear that treatment options were available. Jeremia's mother appealed to her church to arrange for transportation to AMH's care center in Arusha. Doctors at AMH's care center diagnosed Jeremia with clubfoot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery on Jeremia on June 9th. After treatment, he will be able to walk more easily. Now, AMH is requesting $935 to fund Jeremia's procedure. Jeremia’s mother says, "I am happy that there is a possibility of treatment. I hope that all will go well and my son will be fine."

Catherine is a three year old toddler and is the second child in a family of two children. She lives in Tanzania. She is a quiet and laid-back child who doesn’t speak much. She enjoys spending time with her mother, who is employed as a pharmacist. This sometimes requires her mother to take her to work. Catherine’s father is a carpenter, crafting furniture in Mpanda. Both parents work diligently to meet their family’s needs, but their income is limited, preventing them from covering substantial medical expenses. Catherine has clubfoot of both legs. She began displaying signs of bowed legs when she started walking. Her legs gradually bowed outward, and while the defect was mild, it worsened as she grew older. This condition causes discomfort when she walks, making it challenging to ascend stairs or squat. During one of our partner's outreach visits, the medical team had the opportunity to meet Catherine and her parents. After a brief assessment, the team diagnosed her with fluorosis and bilateral bowleggedness. Following our visit, the family was advised to seek treatment at the medical centre. In August, after a two-day journey, Catherine arrived at the centre. She quickly felt at ease, as she was familiar with some of the medical team members. Following an initial meeting, she was scheduled to see an orthopaedic surgeon. Fortunately, Catherine's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, The Plaster House NGO. There, the team will begin clubfoot treatment on September 14th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Catherine's clubfoot repair. After treatment, her legs will be corrected and she can grow up active and healthy. Catherine’s mother says, “I wish my daughter to be better, this condition limits her so much and I feel sorry for her because she has a hard time keeping up with her friends.”

Thaw is a 5-year-old boy who lives with a large family in Burma. His whole family works as agricultural day labourers. He has not yet started his schooling because he is young and because of his health condition. Thaw enjoys playing with other children in their neighborhood. He also enjoys practicing writing the Burmese alphabet, which his brother has taught him. Thaw was born with a congenital condition affecting his lower digestive tract. He underwent surgery a few days after he was born and again when he was two years old. Now the doctor wants to perform a reverse colostomy, an operation to improve the function of his lower digestive tract. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of Thaw's surgery scheduled for June 12th. Thaw's father said, "Both us [my wife and I], have to watch him constantly because we are worried that he will get an infection... Currently, half of our income goes towards his medical expenses, which makes it difficult for our family to survive."