Alfred, who is 69 years old, comes from a small village in Uganda. He had to leave school after only a few years of study, and now he and his wife work as small scale farmers. Alfred has been experiencing intermittent swelling in both his right and left inguinal areas for the past year. He went to different clinics, and was given pain medication, but the swelling has persisted. He shared his concerns with his son, who advised him to come to Rwibaale Health Center for an evaluation. As a result of the doctor's examination, Alfred was diagnosed with bilateral inguinal hernias. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is seeking $234 to fund Alfred's hernia repair surgery, which is scheduled to take place on February 15th, at Rwibaale Health Centre. After he has recovered from this procedure, Alfred should be able to resume his life, free from his current discomfort. Alfred said: "I hope to get back to my fields after recovery.’’

Shedrack is a 6-year-old boy from Tanzania who recently joined a kindergarten class. He enjoys going to school and playing with toy cars with his best friend. Shedrack is presently facing challenges due to an accident he had when he was just seven months old. While playing, he accidentally got too close to an open fire and crawled over it, resulting in burns to his right hand from pieces of firewood. His mother rushed him to the hospital, where he received a dressing for his wounds. It took two months for the burns to heal, but it was not until later that his mother realized his fingers were not fully functional due to the burn injury. The scar tissue that had developed made it difficult for Shedrack to use his right hand fingers, rendering him unable to hold a pencil at school. Despite this limitation, he still enjoys playtime with toys, using his left hand only. Shedrack’s mother desired to get treatment for her son, but financial constraints prevented them from seeking surgical intervention. Shedrack's family encountered a doctor affiliated with our medical partner's care center Kafika House, who directed them to seek assistance at the facility. Upon evaluation, Shedrack was diagnosed with burn scar contractures on his right hand, necessitating corrective surgery to address the defects caused by the fire accident. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Shedrack receive treatment at their care center Kafika House. On March 7th, surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve his hand’s functionality. Now, his family needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Shedrack’s mother says: “I hope he starts his treatment and that his hand won’t be a barrier as he continues with school.”

Sophearith is a 9-year-old student from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. His mother works as a tailor, and his father drives a TukTuk. Sophearith is the youngest in his family, with three older siblings. He is in the 4th grade and enjoys math and P.E. classes. In his free time, he likes to play soccer with his friends, and his dream is to become a professional soccer player one day! About seven months ago, Sophearith began experiencing difficulty breathing at night, snoring, sore throats, difficulty eating, and weight loss. The frequent illness is causing him to miss school. He was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Fortunately, our medical partner is helping Sophearith undergo tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy surgery on April 8th. During the procedure, the surgeons will remove his tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Sophearith of his symptoms and helping him live much more comfortably. Sophearith and his family contributed $100, but need an additional $265 to fund this procedure. Sophearith shared: "I hope I can feel better and breathe easier after my operation."