Qanitah is a three-year-old girl from Tanzania. She is the second-born in a family of three children and lives with her parents and extended relatives. Qanitah sustained burn injuries to both hands at a very young age. The burns mildly affected her right wrist joint and severely involved the fingers of both hands, leading to fusion and restricted movement. As she grew, the condition has increasingly limited her ability to use her hands independently for daily activities. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Qanitah receive treatment. On February 6th, surgeons at their care center, Kafika House, will perform contracture release surgery and a skin graft to restore hand function and allow Qanitah to live a more independent and meaningful life. Without surgical release, the contractures will continue to limit hand function and affect her future independence, including future school participation and self-care. Now, she needs help to fund this $832 procedure. Qanitah's mother says, “She wants to hold things and feed herself like other children, but her fingers cannot open properly, and that breaks my heart.”

Bintou is a three-year-old girl from Mali. She is the youngest of five children. Bintou has been experiencing pain and swelling in the right knee and left arm. This causes difficulty walking and moving. She was reviewed at our medical partner's care center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kati, and was diagnosed with septic arthritis, a painful joint infection. If left untreated, the condition can cause irreversible joint damage. Fortunately, on June 2nd, Bintou will undergo repair surgery with the help of our medical partner, Muso. They are requesting $619 to fund Bintou's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will prevent serious long-term complications and allow her to live a more active, healthier life. Bintou's family shared, "We hope to see Bintou fully healed so that she can walk properly again."

William is a 49-year-old father of one from Uganda. He is a devoted husband and father who has been married for 28 years. Neither William nor his wife had the opportunity to pursue formal education. They live in a modest single-room house on a small plot of land, reflecting their humble circumstances. To sustain their family and meet their daily needs, they rely on working on other people’s farms, a physically demanding and often unstable source of income. However, William’s medical condition has made it increasingly difficult for him to continue working. Five years ago, William underwent a hernia repair surgery on the left side of his inguinal region. A year later, he developed an inguinal hernia on his right side, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. The condition has been causing him pain and discomfort, threatening his ability to provide for his family. Fortunately, on March 5th, William has been scheduled for hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center, Uganda Martyr's Ibanda Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $201 to fund William's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably. William says, "I am grateful to the hospital team for connecting me to the donor program, because I cannot afford to raise money for the operation. After the surgery, I will go back and work hard to sustain my family."