Haruna is a 10-year-old student from Tanzania. Haruna is the fourth born child in a family of five children. He is currently in Class Five, and his best subjects are mathematics and social studies. Haruna is a big lover of football, which his father says he picked at an early age. Unfortunately, a few months ago, his father has had to stop him from playing football due to the level of deformity in his legs and risk of getting a fracture. Haruna was diagnosed with genu varus. His legs bow outwards at the knee so that they do not touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, he has difficulty walking for a distance and he is no longer able to play football, the sport he loves. The procedure Haruna needs is costly for his family. Haruna's parents are small-scale farmers of maize, beans and tobacco. They are able to get their food from the harvest of maize and vegetable and some little money from selling tobacco harvest. Now, they are appealing for financial support for Haruna's cost of care. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Haruna. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 3rd. Treatment will hopefully restore Haruna's mobility, allow him to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease his risk of future complications. Haruna shared, “I would like to be able to walk well and play like my friends. Please help me get this treatment."

Zainabu is a 10-year-old student and the youngest in a family of six children. She is an intelligent, social, and hard-working girl both at home and at school. She is currently in class four and will be joining class five next year. Her best subjects are English and Swahili, and she proudly shared that she was position three in her class in the final exams this year. Go Zainbau :)! Zainbau loves to help her mother with home chores. Her parents are small scale farmers who sell maize, sorghum, and vegetables to make a living. They use most of their harvest of food for their family and are able to sell a few harvests in order to buy other basics. Zainabu was diagnosed with bilateral genu varus, or bowleggedness. This condition causes her legs to bow outwards at the knee. It is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, she has great difficulty with walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Zainabu. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 5th. Treatment will hopefully restore Zainabu's mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications. Zainabu’s father shared, “My daughter has been having difficulty walking for a while, but I was unable to help her due to financial challenges. My family and I are grateful for your help."

Ly is a 73-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He has five sons, one daughter, and ten grandchildren. Since his wife passed away four years ago, he has been living with his daughter. Ly enjoys watching Khmer boxing on TV and reading Buddhist books. Ten years ago, Ly developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him blurred vision, tearing, photophobia and irritation. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Ly learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours with his daughter seeking treatment. On December 1st, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Ly shared, "I want to be able to take care of myself and my grandchildren and visit the pagoda once I am healed."