John is an 11-year-old quiet boy from Meru County in Kenya. John's story is a journey of compassion and the unwavering support of a dedicated well-wisher. His origin is drawn back to Tanzania, where he was disowned by his birth parents due to a congenital disorder on his feet. His present guardian adopted him, offering not just a home but a sense of belonging. John has clubfoot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. Both his feet are affected. The condition causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. John was diagnosed during a mobile clinic held by our medical partner's care center AIC Cure International Hospital. He underwent a successful surgery on his left foot, which is now healed. He is currently in the hospital to undergo reconstruction of his right foot. He has in the meantime been undergoing serial casting to adjust the position of his foot to achieve the desired correction. Fortunately, our medical partner African Mission Healthcare, is helping John receive treatment. On March 21st, surgeons at AIC Cure International Hospital will perform clubfoot repair surgery to improve his mobility. John aspires to go back to school and study hard so that he can be a doctor someday. Now, John's family needs help to fund this $1,286 procedure. John shared, “I am looking forward to seeing my foot corrected, to walking properly, playing football with my friends, continue with my studies like other children and achieving my dream of becoming a doctor in future so that I can impact the lives of children born with clubfoot and other physical conditions."

Wishes is a 5-year-old who hails from a village in Lilongwe District. She is the last born in a family of 3 children and is a bright young student in primary school. Wishes’ parents depend on small-scale farming where they grow maize and groundnuts for their family to eat and for commercial purposes to support the family. Since she was born, Wishes has been experiencing a painful abdomen, vomiting, frequent diarrhea, and feeling weak. Her mother has been taking her to Nkhoma Hospital where she was advised to come back to meet a surgeon for assessment. Wishes was diagnosed with a periumbilical hernia, and she was scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital. However, her parents cannot afford the surgery although they hope to have their daughter undergo surgery. This condition has had a negative impact on Wishes’s life as she feels abdominal pain and cannot go to school when this happens, therefore, affecting her school performance. If the condition is left untreated, it may lead to strangulation which can be life-threatening. Wishes is scheduled for hernia repair surgery on February 13th. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $421 to fund surgery. After surgery, Wishes will be relived of pain and she will be able to attend school without any hindrances from the condition. Wishes’ mother says, “Thank you for this opportunity that has brought new hope to my daughter.”

Navy is a 57-year-old farmer. Married and residing with her elderly husband, Navy is blessed with seven children – two daughters and five sons – all of whom are married and live in Kampot province. As a dedicated rice farmer, Navy works in the fields throughout the day, contributing to her family's well-being alongside the support provided by their children. During the windy dry season, her evenings are devoted to caring for her husband and keeping her house clean. Six months ago, Navy tripped and fractured the humerus bone in her right upper arm. She had surgery, where hardware was placed to align her fractured bone into place for optimal healing. The metalwork is causing her chronic pain, risks infection, and she still has limited function in her arm. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On January 3rd, Navy will undergo a hardware removal procedure, which will cost $304. This procedure will remove the metal, and she hopes her chronic pain will be less. She said: "I hope after surgery, I will have no pain and can go back to farming and caring for my family."