Happiness is a student from Tanzania. The second-born child in a family of seven children being raised by their widowed mother, she wants to be a teacher. Her best subjects in school are Swahili, mathematics, social studies and history. She says she would love to learn English but it’s very difficult. But overall, she is always in the top ten children in her class.
Happiness’s father passed away when she was six years old. A cattle seller, he was attacked by cattle rustlers and killed. This left the mother with children to care for by herself. Happiness’s mother now does small-scale farming to put food on the table for her children.
Happiness was diagnosed with genu varus. Her legs bow outward so that she has difficulty walking. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water.
Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Happiness. The procedure is scheduled to take place on December 7th. Treatment will hopefully restore Happiness’s mobility, allow her to participate in a variety of activities, and greatly decrease her risk of future complications.
Happiness’s mother says, “Ever since her dad passed away, it has been hard for me to provide for the family on my own and pay for treatment.”