Shinka is a 6-year-old boy from Kenya. He is the last born in a family of seven children. His father, who was the sole breadwinner of the family passed away in 2017 after a short illness. To provide for the family, the eldest son, who finished his high school studies last year, sells milk to earn some money. Sometimes the earnings are not much, and they have to rely on family members for financial support. The family does not have medical coverage and is not able to raise the money needed to pay for Shinka's surgery. In May of last year, Shinka started experiencing some difficulty when passing urine. At some point, he had stopped going to school for a few weeks. His mother shared Shinka's condition with his uncle who took him to a local health center for review. Shinka was examined and referred to our facility. When he came with his uncle for examination, doctors were able to diagnose his condition and also found a condition called cryptorchidism that first requires a bilateral orchidopexy surgery. If left untreated, Shinka has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Shinka will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on January 11th. AMHF is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Shinka’s uncle says, “We are very much worried as a family about Shinka’s condition. His studies are affected, and we want him to go back to school as soon as possible.”

Anitah is sociable woman from Uganda. She is a mother to three children - all her children are in school, the eldest in primary school class three and the youngest attending baby class. Her parents are farmers, and she is the fifth child in a family of eight, with six brothers and one sister, all of whom are married and engaged in farming too. At university, Anitah pursued a diploma in crafts and digital design. However, despite her qualifications, she struggled to secure employment in her field and now focuses on homemaking duties such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for her children. Her husband is a businessman specializing in roadside meat roasting. They reside in a three-room semi-permanent house constructed with mud and reeds in the Kasozi Rwempisyi trading center. During her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family. She is currently expecting her fourth child. Her doctors recommend that she deliver via a caesarean section because of her higher risk pregnany. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Anitah undergo a C-Section on February 16th. This procedure will cost $252, and Anitah needs your support. Anitah says, “I am hopeful that if I get support, I will be able to deliver well, have a live baby and continue hustling, looking for jobs to sustain my family.”

Thi Ha is a three-year-old boy from Burma. He lives with his mother and an older sister in a village in Karen State, Burma. His mother is a stay-at-home parent, and his sister goes to school. His father works in Bangkok, Thailand, as a cleaner in a market to support his family. When Thi Ha was born, his mother noticed a mass at the bottom of Thi Ha’s spine. As he grew older, the mass grew larger and started causing him pain, even if something soft touched it. Thi Ha and his mother visited our medical partner’s care center, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, where the doctors wanted Thi Ha to undergo an MRI to diagnose his condition and prepare an appropriate treatment plan for Thi Ha. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $968 to cover the cost of Thi Ha’s MRI and care, scheduled for February 13. His mother said, “Sometimes his friends do not care and ignore him because of his disease. Then Thi Ha feels embarrassed and upset with his friends.”