Festus is a lively 6-year-old boy from Kenya. He is the third born in a family of five children. His parents own a small corn farm, which they use to earn a living by selling produce. Festus was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. Without treatment, he will continue to experience discomfort and will be at risk for infertility. Fortunately, Festus’ father was introduced to a social worker who brought the family to the care center, BethanyKids Kijabe Hospital (BKKH). BKKH is run by our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). As a result, on February 16th, surgeons at AMH will perform the corrective surgery. AMH is requesting $847 to fund the total cost of his procedure and care. Festus’ father says, “I want Festus to be treated and grow up like other children.”

Mena is a 6-year-old girl who lives in a rural village in Cambodia with her parents and two-year-old brother. Her father is a rice and vegetable farmer, and her mother works in a nearby clothes factory. Mena's grandparents help care for her while her parents are working. She loves sports, especially soccer, and her favorite foods are fried eggs and rice. A few weeks ago, her dad noticed that she couldn't hear him and Mena says she can't hear like before she was sick with the flu a month ago. Since then, she has experienced ear discharge and tinnitus. She has missed many days of school and medication has not improved her condition. Fortunately, our medical partner, Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC), can help. On March 27th, surgeons at CSC will perform a myringotomy procedure to drain fluid from her ear so she can hear well and return to school. Now, she needs help raising $184 to fund her procedure and care. Her father shared, "I hope that after surgery my daughter's hearing improves and she is not in pain anymore."

Juliet is a widowed small-scale farmer who has solely raised all four of her children, with the eldest in her senior year and the youngest having just completed primary school. In addition to farming, she does casual labor work on other people’s farms to supplement her income. A while back, Juliet began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling, shortness of breath and difficulty in swallowing. She is no longer able to actively engage in farming or walk long distances because of palpitations and easy fatiguability. After receiving a thyroid test and scan, she was diagnosed with nontoxic goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Juliet receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 24th where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. She and her family need help to raise $252 to fund the procedure and care. Juliet says, “It will surely be a blessing and I will really be blessed having my health restored to normal once given a chance to undergo this surgery under your support.”