Talia is a sweet and soft-spoken 11-year-old student from Kenya. Her father is a construction worker, and her mother is a homemaker. Despite health challenges, Talia is a determined girl who works hard in school and dreams of becoming a pilot one day. When Talia was very young, her parents noticed delays in her development. She needed therapy to learn how to walk and did not begin speaking until she was three years old. Around that time, she was diagnosed with hearing loss, but her parents could not afford hearing aids. Without them, school has been difficult for Talia, and she has begun to fall behind her classmates. This has made her dream of becoming a pilot feel increasingly out of reach. Her hearing loss also affects her speech, making her hesitant to express herself for fear that others might laugh at her. About three months ago, Talia and her family visited our partner’s medical care center, AIC Kijabe Hospital, where doctors recommend hearing aids for Talia. Our partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,171 to fund Talia’s hearing aids, which will be fitted on April 28th. This amount will cover the purchase, programming, and fitting of the hearing aids. With these hearing aids, Talia will finally be able to hear, to learn, and to thrive. Now, Talia's family needs your support to have a fair chance at a brighter future. Talia shared, “When I try to speak, and the words don’t come out right, other children laugh at me. It makes me feel very sad.”

Key is a hardworking 30-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He lives in Oddar Meanchey province with his parents, who are rice farmers supporting a large family. He is the third of six siblings. Some of his brothers and sisters work in factories, while others help with farming. Despite financial challenges, the family works together to earn income and support one another. In his free time, he helps his parents with farm work and enjoys listening to music on the radio. Five months ago, Key fell on a slippery road during heavy rain, causing a serious injury and paralysis to his right arm. He has been diagnosed with a brachial plexus injury on his right side. The brachial plexus is a nerve network that transmits signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm, and hand. Injuries to this nerve network can result in loss of function and sensation. He was first treated at the provincial hospital, where he underwent open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) surgery for a humerus fracture. Although the surgery stabilized the bone, he continues to experience significant pain, weakness, and an inability to lift his right arm properly. This limits his ability to perform daily tasks and prevents him from working effectively as a farmer. He also sought Khmer traditional medicine treatment, which reduced some pain, but his arm function has not fully returned. Key traveled to our medical partner's care center, Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, to receive treatment. This is the only center in the whole country where this treatment is available. On March 3rd, he will undergo a brachial plexus repair surgery. After recovery, he will regain the ability to perform daily activities and return to farming work more independently. Key can contribute $100 toward his care, but our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, needs $637 more to fund the procedure and his care. Key said with hope, “Even though the pain is better now, my arm is still weak and I cannot use it normally. I truly hope that with proper treatment, I will regain my strength and be able to work and live independently again.”

Vichet is 18 years old and a rice farmer from Cambodia. He lives in Kompong Speu Province with his parents, who are also rice farmers. He is the youngest of four siblings. His first and second siblings are also rice farmers, while his third brother is a university student. In his free time, he enjoys playing games on his phone and helping his parents with farm work. When he was six years old, Vichet had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the eardrum. For this reason, Vichet experiences ear pain, discharge, hearing loss, and ringing in the ear. This condition caused him to stop attending school and affects his daily communication and quality of life due to ear pain and hearing loss. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Vichet receive treatment. On April 2nd, he will undergo a mastoidectomy procedure in his right ear. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. His family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $377 more to fund his procedure and care. Vichet said, “I hope that after treatment, my ear pain, discharge, hearing loss, and tinnitus will get better, and that I can hear normally again.”