Gyan is a 14 year-old student joining high school this year from Kenya. He says that he is anxious but looking forward to upgrading to secondary school. He is the firstborn in a family of three children. His siblings are 5 and 12 years old. His father is the sole breadwinner who does hawking for a living. Income from this venture is inconsistent and therefore negligible to pay for the proposed surgery that Gyan needs. Gyan was diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which one or both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Gyan has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Gyan will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on January 5th. AMH is requesting $646 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Gyan's father says: “The boy is all grown now. I hope the condition is treated to avoid complications in the future.”

Alazar is a sweet boy from Ethiopia. He is the seventh child in his family. Five of the children are girls and two are boys. He loves to sing songs, go to church, try martial arts, and drink juice. His dad is diabetic and his condition causes him to faint often. He has government health insurance and gets treatment in a local government hospital. Because of his condition, Alazar's dad cannot work. His mom makes traditional bread and sells it on the street to feed her children. She makes her bread by firewood and this makes it hard for her to always have the smoke of the wood making the bread. She is the only one who works for income in their family, but her older children help with housework. They bring water from the spring carrying it on their back. She proudly sends all her children to school. Alazar underwent an earlier colostomy, in which the end of the colon is brought through an opening in the abdominal wall. This surgery is often performed to bypass bowel malformations, but colostomies are usually temporary and may call for closure. In Alazar's case, his colostomy requires closure in order to restore bowel function and prevent future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,009 to cover the cost of a colostomy closure for Alazar. The surgery is scheduled to take place on January 9th and, once completed, will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Alazar's mom said: “After he gets the treatment and heals I will praise my Lord. I will tell everyone who knows me about the hand of God. I did ask God ‘to heal my baby. You gave me this child; don’t take it away from me. I always cry and pray.’ I hope God has heard my prayer leading me to you. I will go to my church and testify what God did to all community in the church.”

Sok is an 80 year-old retired rice farmer from Kompong Thom province. Since her husband died five years ago, she has been living alone. Her six children and twelve grandchildren live in neighboring villages. The family checks in on her often, but it has become increasingly difficult for Sok to go out on her own due to deteriorating vision. She misses going to the pagoda to pray and taking walks. Her favorite things are her grandchildren and listening to Buddhist radio. About one year ago, Sok developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Sok learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On March 7th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Sok shared, "I hope after surgery I can see better, easily go out on my own, and recognize my family."