76-year-old Moyenda hails from a village in Lilongwe District. He has 12 children of whom 3 are in school and the rest are married in their respective homes. Moyenda had to leave primary school when he was young, therefore he could not secure a good job and support his family. He depends on farming where he grows maize for consumption and sweet potatoes for commercial purposes. For one year, Moyenda has been experiencing a painful swelling in a sensitive area. The swelling disappears after a while, and it is accompanied by abdominal pain and vomiting. He has been visiting different health centers where he was given drugs to no avail until he was advised to visit Nkhoma Hospital for further assessment. Moyenda was diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia, and he was scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery. However, he cannot afford the cost although he wishes to undergo surgery. This condition has had a negative impact on Moyenda’s life as he feels abdominal pain when the swelling appears, and he cannot do his farming activities. If the condition is left untreated, it may lead to strangulation which can be life-threatening. Treatment will relieve him of the pain and he will be able to focus on his farm without any hindrances from the condition. Moyenda is scheduled for hernia repair surgery February 13th. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $500 to fund surgery, medications, and medical care. Moyenda says, “I would love to be free of this condition for good.”

Srey Fa is a 7-year-old 2nd grader who lives in Svay Rieng province with her parents and two siblings. Her father works as a tuk tuk driver, and her mom sells groceries from a street side stall. Srey Fa is the youngest in the family and loves playing with her siblings and neighbors in the village. Her favorite subjects are Art and English. In the future, she would like to be an accountant or a teacher. Around four years ago, Srey Fa has been experiencing a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. She often misses school and skips meals due to the pain. Srey Fa was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Srey Fa, which is scheduled to take place on February 7th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Srey Fa of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. Her mother said, "I hope my daughter can breathe easier and stop the infections so she can stay in school."

Samuel is a smart, playful boy aged one year and eight months old. He loves martial arts and can recite the entire alphabet. He loves to pray with his mother. Before he was born, a prophet told his mother that she would give birth to a son named Samuel. She was very happy to have a son as her older children are all girls. Samuel's mother cleans the street for a living. She carries her son on her back and cleans the street early in the morning. Sometime back, Samuel contracted pneumonia due to the cold mornings, and she stopped working for a while. She has recently resumed to help support her family. Her husband works as a day laborer, but he does not have consistent work. The family lives in a rented single-room mud house. Their income is minimal, and they struggle to meet their daily expenses. They receive government donated food on public holidays. An international organization supports one of her school-going daughters, paying for her education and donating some food every month. Samuel was born with a congenital condition called epispadias, where the urethra does not develop into a full tube, and the urine exits the body from an unusual site. As a result of this condition, Samuel experiences constant urinary leakage and is unable to urinate while standing like other boys. Samuel is scheduled for epispadias repair but his family is not able to meet the surgery costs. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Samuel receive treatment. On March 12th, surgeons at their care center BKMCM will perform an epispadias repair surgery so that Samuel can live more comfortably and confidently. Now, Samuel's family needs help to fund this $1,040 procedure. Samuel's mother says, "I love him so much that I pray every day that he will be fine after the surgery. I am worried that I might lose him during the surgery, but I want him to heal and become like other boys, so I consented to him having the surgery. I wish for him to become continent, and attend school someday."