Sathya is a charming, 4-year-old boy, living in Cambodia with his parents and younger sister. At home, he enjoys painting and drawing, and his favorite foods are Cambodian soup and fried eggs. Yesterday, Sathya was playing at home with a small object. His mother saw him stick a small, round, green item into his ear, and then realized, too late, that it had become stuck. Sathya is scared, and he also has pain in his right ear. Sathya's family sought help from the doctors at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On January 10th, surgeons at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre will remove the object from Sathya's ear. Now, Sathya and his family need help to raise $273 to fund this procedure. Sathya's mother said: "I hope after removing this from my son's ear, he is not in pain anymore."

Tukwasibwe is a 45-year-old woman from Uganda and a mother to eight children. Four of her children are still in school, and the others are working. Tukwasibwe and her husband practice small-scale farming and sell their surplus produce to provide income for their family. Thirty-four years ago, Tukwasibwe began to experience troubling symptoms, including difficulty swallowing and breathing and an inability to speak for long periods. She visited the health center at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH). The doctors diagnosed the condition as a goiter, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. Tukwasibwe needs to undergo surgery to prevent her symptoms from worsening. AMH is helping Tukwasibwe receive treatment. On November 29th, she will undergo a thyroidectomy, during which the surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. AMH is requesting $252 to fund Tukwasibwe's surgery. Tukwasibwe shared: “I will be grateful when my condition is relieved. I have been long-suffering with this. I beg for God's mercy over this condition and support over my surgery.”

Kaptuya is a widow and a happy mother of three sons and a daughter from the semi-arid area of Baringo County in Kenya. Her husband passed away some years back after a short illness. Kaptuya and her children live in a semi-permanent three room house on her late husband's piece of land in an area well known for insecurity and cattle rustling. During the rainy season, they plant maize and millet that sometimes yields enough for both her school-aged children, and for her to sell. Currently, the area is faced with drought and famine, so they depend on relief food from the government and from well-wishers due to the lack of rain experienced this year. Six months ago, Kaptuya applied for a job as a housekeeper at a nearby health center. She was happy knowing that she would earn some money, and that the facility would pay for her medical coverage, but unfortunately that did not happen. The salary was also inconsistent and, thus, unreliable. In 2013, when Kaptuya was expecting her last born, she developed a growth at her neck which gradually increased in size. Kaptuya began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling, which is most visible on the right side. She currently experiences shortness of breath, especially at night, and she sleeps with difficulty. She also has a fast heart rate, and easily gets tired, which affects her daily duties. She was diagnosed with non-toxic goiter, or an irregular growth of the thyroid. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Kaptuya receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on November 22nd. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $936, and she and her family need help raising money. Kaptuya says, “I am the only hope for my dear children. I live because of them, and my well-being keeps them going. I would like to get well so that I may continue working in order to support them to pursue their dreams. Please assist me.”