Allen is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She completed primary school but was not able to continue because her parents were unable to support her education. She is separated from her husband and raising two children. Her firstborn is 14 years old and no longer in school, and her secondborn is 13 years old and is in primary school. She lives with her parents in a three-room mud house. Ten years ago, Allen began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small painless swelling on her neck which was rapidly increasing in size. She resorted to using herbs, but they did not help her at all. Currently, the mass has enlarged excessively and has caused difficulty in swallowing. She also experiences mild airway obstruction and on-and-off episodes of severe headaches. She was diagnosed with a goiter and needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Allen receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo thyroid surgery on February 3rd at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Allen says, ‘‘I pray to have a successful surgery. I hope to continue with farming after complete recovery to be able to support our family. May God bless you.’’

Nita is a five-year-old girl who lives with her parents and brother in Kandal province, Cambodia. Her parents are rice farmers. As Nita does not attend school yet, she stays with her mother and plays with dolls. She enjoys eating her mother's fried fish and lemongrass chicken soup. When she was eight months old, she suffered a burn injury while grasping a batch of incense, resulting in a burn contracture on her right hand. Burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around her burn. Because of the contractures, she has limited hand function and is unable to do things like grasp toys or feed herself. Fortunately, Nita's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On April 25th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve the flexibility and function of her hand, allowing for better movement. Now, she needs help to fund this $495 procedure. Nita's mother said, "We hope that after the operation, Nita can learn to write and hold things to prepare her for school."

Abraham is the 5th child born into a family of 8 and hails from a small village in Kenya. We met him at Cure Hospital accompanied by his mother. He is in the 2nd grade and aspires to become a driver in the future. Abraham was born with a condition where his leg curves at the knees. Currently, he walks with discomfort, cannot walk for a long time because he falls, cannot play football like his friends, and his self-esteem is greatly affected. He is scheduled to undergo a bilateral "8-plate" surgery to correct the condition. The treatment will be impactful because he will walk well, play football with friends, improve his self-esteem, and continue his education like other children. “I want my legs to be corrected so that I can walk well, play football with my friends, and continue with school like my friends,” said Abraham.