Beatrice, a 35-year-old single mother of five, lives in Malawi. Beatrice cooks and sells beer locally, but as she is unable to support her family with her earnings, she relies on her husband's brother to support her and the children. In 2022, Beatrice first started experiencing swelling in the right upper suprapubic area. As she wasn't concerned by the swelling, she didn't seek treatment. However, in February 2023, Beatrice was in line at a clinic with pain from the swelling so intense that she required immediate attention. Beatrice was seen by a surgeon, who told her that she had a hernia that needed to be repaired as soon as possible. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $575 to cover the costs of the surgery, which will prevent Beatrice's situation from worsening to potentially life-threatening consequences. The procedure is scheduled to take place on February 22nd at Partners in Hope Medical Center. Beatrice is looking forward to recovering so that she can continue to care for her children. Beatrice happily said: “PIH kindly help me to have that surgery and get better; my children will suffer if you don’t help me.”

Vanis is a 60 year old small-scale farmer. She and her husband - who passed away in 2021 - had eleven children, of whom nine are still alive. Vanis had to leave school because of a lack of the fees necessary to remain in school, and of her children, only her youngest has been able to be educated. Over 20 years ago, Vanis began to experience troubling symptoms, including a small neck swelling that later started progressing in size. She initially thought it was a temporary condition, and resorted to using herbs, which did not help to relieve her symptoms. After delivering her first five children, she underwent a thyroidectomy, and she felt better. However, her symptoms recurred after she gave birth to six more children, and this time, the swelling was larger than it had ever been. She finds that she is unable to carry loads on her head, and she will occasionally experience difficulty breathing. Vanis has been diagnosed with a non-toxic, multinodular goiter, and she needs surgery to resolve her condition. Her family cannot afford to pay for her treatment, but our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, has stepped up to help Vanis access the care that she needs. They are requesting $333 to fund Vanis' procedure, which is scheduled to take place on December 3rd, at Rushoroza Hospital, and which will ensure that Vanis' symptoms do not get worse over time. Vanis says: “I pray that I may be considered for treatment so that I may live a normal life once again. I will continue with farming as soon as possible.”

Rachany is an only child and lives with her mother who supports them by working in a garment factory. Rachany enjoys school and playing with her friends; her favorite subject is math; and she would like to be a police officer. Rachany's favorite meal is "lok lak", a famous Cambodian dish with stir-fried beef, fried egg, rice, and black pepper sauce. On January 21st, Rachany was cutting a mango at home when she accidentally cut her left index finger. She did not seek treatment at the time, but now, several weeks later, she is concerned that she cannot flex her index finger. Rachany has damaged the tendon and needs surgery to restore mobility in her finger. She traveled 40 minutes to visit our medical partner Children’s Surgical Centre (CSC) to receive treatment. On February 20th, she will undergo tendon repair surgery to restore full function to her finger. Rachany's family has contributed $100, and CSC is requesting an additional $572 to fully fund this procedure. Rachany shared that she hopes she can fix her finger and go back to school after the operation.

20-year old-Evans, who recently finished school and began working as a motorbike rider, lives in Kenya with his parents and two younger siblings, who are still in school. Evans was riding his motorbike on March 4th, 2023, when he was hit from the side by another vehicle. He was not able to stand on his own or to bear weight on his left leg following the incident. In addition, he lost a significant amount of skin on his leg and foot. Bleeding and in severe pain, Evans was rushed to a facility in Kiambu town where an X-ray was performed. The results revealed a fractured bone that required immediate attention. While Evans' wounds were debrided and irrigated, he was told that he is in need of skin grafting and additional debridement to prevent infection. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Evans receive treatment. On March 17th, surgeons at AIC Kijabe Hospital will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to help prevent infection and save his leg. Now Evans needs your help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Evans says: “I had just started this boda-boda job to help my parents. Unfortunately, I got into an accident that made me unable to walk. I need this surgery to heal this wound.”

17-year-old SreyNeth lives with her parents and her four-year-old sister in Kampong Speu province in Cambodia. Her parents are rice farmers, while SreyNeth is in grade nine, where she most enjoys studying math and physics. When she is older, she would like to become a math teacher. SreyNeth's parents noticed stiffness on the left side of her neck when she was a toddler. At a local clinic, she was diagnosed with torticollis, a twisting of the neck that causes the head to rotate and tilt at an odd angle. This likely occurred because of how she was positioned in the womb and is a result of injuries to her neck muscles. SreyNeth lives with limited motion of her neck and one of her shoulders are higher than the other. She experiences difficulty performing many daily tasks, and she is shy and embarrassed because of her condition. Fortunately, a relative told her about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and she and her family traveled to seek their help. Doctors recommended a tenotomy, a cutting or removal of tendons, which should restore the range of motion in SreyNeth's neck. The procedure is scheduled for February 17th at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, and SreyNeth and her family need help to fund the $572 procedure, which would enhance SreyNeth's quality of life. SreyNeth said: "After surgery, I hope that I can move my head freely."

Benedister is a 45-year-old single mother and small-scale farmer from Kenya. She plants maize and millet for her family's consumption and for sale. Benedister has seven children between 11 and 23 years old. When she is done with her farm work, Benedister always looks for casual jobs in order to earn extra wages. She is very hardworking, as she is her family’s sole breadwinner. One day, while walking around her compound, Benedister fell and injured her right lower limb. She was unable to walk, so she was carried by some of her relatives to the hospital. Her pain was so intense that she was given some pain medication, then sent for an x-ray. The x-ray revealed that she had a bimalleolar fracture with a joint dislocation, which means that in addition to a bone being broken, the ligaments on the inside of her ankle were injured as well. She was treated, and then her ankle was immobilized with a bulky jones splint. She is not able to walk on her own and is in a lot of pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner can help. On February 7th, Benedister will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation. Afterward, she will be able to walk easily again. Now, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Benedister says, “It’s really sad that I cannot walk without support. My children look up to me for all their needs and here I am now with a broken leg and cannot offer any help to them. Please help me get my bones fixed so that I will be able to work and live normally as before.”

Maxwell is a charming, five year old boy from Kenya. He and his three older siblings live with their single mother, who works as a laundry aide and also as a small scale farmer. Maxwell was born with clubfoot, for which he has received treatment with casting and orthotics since birth. However, due to financial challenges, he was unable to undergo serial casting and other necessary procedures, which has left him with pain when walking for long distances. Fortunately, Maxwell's family now traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, AIC Cure International Hospital. There, surgeons from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, will perform clubfoot repair surgery on January 16th. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $1,286 to fund Maxwell's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Maxwell will be able to walk comfortably, without discomfort or pain. Maxwell's mother said: "I am requesting support from the donors to help my son undergo surgery so that he can have a normal life."

Mwandu is a 5-year-old girl — the first born and the only child in her family. She lives with her parents in a small town called Msevya in the northwestern side of Tanzania. Her parents are subsistence farmers who rely on agriculture for food and money. Inflation has negatively affected their source of livelihood. As small-scale farmers, managing their crops has been more costly than purchasing crops from the market. One day when Mwandu was young, she was playing inside the house while her parents were working on the farm. Her mother had set a pot on the stove to prepare tea. Mwandu walked close to the stove and pulled the pot with her bare hands. Hot tea spilled on her arm and the right side of her body. She got burnt on her arm and armpit. Now burn contractures have developed, tightening the skin around her burn, limiting her arm extension and involvement in day-to-day activities. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Mwandu receive treatment. On March 3rd, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help her increase extension of her right arm and allow her fully enjoy her childhood and school activities. Now, she needs help to fund this $639 procedure. Mwandu’s father says, “I hope she gets better because she will be starting school soon.”

Maureen is a playful 5-year-old from Tanzania. Her favorite activities are watching television, helping her mother do laundry or fetch water, and pretend play - she loves pretending to be a nurse! She has three siblings, and her parents work full-time for the local government. They also tried running a business to increase their earnings, but it was unsustainable alongside paying for Maureen's treatment needs. Maureen was in a fire accident when she was two years old. She received treatment for the burns she sustained on the right side of her body; however, she has burn scar contractures after the wound healed. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Maureen receive treatment. On February 27th, surgeons at AMH's care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery to allow her to use her right hand again. AMH is requesting $639 to fund this procedure. Maureen’s mother says, “We are very concerned about her condition because we see how it affects her physically and emotionally.”

Pricilla is a 68-year-old small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is a widow and a mother of ten children, though sadly only four are alive. She is also taking care of her twin grandchildren. She shared that she has faced many challenges, but she is glad that her grandchildren can help her around the home. For several years, Pricilla has been experiencing severe lower abdominal pain and other uncomfortable symptoms. In the past, she visited a health center where she was given medication that helped briefly, but later, her symptoms worsened, particularly when straining. She has been diagnosed with uterine prolapse and she has had to stop farming due to her condition. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Pricilla receive treatment. On January 18th, she will undergo a hysterectomy, or a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Once recovered, Pricilla will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Now, she needs help raising $319 to fund her procedure and care. Pricilla shared, "I pray that I may get well through surgery because I can no longer do anything on my own and my survival is at risk. I hope to continue with farming after recovery."

Meet Nafissa. She is a 25-year old woman who shared that she tends to be very shy and reserved. She lives with her parents and her young child in an area of Burkina Faso where conflict is currently impacting their lives deeply. When she was a child, Nafissa developed a painful growth on the left side of her chin. This swelling in her lower jawbone affected her ability to eat, and was determined to be a benign tumor that needed to be removed. Her parents were able to secure the funds to send Nafissa to a hospital in Togo, where she could be treated at no cost to her family. The growth was removed, and for several years, Nafissa did well. However, the growth recurred, and in the middle of last year, Nafissa returned to Togo, where the second growth was excised. This time, however, the surgeon determined that her whole jawbone would also need to be removed. As the doctor in Togo did not have the necessary training to perform the surgery that Nafissa needed, he referred her to a physician with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Miraculously, Nafissa is now scheduled for a major jaw surgery with the leading team at AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. As Nafissa's husband abandoned her because of her condition, and provides no support to Nafissa or their child, Nafissa and her parents are looking to you to help fund the $1,500 procedure, which will finally relieve Nafissa of the pain and symptoms that result from the tumor. Nafissa says: “It pains me that I have to stay at home with no friends. Making it worse, I cannot work to provide for my child.”

Hope is a 54-year-old farmer, married with eight children. Five of her children are married and building their own families now too. Both she and her husband are small-scale farmers. They live in a semi-permanent house with three rooms. For the past one year, Hope has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and uncomfortable symptoms. This pain has made it difficult for her to work as she experiences a lot of pain. She has been diagnosed with pre-malignant cervical lesion and is currently unable to raise funds for her treatment. She needs to undergo a gynecological surgery to heal and stop the risk of cancer. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $219 to fund Hope's surgery. On February 28th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Hope will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. Hope says “I have pain worsening from time to time but I hope since I have come to you for the support I will live better, and, thus, resume my work.”