Un is a 61-year-old grandmother who dotes on her seven active grandchildren. She and her husband are rice farmers and have three sons and four daughters. One daughter lives with them and helps with housework and cooking. About one year ago, Un developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision and photophobia. She is afraid to use her stove because she cannot see numbers or dials, and is afraid she might injure herself or her daughter. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, thus is unable to travel on her own. When Un learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours to seek treatment. On March 9th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery to implant an intraocular lens in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Un said, "My eye feels cloudy and I can't go outside to help with the rice crops. I hope after surgery I can see more easily and go outside by myself."

Caroline is a 26 year old woman who lives in the Nairobi area with her husband and five year old son. Caroline is a casual laborer who washes clothes for her neighbors, while her husband is also a casual laborer at construction sites getting work whenever he can. Six years ago Caroline began to experience troubling symptoms, including a swelling of the neck, accompanied by regular headaches, increased heartbeat at times, and difficulty sleeping. The problem appeared to start with a small nodule in her neck, which increased in size during her pregnancy. She was ultimately diagnosed with an enlarged thyroid gland, which will need to be excised to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Luckily Caroline's friend, Teresia, who had a thyroidectomy supported by the Watsi community, brought Caroline to meet with doctors from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Now on February 28th Caroline will undergo a thyroidectomy at Nazareth Hospital, where surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $657, and Caroline and her family need your help to raise this money. If not treated, the goiter will continue to grow, causing more severe symptoms and potentially leading to thyrotoxicosis. “I thank my friend for bringing me to Nazareth. I also request for help so that I can be treated and get back my normal life. My family is just beginning, and I hope to be well to take care of my young family like other mothers,” said Caroline.

Queen is a sweet 11-month-old from Tanzania. She is the youngest child in her family of eight children. Queen is very curious and charming; when she was at our medical partner’s care center, she could not stop playing with the other children. Her family is from a remote part of Western Tanzania, and her parents farm maize and beans. Queen’s mother shared that the recent weather changes made it hard for them to cultivate maize, and they are now dependent on their cultivation of beans. The low harvest also means there are not enough surplus crops to sell and earn money to support the family’s basic needs. Queen has clubfoot of both feet. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape, which causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Queen’s family was able to travel to our medical partner’s care center for assistance. On February 7th, surgeons will perform clubfoot repair surgery that will allow Queen to walk easily and wear shoes as she grows up. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $935 to fund this procedure. Queen’s mother says: “I am worried that my daughter will be so limited when she grows up. I hope she gets the treatment for her condition.”

Evas is a 45-year-old farmer from Uganda and a mom to three children. Evas and her husband separated many years ago. She lives with her parents and practices farming to help care for them. Evas has been experiencing swelling in her abdomen for quite some time. She recently began experiencing severe pain that makes it impossible for her to do her daily activities, so she visited our medical partner’s hospital. The doctors diagnosed her condition as uterine fibroids and shared that she needs surgery to finally heal. On January 19th, Evas will undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $219 to fund this procedure. Once recovered, Evas will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. She shared: “I find it difficult to do my activities due to the condition. I will be very glad to have relief from this problem. I will resume farming after surgery.”

Sarin is a 63-year-old tuk-tuk driver from Cambodia. His wife works at a clothes factory, and they have a daughter. At home, Sarin enjoys watching the news on his phone. About a year ago, Sarin developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision and photophobia. It has become difficult for him to see his cellphone map to drive customers to the correct destination, so he can no longer work. He also cannot see things clearly and is worried about falling when walking, so he cannot go places independently. When Sarin learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On January 3rd, doctors will perform cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly and resume his work. CSC is requesting $253 to fund this procedure. Sarin said: "After this operation, I hope I will able to drive my tuk-tuk and earn money to support my family again."

Rithy is a 27-year-old from Cambodia. He and his wife have been married for five years, and they have two daughters, ages two and four. Rithy and his wife work in a clothes factory, and their family cares for their daughters while they are at work. In his free time, Rithy enjoys taking walks with his family, cooking, listening to the news, and watching TV. About four years ago, Rithy fell down several stairs and sustained trauma to his jaw, eye, and face. His family took him to a local hospital, where he underwent an open reduction internal fixation of his jaw. Since then, his jaw has not been the same; he cannot open it without experiencing pain, and subsequently, he has difficulty eating, drinking, or talking. A neighbor told Rithy about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). He visited AMH's care center, and the doctors diagnosed his condition as temporomandibular joint ankylosis. On December 5th, surgeons will perform a bilateral condylectomy to repair Rithy's jaw. CSC is requesting $469 to cover the cost of his surgery, post-operative care, and medicines. Rithy was able to gather $100 to contribute to his care. Rithy said: "I hope that my jaw will be fixed and my face will look normal again. I want to open my mouth again to eat, drink, and work hard to support my family."

Jackline is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She and her husband have six children, with their eldest married with children of their own and their youngest a student in secondary school. Jackline's husband works as a bricklayer in their village, while Jackline practices farming. For ten years, Jackline has been experiencing lower abdominal pains. Her symptoms were initially mild but began to become more severe over time and now cause her to experience headaches and fevers. As a result, Jackline has been unable to continue her work in farming, which was a primary income source for her family. Jackline has been diagnosed with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease and needs to undergo surgery. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help Jackline receive treatment. On November 4th, she will undergo surgery that will allow her to resume her daily activities free of pain. AMH is requesting $319 to fund this procedure. Jackline says, "I pray that I may be funded for this treatment because I am in severe pain and my condition could worsen. I believe that I will be able to live a normal and more productive life after surgery."

Narak is a 19-year-old farmer who lives with his parents and has an eight-year-old sister who is in grade two. He has finished grade 10 in school. The family grows rainy day rice and vegetables that they sell at the local market. Narak helps his parents on the farm and is studying Japanese because he wants to work in Japan one day. In his free time, he enjoys singing songs, listening to music, playing football, and swimming. In March 2022, he was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a fracture in his left femur. He was treated at a government hospital with a fracture repair and external fixation frame but did not follow up after two months because of his inability to pay. He feels poorly, and has chronic discharge and redness at the surgical site. It is difficult for him to walk and he is in chronic pain. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On October 5th, Narak will undergo a fracture repair procedure, which will cost $483. This procedure will rid him of his chronic infection and help him walk again. Narak said: "after surgery, I hope my left leg will be fixed, no pain, no infection, and I can go back home soon."

Meet Agnes, a hardworking 39-year-old farmer and strong single mother. Two of her children live with her brother in a rural area of the country, while her other children live with Agnes in a house in a small shopping center. Agnes works hard to sustain her family. She does laundry in her neighborhood during the day, while selling vegetables in the evening. During the planting, weeding and harvesting seasons, Agnes goes to the village and works on people's farms. Sometimes she is paid with money, and sometimes she is given food in return for her work. Nine months ago, she was pricked by a maize stalk on her lower left limb. She was walking with difficulty because of the pain that resulted from the wound, and she ended up falling. Agnes traveled to a local facility because of pain and swelling in her leg, and was provided with pain medication and bandages. However, Agnes was referred on to another hospital, where her leg could be X-rayed. The X-ray revealed that Agnes had sustained a fracture in her lower leg. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, can help. On September 1st, Agnes will undergo a fracture repair procedure, called an open reduction and internal fixation, at AIC Kapsowar Hospital. After this procedure, Agnes will be able to walk without pain and swelling, enabling her to return to her daily activities, and the work that she needs to do in order to earn an income. African Mission Healthcare Foundation is seeking $941 to fund her procedure and medical care. Agnes says: "My family depends on me in everything. With my condition, I cannot work and am afraid that my children will suffer. Kindly help me get through my treatment and be able to provide for them.”

Maureen is a charming and friendly three-year-old from Tanzania. She is the firstborn child of her parents, who are both small-scale farmers. They depend on the food they harvest to feed their family, and they earn money by selling the vegetables. Maureen was diagnosed with bilateral genu valgus, a condition that causes her legs to bow inward, making her knees touch. This condition is typically caused by an excessive accumulation of fluoride in the bones, which often stems from contaminated drinking water. As a result, Maureen has a difficult time walking. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $880 to fund corrective surgery for Maureen. The procedure is scheduled to take place on July 15th. Undergoing this treatment will hopefully restore her mobility, allowing her to participate in a variety of activities. It will also greatly decrease the risk of future complications. Maureen’s mother says, “My daughter’s walking has been of concern for a long time. Please help her.”

Poeun is a 70-year-old grandfather with two daughters, five sons, and six grandchildren. He takes care of his grandchildren when his children go to work. Eight years ago, Poeun developed a severe ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membranes, or the ear drums, in both of his ears to perforate. As a result, Poeun experiences hearing loss, pain, and discharge, and it is difficult for him to communicate clearly with others. Poeun traveled to Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, the care center of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, to seek treatment. On June 7th, he will undergo a procedure on both ears, during which doctors will close the perforations. Children's Surgical Centre is requesting $914 to fund this procedure, and to cover Poeun's medications, supplies and inpatient care. Poeun says: "I hope after surgery my hearing improves and the pain stops."

Putsat is a 46-year-old rice farmer who is married with one son, five daughters, and five grandchildren. Putsat lives with her husband who is a farmer and with her youngest daughter who is still a student. Pusat likes to watch movies, play with her grandchildren, and watch the news on the TV. Four years ago, Putsat developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her to feel irritation and tearing. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. Putsat is unable to see much beyond shadows and it has greatly limited what she is able to do. When Putsat learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for five and half hours seeking treatment. Putsat needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. CSC is requesting $225 to cover the procedure scheduled May 11th along with medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. Putsat shared, "I hope after surgery my eye will feel comfortable and I won't have any more redness or tearing. I am worried I cannot see out of my eye and want to see well to grow food for and take care of my family."