Samuel is a toddler from Ethiopia. He is the second child and loves playing with his older brother. He also loves to take milk and Plumpy Nuts, a nutritional treatment donated by the government for malnourishment, as many children in Samuel’s area experience malnutrition. Samuel’s parents separated, and he, along with his siblings, is being cared for by his mother. She works in the community market, which is a community-organized venture that operates one day a week. On the other days, his mother buys and sells bread from bread makers for a profit. Due to the area’s high poverty levels and rocky topography, drought and water shortages limit food production, so many families receive food donations of maize and wheat from the government, which also helps Samuel’s mom support her family. Samuel was born with hypospadias, a congenital abnormality that causes urinary dysfunction. His mom brought him to a local health center, where he was referred to the hospital. Unfortunately, before treatment could begin, war broke out and forced Samuel and his mother to return home without any treatment. Samuel’s mom has been deeply concerned about his health. However, she was filled with hope after meeting with a social worker from our medical partner’s care center and learning that Samuel’s condition is treatable. With that hope, she traveled three days to the care center for Samuel's surgery. Samuel is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on December 12th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $1,293 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Without treatment, he will continue to experience uncomfortable symptoms and will be at risk of infertility. Samuel’s mom said, “I hope I will see my child healed and pass urine just like other children.”

Daw Toe is a 70-year-old woman who lives with her husband in Burma. They are both retired farmers. Daw Toe likes to cook and sew clothing during her free time. Daw Toe has started to experience severe lower abdominal and back pain. When she walks long distances, the pain increases in her back and abdomen. She also has symptoms when using the restroom. Daw Toe has been diagnosed with kidney stones and swelling in her left kidney. Our medical partner Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF) is requesting $1,500 to cover the cost of a nephrectomy for Daw Toe, an operation to remove her left kidney, scheduled for June 12th. Daw Toe said, “I feel so sad since I have no money to pay for my surgery cost... Now, I feel a little bit better and I hope I will recover quickly after surgery. I thank everyone for helping me.”

Jeremia is a nine-month-old baby boy from the Ngorongoro district in Tanzania. He lives with his mother and over 20 family members in a boma, a type of family-based communal living space where the community provides for each other's basic needs. Jeremia's father works in the production and sale of sandals in the city and sends money to his family. He has been away from home for over a year. Jeremia was born with a birth condition wherein his right leg and foot is twisted inward and downward. After Jeremia’s birth, his mother had little to no understanding of this condition, and she has since lived with concerns about her son’s future. Our medical partner visited Ngorongoro earlier this year to hold outreach clinics. Jeremia's mother attended one of these medical clinics and received education about her son’s condition. She was relieved to hear that treatment options were available to help her son. Jeremia's mother appealed to her church to arrange for transportation to African Mission Healthcare's (AMH) care center in Arusha. Doctors diagnosed Jeremia with clubfoot, a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. The medical team will begin clubfoot repair treatment for Jeremia on June 9th. After treatment and as he grows, he will be able to walk more easily, run, and play like any other children. Now, AMH is requesting $935 to fund Jeremia's treatment. Jeremia’s mother says, "I am happy that there is a possibility of treatment. I hope that all will go well and my son will be fine."