Meet Zephania, a jovial, 34 year old farmer, living in the highlands of Kenya with his wife and three children. Zephania has a small piece of land, on which he plants maize and potatoes, mainly for his family's consumption. He dropped out of high school early because his family could not afford to cover the necessary fees. He has been a casual laborer working on people's farms, clearing bushes and carrying loads, in order to earn a living. His wife is not working currently, as she is expecting a child. Zephania was involved in an accident while riding his motorbike. When he arrived at the hospital, he was unable to stand or to walk, and he complained of a lot of pain in his left leg. Upon examination, it was revealed that his leg had been shortened, and there was also some swelling of the limb. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, can help. On January 10th, Zephania will undergo a fracture repair procedure at AIC Kapsowar Hospital. As a result of this surgery, called an open reduction and internal fixation, Zephania will no longer be in pain; his leg will heal, and he will be able to return to work and to provide for his family. Now, African Mission Healthcare Foundation is requesting $1,145 to fund this procedure. Zephania says: "My family depends on me for their daily needs, so it is really difficult for them. I don’t want to see them struggle when I am living.”

Nov is a 52-year-old rice farmer from Prey Veng province. He is married and has one son, three daughters, and two grandchildren. Sadly, his wife passed away four years ago. Since then, he has been living with his oldest daughter, who supports them by selling eggs in the market. In his free time, he likes listening to the radio and watching the news. About two years ago, Nov developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him photophobia, tearing, and blurry vision. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, thus he is unable to travel on his own. When Nov learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 13th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and implant an intraocular lens n his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Nov needs help raising $253 to fund his procedure. Nov said, "I hope after surgery I can work and recognize people well."

Eva is a 37-year-old mother from Uganda. Her husband works in a Sacco and she owns a small hairdressing business in her local village. However, due to limited capital for expansion, her business has not been able to compete with similar businesses in the area and her husband's job does not provide financial stability for their family. 15 years ago, Eva began to experience troubling symptoms, including a painful swelling on the front of her neck, shortness of breath, and disfigurement of her neck. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Eva receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 14th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help to raise the funds. Eva says “I know that my condition has limited my progress, but I hope that now I will have the surgery done under your support, I will live a happy and improved lifestyle as I resume with my work.”