Meet Samnang, a 3-year-old toddler from Cambodia who loves eating mangos and rice porridge and playing with his two older sisters. His parents work in a nearby village as potato and corn farmers. As Samnang is not in school yet, he stays home with relatives. In February 2023, Samnang suffered burns from a gasoline fire near his house. He was immediately taken to a hospital in a nearby province for treatment, where he remained for one month. Samnang has continued to receive follow-up care at a clinic closer to his house. The doctors there suggested the family travel to Phnom Penh to seek further care for burn scarring. Samnang's left hand has developed burn scar contractures, tightening the skin around his fingers and wrist and limiting the function of his hand. When Samnang's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for six and a half hours seeking treatment. On November 1st, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help improve his hand function. CSC is requesting $495 to fund this surgery. His family raised $100 for his care. His mother shared her hope that, with treatment, Samnang can use his hand more easily and be able to do things independently.

Panha is a 7-year-old second grader who lives with his parents on the southern coast of Cambodia. His mother works in a nearby canned food factory, and his dad works in construction. Panha loves creating art, eating Cambodian street food, and learning Cambodian culture and history at school. In July 2022, Panha was playing at home when he accidentally knocked over a boiling pot and sustained burns on the lower part of his body. Burn scar contractures have developed around his hip and groin, making it difficult for him to walk or attend school comfortably. When Panha's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On May 16th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help Panha walk easily and feel comfortable again. CSC is requesting $495 to fund this procedure. Panha's family contributed $100 to his care. Panha's mom said, "I hope Panha feels better after surgery and can focus at school."

Yusufu is a bright student. He is a young 8-year-old boy from Mpanda, Tanzania, with dreams of attending school. His parents work as farmers supporting their large family of ten children. As the ninth child in his family, his parents have made every effort to make ends meet. Yusufu has clubfoot of the right foot. Clubfoot is a condition in which the foot is twisted out of shape. This causes difficulty walking and even wearing shoes. Yusufu finds it hard to go to school because it is far from home, and he cannot help much on the farm. Financial hardships have made it nearly impossible for his parents to provide Yusufu with the urgent care he requires. Fortunately, Yusufu's family traveled to visit our medical partner's care center, The Plaster House NGO. There, the team will begin clubfoot treatment on September 15. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $935 to fund Yusufu's clubfoot repair. After treatment, Yusufu’s ability to walk will be restored and he will no longer experience severe pain. Yusufu can't wait to be treated so that he can go to school easily and help his family work on their farm. Yusufu says, "I wish to be able to play with my friends comfortably and help my parents around the farm.”