Bernard is a 63-year-old farmer and a father to five children. His two daughters are married and working as farmers. His eldest son is a teacher, middle son is a builder, and the youngest son is a motorcycle taxi driver. Both he and his wife practice small-scale farming. They live in a three-roomed muddy semi-permanent house. He enjoys listening to the radio in his free time. For two years, Bernard has had a right inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him abdominal pain around the groin and back, and on-and-off swelling which appears mostly when he lifts heavy things, or when he coughs or laughs. He has been unable to raise funds for his needed treatment. Fortunately, on February 28th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Bernard's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Bernard says “I really pray that given your support to undergo surgery and I hope to get well after surgery.”

Loveness is a 3-year-old girl being raised by two loving parents. Her father works as a part-time engineer at local garages. He is the sole breadwinner of the family. Her mother is a stay-at-home mom who takes care of the household and family. She tried establishing a small business for additional income, but it was not successful due to lack of capital. Their current income is spent on paying rent, providing food, and paying the basic bills. Loveness was involved in an accident two years ago where she was burnt on both hands with hot milk. After healing, the wounds left her with skin contractures, where both her hands and all her fingers have hardened muscles and rigid joints. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Loveness receive treatment. On February 27th, surgeons at their care center will perform a burn contracture release surgery so she will be able to use her hands freely again. Now, her family needs help to fund this $874 procedure. Loveness’s mother says, “I hope my daughter gets better, I feel like this condition will limit her so much in the future.”

Malaika lives on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince in Haiti with her parents and four siblings; she is in the third grade and likes her science and reading classes. She was both with a cardiac condition called ventricular septal defect, in which a hole exists between the two lower chambers of her heart. Blood leaks through this hole without passing through her lungs to obtain oxygen, leaving her weak and short of breath. The surgery she needs is not available in Haiti, but fortunately for Malaika, doctors at the Clinica Corominas in the Dominican Republic will be able to perform an interventional heart catherization procedure to fix her condition. During the procedure, doctors will insert a catheter into her heart to plug the hole with a device. Now, her family needs $1,500 to help pay the costs of the procedure and travel. Another organization Gift of Life International is also contributing to her life-saving care. Malaika's mother says: "Our family is very hopeful that our daughter will be healthier and happier after her heart is fixed."