SENEGAL – Focusing on school can be difficult enough on its own. Studying for tests, keeping up with the coursework, plus balancing the rest of life can prove to be challenging. Now compound this with the stress of dealing with a personal tragedy. Astou, a young adult in Senegal, knows all too well exactly how this scenario feels. And yet she persevered, in large part, thanks to you for giving her a brighter future through a microenterprise program.

Astou’s mother suffered for some time from kidney disease. After a two-month stay in the hospital, her mother succumbed to her illness and passed away. As though this wasn’t enough tragedy for a young woman, Astou’s father died from a fatal stroke shortly after.

Astou was left as a grieving orphan. Although barely an adult, she now took on the responsibility as head of household and became the sole provider for her two younger sisters. This new responsibility left no room for continuing their educations. Each day Astou and her sisters faced hunger and poverty. They attempted to sell baobab leaves, ice cream, and juice in their community. While they made a little money here and there, it was nowhere near enough to meet their needs, let alone help finance their educations.

Transformation to a Brighter Future through a Microenterprise Program

HONDURAS – Five-year-old Josue loves to play soccer and dreams of becoming a police officer someday. But Josue was born with a hernia that only got larger and more painful as he grew. Your generosity would be the catalyst that would help restore health to this child.

This condition, where internal organs bulge through weakened muscle or tissue, can cause excruciating pain and complications if left untreated. Tragically, in impoverished nations like Honduras, children are too often forced to endure this debilitating issue without access to the medical care they desperately need.

His father told us, “Some days he was in constant pain. We took him to the E.R., but they said they couldn’t do anything because it was not an emergency.” And, unfortunately, the public hospital they had access to would only operate in an emergency situation.

Josue’s parents were desperate to help their son, especially when the pain medicine stopped working. His father said, “I felt a pain in my heart because I wanted to fix him or pay for surgery. But for us, it was impossible.”

And his mother added, “We will never be able to afford the cost of an operation, since we don’t have the money.” No matter how desperately these caring parents tried to help their son, the surgery remained out of reach for them.

The Generosity of Our Partners Helped Restore Health to Josue