Charity tech — built to save lives

Habiba is 9 years old, she has 8 siblings. They're all living with their parents. Habiba attends a free government primary school, she wishes to become a business woman. The father does not have a job at the moment, the mother is doing her best in terms of doing a petty trading to provide for the family. They live in a 3 rooms apartment, during raining season, they use buckets to prevent water from dripping down from the roof, the environment is full of grasses and water logged roads. Habiba woke up one and started having headache, making her stay out of school, she vomited twice, the mother gave her paracetamol to take but no improvement in her health. They were informed about Helpster Charity from a family friend, they came to WholeCare Clinic where she was presented with complaint of fever that is associated with joint pains and malaise. Febrile with temperature of 38.2°C, not dehydrated. Malaria tested positive. She was prescribed with some medications accordingly.

Baby Maureen Twin 1 is the first-born of premature twin boys. He lives with his mother, twin brother, and extended family in his grandmother’s two-room mud-walled house. His mother recently completed Form Four but could not proceed to college because of financial constraints. The household depends mainly on the grandmother’s irregular casual work. “Baby Maureen Twin 1” was used temporarily because both infants required urgent admission before they were formally named. Their mother suspected she was pregnant after experiencing vomiting and missed periods. At six months, her spouse abandoned her and stopped communicating. With no income, she sought refuge with her aunt, who encouraged her to attend antenatal care. She completed three ANC visits, walking to the facility each time. While helping her aunt one day, she developed sudden abdominal pain and was rushed to a nearby facility. She delivered the first twin vaginally, but the second baby delayed and was found to be in distress and required an emergency Caesarean section. Both premature twins were referred to Siaya County Referral Hospital for specialized newborn care.

Partho Biswas is an 8-month-old boy who was previously admitted to Seba Hospital for severe pneumonia and has now returned with high-grade fever, loose motion, rash, cold and cough, and respiratory distress, and was diagnosed with measles with acute watery diarrhea (AWD) and severe pneumonia. His father, Ojith Biswas, 25, is the primary earner and works as a day labourer, earning approximately USD 57 per month, while his mother, Bedena Rani Biswas, 23, is a homemaker; the family also includes Partho’s 5-year-old sibling and elderly grandparents, making the limited income insufficient to cover basic needs and medical expenses. The family learned about Helpster Charity through hospital staff member Dipali and sought support for Partho’s treatment. Without timely treatment, the combination of measles, diarrhea, and severe pneumonia could rapidly lead to dehydration, worsening respiratory distress, dangerously low oxygen levels, and other serious complications. His young age and previous hospitalization for severe pneumonia make timely medical care particularly important.

Nine-year-old Riyad Hasan is a student at a local madrasha who has been suffering from fever for the past month, along with persistent cold and cough, and was diagnosed with typhoid fever after medical evaluation. His father, an agricultural day labourer and the sole earner, earns approximately USD 49 per month, while his mother is a homemaker; the family of four also includes Riyad’s younger brother. They live in a small tin-shade house with a mud floor, and the father’s limited income is largely spent on basic household needs, leaving the family unable to afford the cost of Riyad’s treatment. They learned about Helpster Charity through a staff member of a government hospital and sought assistance when they could no longer manage the medical expenses. Without timely treatment, typhoid fever can worsen and lead to severe dehydration, intestinal complications, bloodstream infection, and other potentially life-threatening complications.

Jakariya Hasan is a 4½-year-old boy who is not yet attending school and has been suffering from fever for 7 days, along with cold, cough, breathing difficulty, and abdominal pain. His father, Solim Uddin, 50, works as an agricultural day labourer and is the sole earner, earning approximately USD 57 per month, while his mother is a homemaker; the family of six also includes Jakariya’s two elder sisters and elderly grandmother. They live in a small tin-shade house with a mud floor, and the father’s limited income is barely enough for daily necessities, leaving the family unable to afford the cost of Jakariya’s medical treatment. They learned about Helpster Charity through a staff member of Life Care Hospital and sought support after Jakariya was diagnosed with typhoid fever and a urinary tract infection (UTI). Without timely treatment, the infection could worsen and spread to the bloodstream or kidneys, potentially causing severe illness and other serious complications.

Seven-month-old Imanul Hasan is a young boy who developed fever, cold, cough, and breathing difficulties for four days and was diagnosed with pneumonia after medical evaluation. His father, Johir Uddin, 50, is the sole earner and works as an auto-van driver, earning approximately USD 57 per month, while his mother is a homemaker; the family of five also includes Imanul’s elder brother and sister. They live in a small tin-shade house with a mud floor, and their limited income is barely sufficient for daily necessities, leaving them unable to afford Imanul’s medical treatment. The family learned about Helpster Charity through a staff member of CSDK and sought support for his treatment. Without timely treatment, pneumonia in a young infant can worsen rapidly, causing severe breathing difficulty, low oxygen levels, respiratory failure, and potentially life-threatening complications.

Sayma Akter is a 6-year-old girl who was previously well but developed high fever and severe cough for 7 days and was diagnosed with typhoid fever after examination and diagnostic tests at Saheda Gafur Ibrahim General Hospital. Her father, Saidur Rahman, 32, works as a day labourer and is the sole earner, earning approximately USD 65 per month, while her mother, Shirin Begum, is a homemaker; the family of six also includes Sayma’s 3-month-old brother, Raiyan, and her grandparents, Rahim Mridha and Firoza Begum. With such limited income and several dependents, the family struggles to meet basic household expenses and cannot afford Sayma’s hospitalization and treatment. The family was informed about Helpster Charity through volunteer Abdur Rahman and sought assistance to ensure Sayma could receive the necessary medical care. Without timely treatment, typhoid fever could worsen and lead to severe dehydration, intestinal complications, bloodstream infection, and other serious complications.

Jinnatul Akter is a 5-year-old girl who has been suffering from fever, cough, cold, breathing difficulties, and weakness for seven days and was diagnosed with typhoid fever after medical evaluation. Her father, Hares Ali, 40, is the sole earner and works as a horse-cart driver, earning approximately USD 57 per month, while her mother is a homemaker and her 12-year-old elder brother is still dependent on the family. The family of four lives in a small tin-shade house with a mud floor, and their limited income is barely sufficient for daily necessities, leaving them unable to afford Jinnatul’s medical expenses. They learned about Helpster Charity through a government hospital staff member and sought assistance for her treatment. Without timely treatment, typhoid fever could worsen and lead to severe infection, dehydration, intestinal complications, or bloodstream infection, putting this young child at serious risk.

Omor Faruk is a 13-year-old Class 6 student who developed fever for six days, followed by cough, cold, a widespread rash, and loose watery stools, and was diagnosed with measles with complications. His father, Mohammad Miraz (38), works as a hosiery worker and earns approximately BDT 8,000 (around USD 65) per month, while his mother, Mukti Akter (30), is a homemaker and his younger siblings depend on the family’s limited income. The family’s financial condition makes it difficult to afford Omor’s medical treatment while meeting their basic household needs. They learned about Helpster Charity through volunteer Masud Rana and sought assistance for his treatment. Without timely treatment, complicated measles may worsen and lead to severe dehydration, pneumonia, secondary infections, or other serious and potentially life-threatening complications.

Musfika Akter is a 45-day-old baby girl who developed cough, cold, and breathing difficulty and was diagnosed with severe pneumonia associated with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and congenital cyanotic heart disease, with oxygen saturation of only 82%. Her father, Mohammad Sumon (28), works as a rickshaw driver and earns approximately BDT 7,000 (around USD 57) per month, while her mother, Sharmin Akter (26), is a homemaker and the family also supports their school-going daughter and elderly parents. Their limited income makes it difficult to afford Musfika’s urgent hospitalization, medicines, investigations, and supportive care. The family learned about Helpster Charity through volunteer Masud Rana and sought assistance for her treatment. Without timely treatment, severe pneumonia combined with her underlying cyanotic heart disease and very low oxygen level may rapidly worsen, leading to severe hypoxia, respiratory failure, cardiac complications, and potentially death.

Gabriel is the third-born child in a family of four and attends Grade 4 at a rural school. Although both parents are alive, his mother is the household’s sole breadwinner. The family lives in a rented two-room house, shares a pit latrine with neighbours, and obtains water from a community borehole. His mother sells second-hand clothes, but her monthly income rarely exceeds KSh 3,000, making it difficult to provide for the family’s basic needs and educational expenses. Despite these hardships, Gabriel remains committed to his studies and dreams of becoming a teacher. Gabriel became unwell while at school, developing a high fever, persistent vomiting, and loss of appetite over three days. His class teacher contacted his mother and advised her to seek medical attention. She took him to Mechimeru Health Centre and informed the facility in-charge that she could not afford the treatment costs. She was reassured that Gabriel would receive the necessary care through Helpster Charity’s support, enabling him to begin treatment without placing an additional financial burden on the family.

Mohammad Abdullah is a 13-day-old newborn who developed fever, cough, cold, and breathing difficulty and was diagnosed with late-onset neonatal sepsis with severe pneumonia. His father, Tusar Uddin (36), works as a garment worker and earns approximately BDT 8,000 (around USD 65) per month, while his mother, Moyna Begum (32), is a homemaker and the family depends on this limited income. With several family members to support, the family cannot afford the hospitalization, investigations, antibiotics, and intensive monitoring required for their newborn. The family learned about Helpster Charity through volunteer Masud Rana and sought assistance for his treatment. Without urgent treatment, neonatal sepsis and severe pneumonia can rapidly progress to respiratory failure, septic shock, organ damage, and potentially death.

Rowzatul Zannat is a 15-month-old girl who developed fever, cold, cough, and breathing difficulties for seven days and was diagnosed with typhoid fever after medical evaluation. Her father, Rubel Pramanik (22), works as an agricultural day labourer and is the family’s sole earner, earning approximately BDT 7,000 (around USD 57) per month, while her mother is a homemaker and her elderly grandparents also depend on the family. Their previous home and land were lost to river erosion, and they now live in a tin-shade house on land provided by another person, leaving the family unable to afford Rowzatul’s medical treatment while meeting basic needs. The family learned about Helpster Charity through a previous Helpster patient and sought assistance for her treatment. Without timely treatment, typhoid can worsen and cause severe infection, dehydration, intestinal complications, and other potentially life-threatening conditions.

Mohammad Farhan is a 5-month-old baby boy who was previously well before developing fever, cough, and cold followed by worsening breathing difficulty. He lives with his parents and 16-year-old sister in a four-member family, while his father, Mohammad Rubel (40), is the sole earner, working as a garment worker and earning only about USD 65 per month. With this limited income, the family struggles to meet their daily needs and cannot afford the cost of Farhan’s hospital treatment, and they learned about Helpster Charity through volunteer Masud Rana. Farhan was diagnosed with severe pneumonia after developing rapid breathing and an SpO₂ of only 89%, requiring urgent medical care. Without timely treatment, his pneumonia and low oxygen level may worsen rapidly, leading to severe respiratory distress, respiratory failure, and potentially life-threatening complications.

Shamim Hasan is a 9-year-old Class 3 student who developed fever, cold, and cough for seven days and was diagnosed with typhoid fever and a urinary tract infection (UTI). His father, Tomser Ali (40), works as an agricultural day labourer and is the sole income earner, earning approximately BDT 6,000 (around USD 49) per month, while his mother is a homemaker and the family depends on this limited income. They live in a small tin-shade house with a mud floor, and their financial condition makes it difficult to afford Shamim’s hospitalization, medicines, investigations, and treatment. The family learned about Helpster Charity through a staff member of Life Care Hospital and sought assistance for his treatment. Without timely treatment, typhoid and UTI may worsen and lead to severe infection, dehydration, kidney complications, or other potentially serious complications.

Mohammad Abrar is a 6-year-old boy who developed cough and cold for five days followed by breathing difficulty and was diagnosed with an acute exacerbation of bronchial asthma, with significantly low oxygen saturation requiring emergency treatment. His father, Sohan Prodhan (37), runs a small grocery shop and earns approximately BDT 7,500 (around USD 61) per month, while his mother, Mousumi Begum (25), is a homemaker and his sister Nur Prodhan (7) is a Class 2 student. The family lives in a rented house and their limited income makes it difficult to afford Abrar’s emergency treatment and ongoing medical expenses, especially with his history of recurrent respiratory infections. The family learned about Helpster Charity through volunteer Masud Rana and sought assistance for his treatment. Without timely treatment, severe asthma exacerbation with low oxygen levels can rapidly worsen, leading to respiratory failure and other potentially life-threatening complications.

Muhammad is the youngest child in a family of six, living with his parents and siblings in a four-room clay house with zinc roofing in Gashua. His father is a guinea corn farmer earning between 2,000 and 3,000 naira monthly, and neither of his mothers has a source of income. When Muhammad fell seriously ill, accessing medical care was a major challenge for the family. Muhammad, aged 3, presented with fever, weakness, and poor appetite. Following medical evaluation and laboratory investigations, he was diagnosed with severe malaria complicated by anaemia, requiring urgent medical attention.

Abu Hurayra is a 6-year-old Class 1 student who has been suffering from fever for one month, along with cold, cough, and breathing difficulties, and was diagnosed with typhoid fever after medical evaluation. His father, Shofiqul Islam (27), works as an auto-van driver and earns approximately BDT 8,000 (around USD 65) per month, while his mother is a homemaker and the family also supports elderly grandparents and an uncle. Their limited income and large household make it difficult to afford Abu Hurayra’s medical expenses while meeting their basic needs. The family learned about Helpster Charity through a staff member of Life Care Hospital and sought assistance for his treatment. Without timely treatment, typhoid can worsen and lead to severe infection, dehydration, intestinal complications, and other potentially life-threatening conditions.

Alif Nur is a 4-year-old boy who was previously healthy but suddenly developed frequent watery stools and abdominal pain with a burning sensation, requiring hospital admission after his condition worsened. His father, Masud Rana, 40, is the sole earning member and works as a day labourer, earning approximately USD 65 per month, while his mother, Zerin, is a homemaker; the family also includes his elderly grandparents, Razzak Mridha and Jahanara Begum, and his 9-year-old sister, Sumaiya Sara, who are all dependent on the household income. With such limited income to cover the needs of six family members, the family cannot afford Alif’s medical expenses and learned about Helpster Charity through volunteer Abdur Rahman. He was diagnosed with acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration, requiring prompt medical treatment and supportive care. Without timely treatment, continued fluid loss could rapidly worsen dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, potentially leading to shock, kidney complications, and other life-threatening consequences.

Avijit Barmon is a 1-year-old child who lives with his parents and 6-year-old brother in a four-member family. His father, Nilkanto Barmon, is the sole earner and works as a day laborer, earning only about USD 41 per month, making it difficult to cover both household needs and Avijit’s medical expenses. Avijit developed high-grade fever, cough, and cold, followed by vomiting, poor feeding, and lethargy, and was admitted to the hospital with pneumonia. The patient’s family learned about Helpster Charity through Sadika Rahman, a Helpster volunteer, and sought support for his treatment. Without timely treatment, his pneumonia may worsen and lead to breathing difficulties, low oxygen levels, severe infection, and other serious complications.

Marzia Sultana is a 2-month-old baby girl who was previously well and healthy but suddenly developed loose, watery stools and abdominal pain for one day and was diagnosed with acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration. Her father, Kawsar, 25, is the sole earner and works as a day labourer, earning approximately USD 74 per month, while her mother, Jhumur Begum, 18, is a homemaker; the family of five also includes Marzia’s grandparents, Mostofa, 60, and Jakia Begum, 50. With this limited income and several family members to support, the family struggles to meet basic needs and cannot afford Marzia’s necessary hospital treatment. The family was informed about the Helpster Support Program by the treating physician and sought assistance so Marzia could receive timely medical care. Without prompt treatment, severe dehydration in such a young infant can rapidly worsen and lead to electrolyte imbalance, shock, organ complications, and potentially life-threatening deterioration.

Lima Akter is a 9-month-old girl who has been suffering from fever for one month, along with cold, cough, and breathing difficulties, and was diagnosed with typhoid fever after medical evaluation. Her father, Sumon Mia, 26, runs a small scrap shop and is the sole earning member, earning approximately USD 57 per month, while her mother is a housewife. The family of five, including Lima, her parents, her elder sister, and grandmother, lives in a tin-shade house with a mud floor, and their limited income is barely enough for daily necessities, leaving them unable to afford Lima’s treatment. They learned about Helpster Charity through a staff member of Life Care Hospital and sought assistance for her care. Without timely treatment, Lima’s prolonged illness could worsen, leading to severe weakness, dehydration, complications from typhoid infection, and potentially serious health consequences in such a young child.

TerryAnn is a six-year-old child who attends a local public primary school and lives with both parents in a rural village. The family depends on small-scale farming for its livelihood, but the limited income is often insufficient to meet basic household needs, including essential healthcare. TerryAnn was taken to hospital after developing vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, loss of appetite, and an inability to eat. Following clinical evaluation and relevant laboratory investigations, TerryAnn was diagnosed with severe malaria complicated by gastroenteritis. Treatment included appropriate antimalarial medication, rehydration, supportive care, and close clinical monitoring.

Stanley is a four-year-old kindergarten pupil and the firstborn of two children. He lives with his parents and younger sister in a rural village. He is a cheerful and sociable boy who enjoys playing with other children and spending time with his baby sister. His father is a shoemaker at the local market and the family’s sole provider. He also supports the children of his late brother, who were abandoned by their mother. This responsibility places considerable strain on his limited income. When the children fall ill, he sometimes buys over-the-counter medicine because hospital care is often unaffordable. Stanley’s mother is a homemaker who depends on her husband for the family’s needs. Stanley developed fever, rapid breathing, body aches, abdominal pain and general weakness three days before seeking care. Despite taking antimalarial medicine and paracetamol, his condition did not improve. At the hospital, laboratory tests were conducted, and he was diagnosed with severe malaria and gastroenteritis. He required immediate admission for treatment and close monitoring.

Mahadi Hasan is a cheerful and active 3-year-old boy who was previously well before developing fever, cold, cough, and breathing difficulties for five days. He lives with his parents, two older siblings, and a younger sister in a six-member family, while his father, Mahfuzul Hoque (42), is the sole earner, working as an agricultural day laborer and earning only about USD 49 per month when work is available. With this limited income and their difficult living conditions in a tin-shade house with a mud floor, the family struggles to meet daily needs and cannot afford Mahadi’s medical expenses. As his condition worsened, he was brought for medical evaluation and diagnosed with typhoid fever and urinary tract infection (UTI), and the family learned about Helpster Charity through a staff member of Life Care Hospital. Without timely treatment, the infections may worsen and lead to dehydration, systemic infection, sepsis, and other potentially life-threatening complications.

James is the youngest of three children and lives with both parents in Wanganga Village. He attends Grade 1 at a nearby public primary school and enjoys dancing and making wooden toys. His father is the family’s main provider and earns an irregular income by carrying out repair work in the village and visiting clients’ homes. He also supports children left behind after the death of his brother-in-law and the departure of their mother. James’s mother is a housewife who occasionally helps in the workshop when her husband is away. The family’s limited income makes it difficult to afford medical care. James was taken to a medical outreach at the local market by a neighbour and his teenage sister. He appeared unwell and had a swollen, painful thumb, accompanied by headache and discomfort that had persisted for nearly a week. Following examination, the doctor diagnosed cellulitis, a bacterial skin and soft-tissue infection requiring urgent admission and treatment. The neighbour explained the family’s circumstances and requested support through Helpster Charity. James was subsequently admitted under the programme for appropriate medical care.

Md. Mustakim is a 3-month-old baby boy who was previously healthy but suddenly developed loose, watery stools and abdominal pain for one day and was diagnosed with acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration at Saheda Gafur Hospital. His father, Sojib, 25, is the sole earner and works as a day labourer, earning approximately USD 65–74 per month, while his mother, Jahanara, 18, is a homemaker; the family of five also includes his grandparents, Abul Merdha, 55, and Suria Begum, 50. With their limited income, the family struggles to meet basic household expenses and cannot afford the cost of Mustakim’s hospitalization and treatment. The family was informed about Helpster Charity through volunteer Abdur Rahman and sought support for Mustakim’s treatment. Without timely treatment, severe dehydration in such a young infant can rapidly worsen, causing serious fluid and electrolyte imbalance, circulatory problems, and potentially life-threatening complications.

Amit Roy is a newborn baby who developed fever, cough, cold, vomiting, poor feeding, and lethargy shortly after birth and was admitted for urgent medical evaluation and treatment. He lives with his father, grandmother, and maternal uncle in a four-member family, while his father, Ratanjoy Roy, is the sole earner, working as a day laborer and earning only about USD 41 per month. With such limited income, his father cannot afford the cost of Amit’s medical treatment. The family learned about Helpster Charity through volunteer Sadika Rahman and is seeking support for his care. As Amit is only one day old and has symptoms suggestive of pneumonia, delayed treatment could lead to worsening infection, breathing problems, and other serious complications.

Dylan is the only child of young parents who live in a single-room house. His mother is unemployed, while his father supports the family through irregular casual work. Because Dylan is still very young, he has not yet developed particular hobbies or interests. Dylan developed a high fever, became irritable and stopped feeding. Using the little money his father had earned from menial work, the family bought medication from a nearby pharmacy, but his condition continued to worsen. He remained unable to feed, became increasingly irritable and his hair began turning brown. A family friend advised his father to seek urgent hospital care but, without medical insurance or money for treatment, he was hesitant. The friend remembered learning about Helpster Charity during a community meeting and contacted a volunteer, who advised the family to take Dylan to hospital immediately and assured them that assistance could be sought. At the hospital, Dylan was diagnosed with severe malnutrition and anaemia and admitted for urgent treatment and close monitoring.

Britto Roy is a 10-day-old newborn boy who is receiving care after developing yellow discoloration of his skin and eyes, and his family is hoping for his safe recovery. He lives with his parents and maternal grandparents in a five-member family, while his father, Yadab Roy (33), is the sole earner, working as a garment worker and earning only about USD 65 per month. With this limited income, the family struggles to meet daily needs and cannot afford the cost of Britto’s medical care, and they learned about Helpster Charity through volunteer Masud Rana. Britto was diagnosed with term neonatal jaundice and received two days of phototherapy with continued medical monitoring. Without timely treatment and monitoring, severe neonatal jaundice may worsen and lead to serious complications, including neurological injury and potentially life-threatening deterioration.