Samon is a retired grandmother. She is 67 years old and has two daughters, three sons, and seven grandchildren. She lives with her husband and her youngest daughter, with both of them caring for Samon's aging husband. Now retired, Samon used to make and sell bottles of fish sauce in the local market. In her free time, she likes watching movies and going to the pagoda to pray. Around three years ago, Samon developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Samon learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one hour seeking treatment. On March 7th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Samon shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better, and I can drive my motorbike to bring my grandchildren to school."

Prudence is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She studied up to primary school when she was young, but then dropped out due to a lack of financial support from her family. She now lives with her husband together with their five children. Her firstborn is a twenty-year-old carpenter, the second born is 18 years old and a cyclist, the third born is twelve years old in 5th grade, her fourth born is in fourth grade, and her youngest is in the first grade. Education is very important to her for her children's future. Their family lives in a three-room mud house for shelter. She used to practice farming but currently she is unable due to her illness. Twenty years ago, Prudence began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling that has grown in size over the years. Currently, it involves mild pain and affects her airway when breathing. She visited Rushoroza Hospital to seek medical advice where she was diagnosed with a goiter, but cannot afford the surgery costs. However, she needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Prudence receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on November 17th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Prudence says, “I believe the surgery will be successful and when I am well and recovered, I will be able to go back to my farming to be able to support my family.”

Mercy is a determined young lady, a sixth born in a family of nine children. Her father is a small scale farmer and her mother a homemaker. She goes to secondary school in Meru County, but is currently behind on her studies due to delays caused by a condition impacting both legs. Mercy was born with a condition known as bilateral genu varum (sometimes referred to as bowlegs), which causes her legs to curve outward at the knees. The condition has greatly affected her mobility. She finds it difficult to walk long distances, she gets tired quickly, and is unable to fully engage in activities with friends. Her self-esteem has been dramatically impacted by constant teasing from her peers, who find her way of walking different. Fortunately, Mercy is scheduled to undergo a surgery called bilateral Proximal Tibial Osteotomy (PTO) at our medical partner's care center AIC CURE International Hospital. The treatment will heal her legs, allow her to walk easily and support her to engage better both in school and with friends. Mercy hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon in order to help other children in the future. “I am looking forward to see my legs being corrected, to live more actively and continue with my education. God bless you for the support,” Mercy told us.