Rwibaale Hospital

Samuel is a 28-year-old man from Uganda. He is the youngest of seven children in his family. Samuel studied to be a nurse, but is currently unemployed. He occasionally relies on financial support from his mother and takes on short-term contract jobs, which provide very little income and are not enough to meet his basic needs. For a long time, Samuel has lived with a swelling around the anal area that causes itching, burning, pain, and discomfort. The condition has made it difficult for him to sit, walk, and even defecate comfortably. He believes the problem may have started when he was younger while participating in farming activities that involved lifting heavy loads. At the time, Samuel was still in school and was afraid to tell his parents about the condition because he knew they could not afford the cost of treatment. As a result, he managed the pain by taking painkillers whenever the symptoms became severe. Unfortunately, the condition persisted over the years. Samuel traveled to our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Health Center, for treatment. On August 4th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Samuel needs help to raise $188 to fund this procedure and alleviate his symptoms. Samuel says, "I hope to get rid of pain and also walk and sit comfortably after recovery."

Laurance is a 78-year-old widower and father of seven children, from DR Congo. He currently lines in a refugee settlement in Uganda after fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo due to political instability. Laurence has earned a living through carpentry for many years. For the past eight years, Laurance has had a right inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. The condition has progressively affected his ability to work, and he has been unable to continue with his carpentry work. He also struggles to walk long distances and has had to depend on herbal medicines and, occasionally, painkillers to manage the discomfort. Laurence recently had an opportunity to attend a medical outreach organized by Rwibaale Hospital. The surgical team examined him and have recommended that he undergoes surgery treatment. Fortunately, on August 4th, Laurence is scheduled for hernia repair surgery at Rwibaale Hospital. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund Laurance's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Lawrence says, "I hope to be well soon, and resume with my duties as a carpenter."

Murihano is a 69-year-old man who is originally from DR Congo, but presently lives in a refugee camp in Uganda. He and his wife have eight children, five of whom are adults, and three younger children who live with him and his wife. To support his family, Murihano practices small-scale farming on a rented piece of land, where he grows food for household consumption and sells any surplus to meet other basic needs. For the past 20 years, Murihano has had a left inguinal hernia, a condition that occurs when abdominal tissue protrudes through a weak spot in the lower abdominal muscles, causing a bulge in the groin area. He had planned to seek medical treatment, but before he could do so, political instability in the DR Congo made him and his family to flee to Uganda. Since arriving in Uganda, Murihano has tried to manage his condition using local herbal remedies and occasional painkillers, but these have not provided lasting relief. Over time, the condition has significantly affected his quality of life and ability to work. He now struggles to bend and is unable to perform many of the activities required for farming and other daily tasks. Murihano recently had an opportunity to attend a medical outreach, where he was examined and the doctor recommended surgery to address the condition and improve his quality of life. Fortunately, on August 4th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund Murihano's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live a healthier life, free of his painful symptoms. Murihano says "I hope to get relief from the pain, so I can resume my duties of working and taking care of my family."

Erick is a 32-year-old man from DR Congo. He lives with his wife in a refugee Camp. They practice small-scale farming on a rented piece of land, growing food for household consumption and selling any surplus to meet their other basic needs. For the past ten years, Erick has lived with a swelling on his head. Over time, the swelling has gradually increased in size and has become increasingly itchy. He now experiences frequent headaches, and his condition has affected his ability to work. As a result, he has stopped engaging in most income-generating activities. Erick traveled to our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Health Center, to seek help. On August 4th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Erick needs help to raise $188 to fund this procedure and alleviate his symptoms. Erick says, "I hope to get rid of the pain and resume my duties after recovery."

Faruku is a 17-month-old boy from DR Congo. He is the youngest of three children, two of whom are still young and attending school. His parents engage in small-scale farming to provide food for the family and sell any surplus to meet their other basic needs. Since birth, Faruku has had an inguinoscrotal hernia, a condition where abdominal tissue protrude through a weak spot in the abdominal wall and extend down into the scrotal sac. Faruku has been experiencing pain and discomfort, which has affected his normal childhood activities. He rarely plays or interacts with other children and often experiences lower abdominal pain, leaving him crying frequently. His mother has struggled to afford the specialized care he needs. During a medical outreach, his mother learned that Faruku’s condition could be properly managed at a hospital with surgical services, rather than at smaller clinics. She was advised to take him to Rwibaale Hospital for further assessment and treatment. At Rwibaale Hospital, Faruku was thoroughly examined and the surgeon recommended surgery to correct the condition and relieve Faruku from the ongoing pain and discomfort. Fortunately, on August 4th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund Faruku's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live healthier, free of his painful symptoms. Faruku's mother says, "I hope my son will be free of the pain so he can play and walk straight like others after recovery."

Ritah is a 23-year-old mother of one child from Uganda. She practices small-scale farming to provide for herself and her child. Occasionally, she also helps her mother in her business of selling second-hand clothes. Ritah has lived with a swelling on her right ear for the past three years. The condition has significantly affected her daily life and confidence. She feels uncomfortable walking around without covering her head because people often make comments about the swelling, which makes her feel embarrassed and withdrawn. She also experiences frequent headaches, which sometimes become so severe that she is unable to go to work. Ritah traveled to our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Health Center, to be evaluated. On August 4th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Ritah needs help to raise $153 to fund this procedure and alleviate her symptoms. Ritah says "I have hope after this treatment, I will be able to move freely without feeling self-conscious or embarrassed."

Anthony is a 37-year-old married man and a father of eight children from Uganda. To support his family, Anthony runs a small barbershop, and occasionally works with his wife in their farm to earn money for other basic household needs and pay school fees for their children. For the past ten years, Anthony has lived with a swelling on his back. Initially, he used local herbal remedies, hoping that the swelling would eventually disappear. When the condition persisted, he sought medical advice and was informed that the swelling was a lipoma that required surgical removal. However, due to financial constraints, he could not afford the recommended surgery and continued using local herbs, but without improvement. Over the years, the condition has significantly affected Anthony’s ability to work and provide for his family. He cannot work in his garden for long hours, and activities such as raising his arm to trim his clients' hair, or lifting heavy objects causes itching and pain around the swelling. As a result, his productivity has reduced, leading to decreased income and making it increasingly difficult for him to pay school fees and meet other family needs. Anthony learned from a friend about a medical outreach organized by our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Hospital. There, he was examined and the lipoma diagnosis confirmed. The doctor recommended surgical excision to remove the swelling and relieve the symptoms affecting his daily life. Anthony has been scheduled for mass excision surgery at Rwibaale Hospital on August 4th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting for $153 to fund Anthony's treatment. Anthony says, "I hope that after treatment, I will be able to raise my hands, and work for my family."

Starnely is a 44-year-old man from Uganda. He currently lives with his mother, and works on his neighbors’ farms to earn income. He also engages in small-scale farming to obtain food for household consumption and sell any surplus. However, the income he earns is very little and cannot adequately support his basic needs or medical expenses. For the past nine years, Starnely has had a supraumbilical hernia, which is a tissue bulge that occurs just above the bellybutton, due to a weak spot in the abdominal wall. Over the past month, however, the pain got significantly more intense, and has affected his ability to work and perform his daily activities. Due to his worsening condition and limited financial resources, he has been unable to seek proper medical treatment and has even struggled to afford local herbal remedies. Starnely eventually came to Rwibaale Hospital after hearing about a surgical support program at the hospital. He was examined by a surgeon, who recommended surgery to correct the condition and relieve his symptoms. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund Starnely's surgery, which has been scheduled for August 4th. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live a healthier life, and resume his daily duties free from painful symptoms. Starnely says, "I hope to be well soon, and get back to my duties so that I can earn income for our sustenance."

Beatrice is a 62-year-old widow from Uganda. She had 11 children, but three of her children passed away. She engages in small-scale farming together with her children to provide food for the household and support other family needs, including school fees. Beatrice has lived with a mass for the past 16 years. She first noticed the mass during the delivery of her last child. She recalls experiencing significant pain during labour and, while giving birth in her village, she noticed the mass protruding. She is no longer able to engage in many of her usual activities and has difficulty working due to the discomfort. Beatrice has sought treatment at several health facilities, but she was mainly given painkillers because she could not afford the recommended treatment. Unfortunately, the condition has persisted and continued to worsen. She was diagnosed with hemorrhoids, and the medical team recommended a surgical excision. Beatrice traveled to our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Health Center, to be evaluated. On August 5th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Beatrice needs help to raise $188 to fund this procedure and alleviate her symptoms. Beatrice says, "I hope to recover soon and get rid of pain and also have peace of mind."