Kansiime is a 37-year-old woman from Uganda. She is married and the mother of seven children. She has four sons and three daughters. All of her children are in school. Kansiime's husband is a butcher and sells goat and cow meat in the nearby trading center. Kansiime works as a farmer, and she cultivates food for home consumption. Since 2007, Kansiime has been experiencing an intermittent swelling in her abdomen. In 2016, she started experiencing pain after working and after eating food. Kansiime's friend advised her to visit our medical partner's care center, Virika Hospital, for a checkup. At the hospital, she was diagnosed with an epigastric hernia. If not treated, Kansiime may experience tissue damage due to hernia twisting and blocking. On July 26, surgeons at Virika Hospital will perform hernia repair sugery on Kansiime. The $249 requested by our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, will cover the full cost of the procedure.

This is Ngae, a 58-year-old widow from Burma who has three daughters and two sons. Ngae sells a variety of vegetables to support her family, making about $2-4 a day. With a daughter married and living in Bangkok, Ngae works hard to put her young son through school and manage the rest of the family as well. Starting in November of 2015, Ngae’s health began to limit her ability to carry vegetables in a basket and sell her goods by the roadside. Our medical partner, Burma Border Projects (BBP) shares that at one point while selling corn, she suffered an unexpected uterine prolapse. For quite some time, Ngae has been ignoring her prolapsed uterus due to an inability to pay for, or access, treatment. But now, she is experiencing back pain, lower abdominal pain, and frequent urination. With $1,500, Ngae will receive the surgical treatment she requires, which may include a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) or repairs to prevent her uterus from falling out. Surgery will better illuminate a solution to her health condition through examination of the pelvic or apical reattachment ligament points. Pelvic examinations, blood work, and post-surgery respite are all included. BBP expects that Ngae will be able to return to her normal routine. Ngae says, “I want to have the surgery as soon as possible and I hope that my surgery will be successful. I want to return to selling vegetables on the roadside.”