Victoria is nine years old and the youngest of three children from Malawi. Her mother is a farmer and has a small business selling potatoes. At birth, Victoria was diagnosed with a bilateral inguinal hernia. She experiences painful swelling episodes that affect her sleep and ability to attend school. Victoria's mother thought the swelling would go away and heal on its own. Unfortunately, it has gotten worse over time. Victoria needs surgery to address her symptoms and allow her to live more comfortably. On December 9th, Victoria will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $667 to fund her procedure and care. Victoria’s mother is hopeful that the surgery will transform her daughter’s life, allowing her to return to school, concentrate on her studies, and enable the mother to carry out her daily work and business to support the family. Victoria's mother said, "I wish my child could get better to give me a chance to concentrate on my business and farm work as she concentrates on her education."

Charles is 60 years old and the father of 16. Charles lives in Uganda, about 40km away from Bwindi Community Hospital. Charles is a farmer and grows tea, and his wife is a subsistence farmer and grows cassava and millet for their family. He enjoys listening to the radio during his free time. He gets happy when he listens to his children speak English and hopes that they will get an education, which he never got. Charles has had a hernia for over eight years. He has been going to local clinics for pain relief drugs, which have been helpful. In March this year, there was a hail storm which destroyed his tea, and due to the worry of what would happen, he over worked himself trying to grow tea to be able to raise tuition for his children for next year, making his hernia grow worse. He now has difficulty in walking and even sitting. The pain has kept him from working and he has not been able to participate fully in daily activities for the last three months. For $208, Charles will undergo hernia repair surgery at Bwindi Community Hospital. He is subsidizing $4 of his treatment cost. "I thank everyone who supports having this surgery availed to me. May God bless you abundantly," shares Charles.