Abdul is a farmer from Uganda. He is married but they do not have children. Earlier in life, he joined his brother’s butchery selling meat, but later decided to try out farming and it’s from farming that he has managed to sustain himself and his wife. Together they live in a single-roomed rental house. Since three years, Abdul has had an inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him weakness and pain and prevents him from working to his fully potential. Fortunately, on December 8th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $230 to fund Abdul's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently and be able to work more easily again. Abdul says, “I hope to get a better life after surgery and resume with farming after I am feeling better and recovered.”

Sa Morn is a rice farmer and a mother to one daughter and six sons. Currently, she lives with her two sons and husband, who are all farmers. Now that she and her husband are older, they cannot go to the rice field anymore to farm. She spends her days at home caring for her grandchildren, and also enjoys listening monks preaching on the radio. One year ago, Sa Morn developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her photophobia, itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Sa Morn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and half hours with one of her sons seeking treatment. On January 7th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Sa Morn shared, "I hope after surgery I can see clearly. I want to help my children to plant crops and rice, cook and do housework, and help take care of my grandchildren."

Mugisha is a 60-year-old man from western Uganda. He works as a casual laborer on a cattle farm. He came to our Medical Partner's Care Center Nyakibale Hospital with a left inguinal swelling that has been persistent for over three years. Prior to visiting Nyakibale Hospital, he had been seen at a government dispensary and given pain medications. However, without pain receding, a good samaritan nurse offered to take him to Nyakibale Hospital. Whenever he is doing any strenuous work, his pain increases, and this has limited his ability to deliver at his workplace. Mugisha was diagnosed with an inguinal hernia which requires surgical repair. If not treated, he is at risk of a strangulated hernia. Mugisha shared that he has done cattle farming for the past 30 years. He was not able to study in school at all after losing his parents at a young age. He earns a limited income and cannot meet the cost of surgery required. Fortunately, on October 6th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $230 to fund Mugisha's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Mugisha says: “I pray that you may consider my request and I believe that once I receive my surgery, all will be well and I will continue with my work on the farm.”

Marline is a 7-year-old boy from Kenya. He is a cheerful boy and a Grade 2 student at Jayden Academy. Marline wants to be an engineer when he grows up. Marline's mother says that he loves to dismantle and assemble electronics in the house, and is well on his way to his career dreams. Additionally, Marline has a condition called spina bifida. Earlier in April 2020, Marline was playing with his friends when his mother noticed a small pimple-like wound on his right foot. It was small at first, but slowly started to grow bigger in size. His mother rushed him to a nearby health centre in their hometown, where he has been undergoing dressing in the facility but they have not seen much improvement. Since Marline has been coming to Kijabe Hospital for his spina bifida clinic, he opted to seek review in the hospital and get this wound checked. He was reviewed a week ago by the plastic and pediatric surgical teams, who recommended that he undergoes debridement, excision of calcaneal ulcer, and flap cover surgery to clean and heal his infected wound. Currently, Marline is in pain and at risk for further infection. If left unattended, the wound may result in severe infection and possible amputation. Unfortunately, these procedures are costly for Marline's family. His mother is a single mother raising two kids on her own. Their family lives in a bedsitter house in Ruai, at the outskirts of Nairobi. Marline's father left the family and his responsibility. Marline's mother is the sole breadwinner of the family and she has a small grocery kiosk. The total profit from the venture is very small, and her close relatives are not able to assist with financial support. Their family appeals for help. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Marline receive treatment. On January 6th, surgeons will perform a debridement and skin graft procedure to help heal the wound and prevent possible complications. Now, Marline's family needs help to fund this $1,185 procedure. Marline's mother says, “This wound is worsening by the day. If left unattended, doctors say that he might lose his leg. This would be hurting all of us. Kindly help us as we really don’t have a way out."

Horn is an older woman from Cambodia with two sons, three daughters, and twelve grandchildren. Now she lives with her daughter and sells food in front of the school to earn a small living. he also enjoys listening to the monks pray. Five years ago, Horn developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision, tearing, eye irritation, cloudy lens, and photophobia. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Horn learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours with her daughter seeking treatment. On October 12th, doctors will perform small incision cataract surgery (SICS) 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 $229 procedure. Horn said, "I hope after surgery my eye can see everything clearer than now so I can recognize the faces of my family and get around easily on my own."

Kyomukama is a 51-year-old woman from Uganda. Kyomukama is a mother of seven and is a small-scale farmer while her husband is a primary school teacher. Their firstborn is now 31 years old and is married already. All their other six children are in school and the cost of their school fees is a major challenge for the family. Kyomukama started having backaches about five years ago. She visited different clinics and could only get tablets to relieve her pain. This pain has persisted over time and has now spread to her legs, abdomen and joints. She came to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Rushoroza Hospital to seek medical advice. At Rushoroza, she presented with chronic pelvic pain and scan results show she has intra-uterine fibroids. If not treated, pain could stop her from doing her day to day survival activities and her quality of life will continue to be be affected negatively. Kyomukama can no longer do heavy work and has no peace at all due to her pains; her production in agriculture has been reduced. During her free time, she likes making handcrafts but has now started making them full time since she can’t go to the fields to practice farming. She is seeking financial support for the surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $228 to fund Kyomukama's surgery. On October 7th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Kyomukama will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain and her quality of life will improve. Kyomukama says, “My family cannot afford the surgery charges and I am in a lot of pain. I will resume farming as soon as possible once given treatment.”

Neang is a 51-year-old mother from Cambodia. She has a small food stall where she sells beef sticks to earn a living for their family. She lives with her husband who is a retired soldier and their son who is in the 5th grade. Neang enjoys watching news on TV and listening to the monks pray on the radio. Five years ago, Neang developed a pterygium in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Neang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for seven hours with her husband seeking treatment. Neang needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $216. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for December 24th. Neang said, "I hope after surgery my eye irritation stops so I can do some housework, cook well for my family, and take care of my children. I want to be able to sell beef sticks at my mobile stall again."

Tushemereirwe is a middle aged woman from Uganda. She is a mother of six and a small-scale farmer, and her husband is a primary school teacher. Her children are all in school, and her family works hard to pay for all of their school fees. For the last 10 years, Tushemereirwe has been experiencing lower abdominal pain and backaches. After trying different methods of pain relief and treatments with no improvement, she sought care from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Tushemereirwe was diagnosed with chronic pelvic inflammatory disease and needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. If not treated, she is at risk of severe pain that would prevent her from farming completely, and lead to a worsened state of health. Tushemereirwe cannot afford the cost of surgery and asks for your help. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $228 to fund Tushemereirwe's surgery. On October 14th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Tushemereirwe will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain and her quality of life will improve greatly. Tushemereirwe shared, “I can no longer go the fields to practice farming and I need help urgently. Given treatment, I will be able to resume small-scale farming to be able to sustain and develop my family.”

Vuthy is a 26-year-old construction worker and both of his parents are farmers. He has one brother and three sisters. In his free time Vuthy enjoys listening to music, playing games on his phone, doing house work, and meeting up with his friends. In 2015, Vuthy was in a motor vehicle accident that caused a closed fracture of his right knee. His family took him to a government hospital where pins were placed to heal the fracture. The bone has healed but the knee and thigh are stiff and he still has a lot of difficulty walking. When Vuthy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On December 25th, surgeons at CSC will perform a quadricepsplasty procedure of his right knee to help him walk again. Now, Vuthy needs help to fund this $430 procedure. Vuthy said, "I am hoping that once I am better from the surgery I can walk easily and my leg will feel better at last."

Pamela is wheeled into the consultation room wincing in pain. She briefly smiles but gets back to a serious face. Pamela is a widow whose husband passed away in 1993. After his passing, family conflicts forced her to move from their home village in Migori and settle in a crowded, more run-down neighborhood near Eastleigh. She used to work as a tailor but, after she needed a wheelchair in 2011, she has been unable to work. Pamela lives in a single room tin-roofed house and the local church helps to support her rent. She doesn’t have an ID so it has been hard for her to access local services such as medical support. Pamela told us that she has been relying on well-wishers and their local church for survival and her closest relatives live in Migori and rarely are able to offer her support. Pamela arrived to the hospital with bladder calculus with recurrent UTI that requires an urgent cystolithotomy, a curative laparotomy procedure, to aid relieve her stomach pains that have been recurrent for many years now. According to her neighbors who brought her to the facility, she had been in severe pain the whole night, and the medicine that she received from a nearby dispensary were not helping her. Pamela has been through a lot medically and socially. In late 2011, she suffered from TB of her spine and underwent spinal surgery. She has been using a wheelchair since then. In mid-2017, her stomach pains started and in November 2019, she underwent several tests and was booked for surgery at a hospital. She didn’t have funds so she went back home and continued managing her pains with pain medication. Upon hearing about Watsi's Medical Partner Kijabe Hospital, she came hoping for treatment. On November 7th this year, she was reviewed by the doctors and several tests were done which revealed her condition and need for surgery. She was discharged home and booked for a follow up appointment and possible surgery next week (November 23rd) but because of the pains, she was rushed back to the hospital. Pamela shared with us, “This is my only option to get rid of the pains. I have tried several medications but they are not working. I really need assistance to get this surgery. “

Samnang is a 73-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. Samnang lives with her daughter who works at an NGO. She shared with us that she enjoys reading the Buddhist religious book and listening to the monks pray. Five years ago, Samnang developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her blurred vision, irritation, tearing, cloudy lens, and photophobia. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Samnang learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled by tuk tuk with her daughter seeking treatment. On October 15th, doctors will perform phacoemulsification and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Samnang said, "After surgery I hope I can see better so I can go places easily on my own like the pagoda and do my work at home well."