76-year-old Moyenda hails from a village in Lilongwe District. He has 12 children of whom 3 are in school and the rest are married in their respective homes. Moyenda had to leave primary school when he was young, therefore he could not secure a good job and support his family. He depends on farming where he grows maize for consumption and sweet potatoes for commercial purposes. For one year, Moyenda has been experiencing a painful swelling in a sensitive area. The swelling disappears after a while, and it is accompanied by abdominal pain and vomiting. He has been visiting different health centers where he was given drugs to no avail until he was advised to visit Nkhoma Hospital for further assessment. Moyenda was diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia, and he was scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery. However, he cannot afford the cost although he wishes to undergo surgery. This condition has had a negative impact on Moyenda’s life as he feels abdominal pain when the swelling appears, and he cannot do his farming activities. If the condition is left untreated, it may lead to strangulation which can be life-threatening. Treatment will relieve him of the pain and he will be able to focus on his farm without any hindrances from the condition. Moyenda is scheduled for hernia repair surgery February 13th. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $500 to fund surgery, medications, and medical care. Moyenda says, “I would love to be free of this condition for good.”

Dim is a 47-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He lives in Kampong Thom province with his wife and their three children aged 14, 10, and 2 years old. Dim's wife works alongside him as a rice farmer. In his free time, Dim likes to watch TV. In 2021, Dim was in an accident while he was driving a tractor on the farm, resulting in a dislocation of his left shoulder. Three years later in April 2024, he tripped and fell, re-dislocating the same shoulder. He has been taking pain relievers to ease his symptoms, but he still experiences pain and stiffness and is unable use his arm. When Dim learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On May 2nd, surgeons at CSC will perform a Latarjet procedure to stabilize the shoulder where the bone damage occurred after traumatic shoulder dislocation. The bone graft will restore bone loss and a tendon transfer will provide a muscle sling at the front to treat his shoulder instability. Dim and his family are able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and need help raising $500 more to fund the procedure. Dim says, "I hope I will be able to use my left arm, and resume working on my rice farm together with my wife."

Khmao is a 61-year-old stay-at-home mother with four daughters. She lives in Kampot province with her husband, who drives a tuk-tuk, and three of her children. Her oldest daughter is married and lives nearby. Khmao likes to care for her vegetable garden around the house and make sweets for her family. Five years ago, Khmao had an ear infection. This infection caused a cholesteatoma, or an abnormal skin growth, to develop in the middle ear behind the ear drum. For this reason, Khmao experiences hearing loss, ear pain, and ear discharge. It is difficult for her to communicate with people. In the past year, she has completely lost hearing in her left ear. Khmao traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On April 2nd, she will undergo a mastoidectomy in her left ear, which is surgery to remove cells in the hollow, air-filled spaces in the skull behind the ear within the mastoid bone. During this procedure, ENT surgeons will remove the cholesteatoma. Khmao and her family are able to contribute $100 but need an additional $926 to fund this procedure. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Khmao said, "I hope I will be able to hear normally and communicate better with others."