Kenneth is a 63-year-old small-scale farmer from Malawi, married with four children aged between 18 and 35 years. All his three children have moved out of home except the last born child, who currently in secondary school and stays with an aunt in Blantyre. Kenneth practices small-scale farming together with his wife. He enjoys a meal of nsima served with local chicken and vegetables. One year ago, Kenneth started experiencing on-and-off swelling in a sensitive area. He visited two different hospitals and received the same diagnosis of right inguinal hernia. His surgery, which was originally planned for March of this year, was postponed because of high blood pressure. Currently, he is having frequent episodes of swelling and pain, and he is mostly confined to lying down as he is unable to engage in other activities. This has affected his role as a provider for his family. Kenneth's brother advised him to seek help at our medical partner's care facility, Partners in Hope Medical Center. Kenneth traveled over 300km from Blantyre to the facility in Lilongwe, and his brother's wife accompanied him to hospital. Surgery was recommended to treat his condition, but Kenneth is unable to raise the full amount needed. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Kenneth receive treatment. On April 24th, surgeons at PIH will perform a hernia repair surgery to treat his condition, ease his pain and help him live more comfortably. Now, Kenneth needs help to fund this $575 procedure. Kenneth says, “I cannot wait to receive treatment, I wish to no longer have to lay down because of my condition.”

Thea is a 55-year-old father of four from Cambodia, who lives with his wife and two of his children. His two older children moved out of home to nearby towns to seek job opportunities. Both Thea and his wife work as rice farmers, and their older children occasionally send money home to help support the family. Thea likes spending time with his family, and watching Cambodian and Thai boxing. In January this year, Thea was in a motorcycle accident near his home and fractured his left shinbone. He was treated in a provincial hospital but the fracture did not heal properly and currently there is still some bone exposed. Thea is presently in chronic pain and discomfort, unable to walk or work. When Thea learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for three hours to seek treatment. On April 29th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement, skin flap, and stabilization procedure to to remove dead tissue, cover the wound, and help him walk and feel comfortable again. Thea is able to contribute $100 towards the cost of his treatment and needs help raising $573 more to fund the procedure. Thea says: "I hope my leg can be fixed, so I can go back to work and support my family."

Choeun is a 55-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. His wife is also a farmer and they live in Prey Veng province near the Vietnamese border. At home, Choeun enjoys listening to Buddhist radio and spending time with his family. In July 2023, Choeun was involved in a motorbike accident, resulting in an open fracture of his left tibia, the lower part of his leg. Since the accident, he has needed crutches to walk. He is in constant pain and is distraught that he cannot work as much and support his family. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On April 22nd, Choeun will undergo a fracture repair procedure. He is able to contribute $100 but will need an additional $383 to fund the procedure. Choeun shared, "I hope my surgery will be successful so I can walk again and I can take care of my family."