Edina, a 41-year-old mother of seven, works as a vegetable seller, earning about $2.97 per day for her family's upkeep. She finds joy interacting with her customers and has a fondness for chicken and nsima, a Malawian staple porridge made from maize flour. Four years ago, Edina discovered a small, painless swelling on the right side of her neck. After seeking medical advice at a nearby hospital, she was diagnosed with goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid gland. She was instructed to wait for an opportunity for surgery, but her condition has worsened, causing breathlessness, neck pain, and difficulty lifting heavy objects. This has affected her work capacity and resulted in a decrease in income. Inspired by a fellow community member's journey to seek help, Edina visited our medical partner's care facility, Partners in Hope Medical Centre, where a surgeon reconfirmed the need for a thyroidectomy, the surgical removal of all or part of your thyroid gland. Faced with financial hardships, Edina is seeking support for her surgery treatment. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Edina receive treatment. On March 20th, surgeons at PIH will perform a thyroidectomy to relieve her symptoms and help her resume her vegetable business at full capacity. Now, Edina needs help to fund this $1,015 procedure. Edina says, “I feel so fortunate to get the opportunity for support. Thank you so much, I believe surgery will help me get back to normal life."

Tha is a 63-year-old grandfather. He is a rice farmer and lives in Kampong Speu province with his wife and one daughter. They have two sons, five daughters, and six grandchildren. His wife watches most of the grandchildren and makes sure they get to school. His daughter works in a garment factory and helps with cooking. At home, Tha enjoys listening to radio news or monks' prayers. Five months ago, Tha developed a cataract in his left eye, causing him blurry vision and difficulty seeing in bright or low light. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on his own. When Tha learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On January 24th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in his left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Tha said: "I feel bad and it is hard to even see the faces of my family clearly, I hope after surgery my eye can see better and I can go back to growing rice."

Mike is a 29-year-old farmer from Malawi. He has one child, who is currently in nursery school. Mike sustained a lower leg fracture. He was rushed to Nkhoma Hospital, where after an assessment, he was scheduled for open reduction surgery. However, Mike cannot afford the cost of the surgery, which is the only remedy for repairing the fracture and alleviating Mike of the pain that prevents him from working and taking care of his family. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is seeking $636 to fund his surgery, which is scheduled for February 27th, at Nkhoma Hospital. Mike said: “I hope to get treatment so that I can go back home to my family free of this condition.”