Wishes is a 5-year-old who hails from a village in Lilongwe District. She is the last born in a family of 3 children and is a bright young student in primary school. Wishes’ parents depend on small-scale farming where they grow maize and groundnuts for their family to eat and for commercial purposes to support the family. Since she was born, Wishes has been experiencing a painful abdomen, vomiting, frequent diarrhea, and feeling weak. Her mother has been taking her to Nkhoma Hospital where she was advised to come back to meet a surgeon for assessment. Wishes was diagnosed with a periumbilical hernia, and she was scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital. However, her parents cannot afford the surgery although they hope to have their daughter undergo surgery. This condition has had a negative impact on Wishes’s life as she feels abdominal pain and cannot go to school when this happens, therefore, affecting her school performance. If the condition is left untreated, it may lead to strangulation which can be life-threatening. Wishes is scheduled for hernia repair surgery on February 13th. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $421 to fund surgery. After surgery, Wishes will be relived of pain and she will be able to attend school without any hindrances from the condition. Wishes’ mother says, “Thank you for this opportunity that has brought new hope to my daughter.”

Sokchea is a 30-year-old taxi driver from Cambodia. He is a widower who lives with his mother and his 10-year-old son in Kampong Cham province. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer with the villagers but now his enjoyment has been interrupted due to his unfortunate health crisis. One month ago, Sokchea was in a motorbike accident and fractured his left ankle. He visited a local clinic, which only cleaned his wound as he could not pay for surgery to repair his fracture. The wound is now infected and Sokchea cannot walk or drive his taxi as he is in constant pain. Fortunately, Sokchea was referred to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, where the surgeons can help. On March 22nd, Sokchea will undergo an Open Reduction Internal Fixation (ORIF) to repair the fracture and clear up the infection. The procedure will cost $483 and Sokchea is asking for help to fund his treatment. Sokchea shared: "I hope my ankle will be fixed, so I can work to support my family and have no more pain.”

Maly is a 62-year-old farmer from Kandal province who grows vegetables and mint with her husband. She and her husband have four children - two sons and two daughters. They also have two grandchildren. They live with their youngest daughter and son, who are both students. She likes to watch TV news and Khmer dramas in her free time. About five months ago, Maly developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. Increasing irritation from the sun prevents her from working in the garden and she struggles with simple tasks around the house. When Maly learned about our medical partner Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On December 7th, doctors will perform phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Maly needs help raising $253 to fully fund this procedure. Maly shared, "I hope that after the surgery, I will be able to see clearly and farm vegetables with my husband. I don’t want to worry about my eyes anymore and I want to go out with confidence."