Oun is a 58-year-old grandmother. She and her husband are farmers in a rural area about two and a half hours from the capital Phnom Penh. They are parents to two sons and one daughter and proud grandparents of three grandchildren. In her free time, she likes to watch Khmer dramas on TV. Oun has spent the majority of her life outside, which has exposed her to sunny, dusty, sandy, and windy conditions which has contributed to her condition. Seven years ago, Oun developed a pterygium in her right eye, which is a non-cancerous growth of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage, wind or dust and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. This causes her irritation and burning. The condition has significantly impacted her vision. It is difficult for her to engage in social activities, read, watch television, or even recognize faces. When Oun learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. Oun 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 $225. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for March 8th. Oun said, "I hope after surgery my eye will not be red or irritated. I hope to have no worry and go back to planting rice."

Chrissie is a 50-year-old single mother and primary school teacher. She enjoys spending time with her three adult children who live with her. Chrissie has been experiencing abdominal pain, back pain, and other worrying symptoms. After an ultrasound, she was found to have uterine fibroids or abnormal growths that develop in the uterus. Her condition has affected her daily activities and her work as a teacher. Chrissie needs to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy to address the pain, other symptoms, and future complications. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, will perform the surgery at Partners in Hope (PIH) Medical Center on March 2nd. They are requesting $1,363 for the treatment. After the surgery, it is expected that Chrissie will no longer be in pain, enabling her to perform her daily functions and go back to teaching. Chrissie said, “I am very happy to be seen at PIH and hope that the surgery will help me get better.”

Monicah is a 36 year old from Kenya. She works as a cleaner and her income is inconsistent. She is a single mother of four children. Her older child is in primary two while the youngest is in nursery school. She is the breadwinner and their family lives in a single-room rental house costing about $7. Monica was well until December 2022. She reports that her hearing kept decreasing and one day it just went down. She has been diagnosed with severe hearing loss in both ears. She cannot hear unless someone shouts. She is accompanied by her elderly mother who is helping her. She can hear well if she gets a hearing aid device and needs two devices for both ears. She has been living with the condition for a year now and has not been able to get medical attention due to a lack of finances. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting funds of $1,171 to cover hearing aid fitting and devices for Monicah. Monicah says, “I used to hear well, and I am looking forward to hearing again.”