Vanny is a 59-year-old farmer who sells her vegetables outside of her home. She has four siblings, and in her free time she enjoys watching Khmer dramas on TV and listening to the monks pray on the radio. One year ago, Vanny developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly and being as independent as she needs to be. When Vanny learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled there with her neighbor seeking treatment. On January 4th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $229 procedure. Vanny shared with us, "I hope I can see better after surgery so I can recognize everyone and do my housework well. When I go home I want to plant rice and more vegetables around my house."

Ryan is a playful and happy two-year-old from Kenya. In their small family of three, he is his parent’s source of joy and their only child. When Ryan was around nine months old, his parents realized that he had a condition affecting his testes. They shared that initially to them, the condition was not alarming. His parents decided to wait and see if his testicles would descend on their own. After waiting for around two months, Ryan’s parents took him to a nearby facility for a checkup. Ryan was diagnosed with bilateral undescended testicles. The physician advised them to wait for at least one year before taking any action in the hope that they would heal naturally. When no change took place, a friend recommended their family come to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center BethanyKids Hospital for the surgery Ryan needed. At BethanyKids, Ryan was examined and has been scheduled for surgery. If his condition is left untreated, the testicles may be damaged hence leading to other diseases and later affecting his fertility limiting his ability to have a family of his own. Ryan’s father delivers milk to a local milk factory as a truck driver and in his line of work, the income is very little. To add on their family's earnings, Ryan’s mother works in a nearby salon. Ryan's family is not able to raise the required amount for his surgery and are appealing for financial help. Ryan has been diagnosed with cryptorchidism, a condition in which both of the testicles remains undescended. If left untreated, Ryan has an increased risk of developing hernias, testicular cancer, and fertility problems in the future. Ryan will be receiving assistance from our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation (AMHF). Fortunately, he is scheduled to undergo corrective surgery on December 31st. AMHF is requesting $569 to cover the total cost of his procedure and care. Ryan’s mother says, “As a parent, I want the best for my child in future but the finances required for his surgery are unavailable. We are requesting for any available financial help we can get so that our son can get the required treatment.”

Tibafumura is a rural farmer from Uganda. She is a mother of three and shared that she lost her fourth born who was just one-year-old at the time. Her husband passed away fifteen years ago. He left his family a three-room semi-permanent house for shelter. She has managed to pay school fees for her children through farming and selling off some of her domestic animals. All of her three children are married, two of them are primary school teachers while the other one is still searching for a job. She receives minimal financial support since they too have their personal challenges in meeting their families' needs. Tibafumura starting feeling abdominal pains years ago. She visited different clinics and received tablets to relieve her pain. A scan at Rugarama Hospital showed that she had uterine fibroids but could not have the surgery due to lack of financial support from her family. She has now come to Watsi's Medical Partner Care Center Rushoroza Hospital to seek medical advice. At Rushoroza, she presented with a history of lower abdominal pains that have become progressively severe and reports to have taken medication without improvement. If her fibroids are not treated, pain could stop her from doing her day to day survival activities and her quality of life would be affected negatively. Tibafumura likes grazing her cows whenever she gets free time but she no longer does this due to her severe pain. She has completely stopped farming since she cannot climb hills or walk long distances to go to the fields. She cannot afford the surgery charges and seeks financial support. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $228 to fund Tibafumura's surgery. On October 7th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at our medical partner's care center. Once recovered, Tibafumura will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain and her quality of life will improve. Tibafumura says, “My family cannot afford the surgery charges and I am in a lot of pain. I will resume farming as soon as possible to be able to support and take care of my family.”