Sim is a 24-year-old vegetable seller from Kandal Province, Cambodia. He is single and the third of five siblings, with two sisters and two brothers. He lives with his parents, who are also vegetable sellers. In his free time, he enjoys playing football. About two months ago, Sim developed a chalazion in his right eye — a small inflamed cyst in the eyelid — causing itchiness, irritation, and swelling that has made it difficult for him to see clearly and work. Sim traveled three hours to seek treatment from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On April 20th, surgeons will remove the cyst through a chalazion excision procedure. After recovery, Sim's symptoms should improve. Sim can contribute $25, but needs help raising $238 more to fund his procedure and care. Sim said, "I hope after surgery my eye lid stop swelling and I don’t worry about it anymore. I feel happy and would like to go back to selling vegetables well."

Sopheaktra is a seven-year-old student from Cambodia. He lives with his parents, who both work in a glasses factory, and his two siblings. He is currently in second grade and enjoys reading and writing. In his free time, he likes playing with his friends and eating his favorite food, fried pork. For the past four months, Sopheaktra has been experiencing difficulty breathing, trouble swallowing, and loud snoring at night. He also experiences frequent throat infections, occurring about twice per month over the past year. This has affected his sleep and overall well-being, and has made it difficult for him to attend school regularly and participate in activities with his friends. Sopheaktra was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause his symptoms to persist and possibly worsen over time. Fortunately, on April 22nd, our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, will help Sopheaktra undergo a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy — a procedure to remove the tonsils and adenoids. This procedure will cost $345, and Sopheaktra needs your support to fund the surgery. Sopheaktra's mother said, “After the surgery, I hope my son will be able to breathe easily, swallow without difficulty, and sleep peacefully at night. I also hope he will no longer have frequent throat infections and can return to his normal, healthy life.”

Meseret is a brave 24-year-old woman from Ethiopia who is independent and works hard in the flower industry to make a living. Since she was two years old, she has lived with the effects of a serious burn accident. Because her family could only provide basic care at home when it happened, her scars have become very tight over the years. This tightness has pulled her skin so much that she can no longer move her arm or hand freely, making her daily manual labor much more difficult. Twenty-two years ago, as a young child, Meseret suffered a traumatic burn after falling into a fire. Due to a lack of immediate medical access at the time, the injury was managed exclusively with traditional home remedies rather than clinical hospital care. Working in the flower industry is physically demanding for Meseret. It requires constant reaching, careful sorting, and a steady hand needed to pluck petals or apply protective chemicals. For this young woman, the tightness in her skin is a major daily hurdle that affects her speed and physical comfort. Even though Meseret has struggled to move easily for a long time, she is incredibly determined. She consistently pushes herself to do extra work, hoping to show her supervisors that she is a hardworking staff member and to ensure her job is secure every single day. When Meseret learned about our medical partner, Saglan Wajee General Hospital, she traveled for many hours to seek treatment. Fortunately, Meseret will receive treatment on March 19th. The surgeons will perform a burn contracture release surgery to restore a natural range of motion, which will be a life-changing milestone, marking the first time since she was a toddler that her limb has moved without restriction. This change will allow Meseret to fulfill her duties in the flower field without the persistent physical strain caused by the contractures. For her, this surgery is the key to finally working with comfort and moving her body the way it was meant to move. Now, our medical partner is requesting $500 to fund this procedure. "I have lived so long with these struggles that I forgot what it feels like to be whole. I am so excited to finally do the things that used to be impossible for me. I want to work in the fields and move my arm freely, leaving behind the pain and the limits that have defined my life since I was a child," said Meseret.