Alfred is a 76-year-old elderly man from Malawi. He is a husband and father of eight children, all of whom are now grown and living on their own. He once relied on farming to support his family, but in recent years, his health has limited how much he can do. For the past five years, he has been walking with the help of a walking stick. In 2024, Alfred started experiencing urinary retention. Alfred was diagnosed with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, which is an enlarged prostate. A catheter was placed and since then, it has needed to be changed every month, a process that has brought ongoing discomfort, making even simple activities difficult. He needs to undergo a prostatectomy, a surgery to remove part or all of the prostate. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Alfred receive treatment. The surgery is scheduled to take place at Nkhoma Hospital on May 6th and, once completed, it will improve Alfred's quality of life. Alfred and his family are able to contribute towards the cost of his treatment, but need help raising an additional $530 to fund the surgery. He says, “I have lived with this condition for a long time, and it has not been easy. I want to be free from the catheter and the discomfort it brings. I am hoping to get help so that I can have the surgery treatment, and live more comfortably again.”

Heng is a 74-year-old woman from Kandal province, Cambodia. She previously worked as a grocery seller at a small booth and is now retired. She is divorced and has four daughters, one son, and ten grandchildren. Heng lives with her youngest daughter, who works in a restaurant. Her favorite hobbies are listening to the monks' sermons on her small radio. About two years ago, Heng developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her vision to become severely blurry. Three months later, she became functionally blind, making it difficult for her to recognize people and move around independently. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When Heng learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours seeking treatment. On February 10th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Her family can contribute $25, but needs help raising $238 more to fund her procedure and care. Heng said, "I hope that after surgery, my vision will improve so I can move around more easily, recognize people clearly, and participate in social and family gatherings."

Beatrice is a 46-year-old woman from Malawi. She and her husband have three children. Beatrice sells second-hand clothes to support her family. Five years ago, Beatrice began bleeding profusely and started to experience abdominal pain. She was diagnosed with uterine fibroids and was told that she would need to undergo a hysterectomy. She was booked for surgery on numerous occasions, but the surgeries never took place. Finally, Beatrice was referred to our medical partner's care center, Partners in Hope Medical Center, where she is now scheduled to undergo a hysterectomy on June 8th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $1,363 to fund Beatrice's surgery. Beatrice now has hope that the surgical operation will save her life. She believes surgery will help her resume her business and continue being a responsible mother. "I have tried all that I could, but have failed to be considered for surgery in government hospitals; unfortunately, my business cannot support my surgery, but only my family upkeep. Since I am the breadwinner, you are my last hope to save my life," said Beatrice.