Apofia is a 63-year-old farmer from Uganda. She has six children - three sons and three daughters. She and her husband have a small banana and coffee farm. The couple lives together and enjoys a peaceful and harmonious life, supporting each other in their daily activities. About a year ago, Apofia began to experience troubling symptoms, including a swelling at the front of her neck. The condition has progressively worsened and causes persistent headaches and difficulty sleeping due to episodes of shortness of breath. Apofia was diagnosed with a right thyroid goiter, which is an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Apofia receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on November 2nd at our medical partner's care center, Karoli Lwanga Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Apofia says, “There are nights I go without sleeping at all because of the discomfort it brings me. I need surgery for a complete recovery; however, with my income, I can’t raise the money needed and kindly appeal for your support.”

Nem is a 28-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. He is married with two children: a son in Grade 1 and a two-year-old daughter. In his free time, Nem enjoys playing volleyball and listening to music. When he was five, Nem had an ear infection. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the eardrum, in his left ear to perforate. As a result, Nem experiences hearing loss in his left ear as well as pain, discharge, and tinnitus (ringing in the ear). Difficulty hearing things clearly impacts his daily life, and as a rice farmer, he hopes to finally improve his hearing so he can manage his daily activities and work more comfortably. Fortunately, Nem was able to travel to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On October 22nd, he will undergo a myringoplasty procedure in his left ear. During this procedure, surgeons will close the perforation. Nem contributed $75 toward his care and needs help raising $288 more. The total cost of his procedure includes his medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Nem said, “I’ve had ear problems since I was a child, and my left ear still doesn’t hear well. I hope the surgery will help me hear more clearly so I can work on my farm and enjoy everyday life with my family. I’m grateful for this opportunity to receive treatment.”

Chimean is a 21-year-old chef from Cambodia. She lives with her parents and three younger siblings. Her father sells sugarcane, and her mother works as a cook in a family's home. She is the eldest of four children. During her free time, she enjoys listening to music and watching movies. In June 2026, Chimean accidentally injured the left side of her wrist with a knife while working. The injury damaged her ulnar nerve, causing weakness and numbness in her left hand and difficulty moving her wrist and fingers. This makes it difficult for her to use her hand for cooking and other daily activities. She needs to undergo a tendon and nerve repair procedure to help regain strength and mobility. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is helping Chimean receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo the tendon and nerve repair procedure on October 29th. She can contribute $75, but needs help raising $626 more to fund her procedure and care. Chimean said, “I hope my hand will get stronger after surgery so I can move my fingers better, prepare food more easily, and return to work as a chef.”