Erinest is a 47-year-old man from Rwanda. He never had the opportunity to attend school. He remained at home tending cattle. Ernest lost both his parents during the war in Rwanda. He is now living as a refugee in Uganda. To provide for his family, Ernest engages in small-scale farming to produce food for home consumption. To meet other basic household needs, he works as a casual laborer in other people’s gardens, often for one or two weeks at a time, depending on the available workload.
For the past four years, Erinest has had a bilateral inguinoscrotal hernia. He has been living with recurrent swelling in his groin. The condition has progressively worsened, making it difficult for him to bend or carry out manual work. He describes the pain as feeling like someone is piercing him with a spear. Although he has been relying on painkillers for temporary relief, his condition has deteriorated to the point where he can no longer stand upright comfortably, and even sitting has become difficult because of the size of the swelling.
Erinest heard a radio announcement about the donor program at our medical partner’s care center, Rwibaale Hospital, and decided to seek medical attention. At the hospital, he was examined and underwent investigations, including an ultrasound scan, and was recommended for hernia repair surgery. Fortunately, on July 8th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery, and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $234 to fund Erinest’s surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently.
Erinest says, “I hope that with the surgery, my pain will be reduced soon and I can resume my farming activities.”
