Sok, who was widowed many years ago, is a 77-year-old grandmother of 18 grandchildren. She lives in rural Mondulkiri province in Cambodia, with the youngest of her five daughters. Sok also has three sons. The family grows potatoes to earn a living. About a year ago, Sok developed entropion of the eyelids, where her eyelashes rub against her right eye's cornea. Entropion may be caused by weakening muscles under the eyes, infection, inflammation, or genetics. Without surgery, entropion can cause permanent damage to the cornea, eye infections, and vision loss. Sok sought help from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On March 8th, surgeons will perform a corrective procedure to repair Sok's eyelid. Sok needs your help to raise $249 to fund this operation. Sok shared: "I hope after surgery my eye stops being irritated, tearing, and itching, so I won’t worry about it anymore."

Veasna is a happy 4-year-old who loves soccer, cars, and watching cartoons on his mom's phone! His parents work in clothing factories supplying major global retailers, and while they are at work, Veasna's grandparents and family neighbors help care for him. About two years ago, Veasna burned his left hand in an accident. Since then, burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around the fingers. When Veasna's parents learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), they traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On February 6th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to improve the functioning of Veasna's hand by releasing the scar tissue on three of his fingers. CSC is requesting $495 to fund this procedure and Veasna's family contributed $100 to his care. Veasna shared, "I hope I can use my hand more easily and play with my toys."

58-year-old Natchokani is a widow from a village in Dedza District in Malawi. With seven children, six of whom have passed away, she now lives with her youngest child, who is 7 years old and attending primary school. Natchokani never had the opportunity to attend school, making it challenging for her to find employment. Consequently, she relies on farming to sustain herself and her son, growing maize, beans, and groundnuts for both sustenance and income. Twenty years ago, Natchokani noticed an itch and an uncomfortable feeling in her throat whenever she was eating. Shortly after, people in her vicinity informed her of a swelling on her neck, which she eventually noticed herself. The swelling has been increasing in size over the years but she never went to seek medical help in health centers as she did not have finances to pay for treatment. Instead, she tried traditional medicine to no avail. Natchokani has continued to experience severe headaches and pain in her upper back. She struggles to swallow and sometimes has shortness of breath when she is lying down. She is unable to carry a heavy load on her head, therefore making it difficult for her to carry out household chores such as fetching water, and firewood and going to the maize mill. One day while she was visiting a patient at our medical partner's care center Nkhoma Hospital, she was seen by a surgeon who later diagnosed her with a multinodular mass, and thyroidectomy was recommended. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $491 to fund Natchokani's thyroid surgery scheduled for March 7th. Following the surgery, her symptoms will be alleviated, allowing her to breathe more easily and engage in her daily tasks without discomfort. Natchokani says, “I hope to receive treatment and resume life without this condition so that I can take care of my only son.”