11-year-old Ryan lives with his mother and three siblings in Malawi. His parents are separated, and the family depends on Ryan's mother - who sells vegetables - to support their family financially. Since he was born, Ryan has been experiencing a painful swelling in a sensitive area. The swelling disappears for periods of time, but is followed by abdominal pain and fever. His mother has taken him to different health centers, where he was given medication, which didn't ultimately help. Finally, he was seen by a surgeon who was conducting a free clinic at their nearby health center who diagnosed Ryan with a left inguinal hernia. Ryan is now scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center Nkhoma Hospital on February 7th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is seeking your help to raise the $421 needed to fund his procedure, without which Ryan will be unable to continue his schooling without interruption, and he'll continue to face potential health complications. Ryan’s mother says: “I am looking forward to seeing my son free of this condition so that he can focus on school.”

Mao is a retired rice farmer and widow from Kampong Thom province, where she lives with one of her daughters. Her other four children and grandchildren live nearby. After retiring from decades of work in the rice paddies, Mao started to help more around the house and with childcare for her grandkids. She enjoys spending time with family, and visiting the local pagoda to pray. About six months ago, Mao developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. When Mao learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), she traveled for four hours seeking treatment. On February 1st, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. She shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better so I can do the housework easily and take good care of my grandchildren."

Mpapa is a 61-year-old man from a village in Malawi. He has four married children and lives with his wife and grandchildren. When he was young, Mpapa needed to stop attending primary school making it hard for him to secure a job. He depends on farming where he grows maize and groundnuts for his family and for commercial purposes to support their day-to-day costs. Mpapa was diagnosed with an enlarged prostate and scheduled for surgery with our medical partner at Nkhoma Hospital. However, he cannot afford the entire cost of the surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $530 to fund the balance payment for his surgery. Mpapa says, “I hope to receive treatment and resume life without this condition.”