Umaru is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. He farms on his small piece of land, mainly growing food crops for home consumption and selling the surplus to generate income for his family. Umaru came in presenting with an umbilical swelling, which he has had for close to 6 months. The pain and swelling progressed over time, affecting his movement and ability to perform daily activities. Umaru was diagnosed with an umbilical hernia and the doctors recommended for him to have surgery to remove the mass. Umaru traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On March 5th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Umaru needs help to raise $188 to fund this procedure. Umaru says, "With support, I hope to undergo my surgery, expect to get better, and continue farming in good health to sustain my family."

Srey Fa is a 7-year-old 2nd grader who lives in Svay Rieng province with her parents and two siblings. Her father works as a tuk tuk driver, and her mom sells groceries from a street side stall. Srey Fa is the youngest in the family and loves playing with her siblings and neighbors in the village. Her favorite subjects are Art and English. In the future, she would like to be an accountant or a teacher. Around four years ago, Srey Fa has been experiencing a sore throat and difficulty swallowing. She often misses school and skips meals due to the pain. Srey Fa was recently diagnosed with enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which, if not treated, will cause her symptoms to persist and possibly intensify over time. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $265 to fund a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy for Srey Fa, which is scheduled to take place on February 7th. Surgeons will remove her tonsils and adenoids, hopefully relieving Srey Fa of her symptoms and helping her live much more comfortably. Her mother said, "I hope my daughter can breathe easier and stop the infections so she can stay in school."

Wishes is a 5-year-old who hails from a village in Lilongwe District. She is the last born in a family of 3 children and is a bright young student in primary school. Wishes’ parents depend on small-scale farming where they grow maize and groundnuts for their family to eat and for commercial purposes to support the family. Since she was born, Wishes has been experiencing a painful abdomen, vomiting, frequent diarrhea, and feeling weak. Her mother has been taking her to Nkhoma Hospital where she was advised to come back to meet a surgeon for assessment. Wishes was diagnosed with a periumbilical hernia, and she was scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery at Nkhoma Hospital. However, her parents cannot afford the surgery although they hope to have their daughter undergo surgery. This condition has had a negative impact on Wishes’s life as she feels abdominal pain and cannot go to school when this happens, therefore, affecting her school performance. If the condition is left untreated, it may lead to strangulation which can be life-threatening. Wishes is scheduled for hernia repair surgery on February 13th. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $421 to fund surgery. After surgery, Wishes will be relived of pain and she will be able to attend school without any hindrances from the condition. Wishes’ mother says, “Thank you for this opportunity that has brought new hope to my daughter.”