Eserida is a small-scale farmer and a mother of two. She shared that she recently lost her husband, but he left her a three-room mud house for shelter. Her children are now grown and are both teachers, but they have been out of work due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. About 20 years ago, Eserida began to experience troubling symptoms, including mild neck pains. She later developed a small swelling that progressively started increasing in size and has become more painful over the last two years. She has a hard time breathing and, as a result, she can no longer practice farming. She also likes singing in church but can no longer do this. She came to our medical partner's care center Rushoroza Hospital for a review by the doctor and has been diagnosed with a multinodular goiter that requires surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Eserida receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 15th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Eserida says, “I pray that I may get well through surgery and have another chance to live a normal life after living with this goiter for a long time. I believe I am still productive and hope to be more productive after the surgery.”

Srey Noch is a 29-year-old married mother of two children from Cambodia. She and her husband have two daughters, one who is nine years old and in school, and another who is four. Her husband works as a car repairman, while Srey Noch works in a clothes factory. In her free time, Srey Noch enjoys cooking for her family and watching television with her family. Two years ago, Srey Noch developed a painful mass on her right jaw. The mass has grown quickly and she is very worried about her health. She feels ill and is unable to open her mouth or eat solid food. She visited a local hospital for examination, and they referred her to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC) for specialized surgery. Srey Noch traveled to CSC for examination and treatment. She was diagnosed with ameloblastoma, or a non-cancerous tumor of the jaw area. On December 8th, surgeons at CSC will perform surgery to remove the mandibular mass and repair the wound with a fibular free flap. Now, Srey Noch needs help to fund this $657 procedure. Srey Noch shared that she hopes the mass will be removed and not return. She said, "I want the surgery to cover my wound so that I can have a normal face again."

Mary is a quiet and hardworking farmer. Mary and her husband plant maize on their one-acre farm and have four children aged between 33 and 24 years old. Their family is having a hard time financially due to the high bills needed to cater for their grandmother's hospital bills and she undergoes chemotherapy for breast cancer. Her children do not have sustainable jobs and are unable to pay for the treatment that Mary now needs. One evening, while Mary was listening to the radio , she heard about a medical camp that was organized by our medical partner's Kapsowar Mission Hospital in their area. She decided to seek medical advice from the doctors. After being seen, the doctors diagnosed her with a multinodular goiter that needed to be removed surgically. Before Mary sought medical care, she resorted to herbal medicine as she could not afford to go to a hospital. Years later, her condition did not improve and her general well-being has not been getting any better. She's become weak and cannot perform her daily duties of farming and house chores. Mary is unable to raise money for her surgery and is seeking financial assistance to get the surgery and lead a normal and painless life. Mary has had a long journey with her condition. In 2008, Mary began to experience troubling symptoms, including a mass on the neck, rapid heartbeat, increased sensitivity to heat and sweating. She visited the nearest healthcare facility where there were no diagnoses made. They advised her to go to a better facility for further investigations. But still many years later she hasn't been able to undergo the treatment she needs to heal. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Mary receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on November 17th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $936, and she and her family need help raising money. Mary says, “I want this mass to be removed for two reasons; so that I can continue with my daily chores and also, for my community to learn from my experience that herbalists cannot cure and should seek medical care at a hospital.”