Im is a 63-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia. She has six sons, four daughters, and twenty grandchildren. In her free time, she enjoys listening to the monks pray on the radio. Seven months ago, Im developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, and going anywhere outside. When Im learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for four and a half hours seeking treatment. On December 23rd, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification 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 $211 procedure. "I hope that I will be able to see more clearly and can go outside on my own again. I hope I can help take care of my grandchildren and help with the housework," she shared.

Hla is a 41-year-old woman from Burma. She lives with her family in a village in Kawkareik Township in Karen State. Hla is a homemaker, raises livestock, and looks after her niece while her sister teaches at a nursery school in the village. Her two younger sons and her brother-in-law are subsistence farmers who grow rice on rented land. Hla’s oldest son is a distance education student in university. One year ago, Hla felt a painless growth when she touched her lower abdomen. That same day, she went to see a traditional birth attendant (TBA) about this. The TBA told her that she had a gastric problem. The next day, Hla went to see a traditional healer receive blessed water in the hopes it would make the growth disappear. Although she drank the blessed water for around two months, the growth remained. As she did not think that the growth would make her seriously ill, she did not go to a clinic. In January 2020, Hla felt like the growth was increasing in size. She decided to visit Kawkareik Private Clinic where the doctor performed an ultrasound. She was told that she had a mass in her uterus. The doctor provided her with painkillers and she was told to only take it when she is in pain. Hla has been experiencing back pain and the mass increases in size day by day. She has been diagnosed with a uterine mass and has been advised to undergo a total abdominal hysterectomy, the surgical removal of her uterus and cervix. If left untreated, Hla's symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. Fortunately, Hla is scheduled to undergo her hysterectomy on March 13th. Our medical partner, Burma Children Medical Fund, is requesting $1,500 to cover the total cost of her procedure and care. Once recovered, she will no longer experience back pain and she will be able continue working and helping out at home. Hla said, "I'm very scared when I heard that I need to receive surgery. When I got home, my family and friends encouraged me to not be afraid because there were many other people who had the same condition who recovered and became healthy again."

Rwabinumi is a teacher from Uganda. He is a married father of six children. He has three girls; one is a teacher and the other two are still in school. One of his sons has just completed clinical medicine but hasn’t gotten a job yet. The other two are still in school as well. Rwabinumi’s only source of income is his teaching job. His wife is a small-scale farmer and mostly grows food crops for their family to eat. Rwabinumi is feeling overwhelmed with loans taken to pay for school fees for his children and to meet the needs of his family. Since ten years ago, Rwabinumi has had an inguinal hernia. This hernia causes him pain and if not treated, it may result in intestinal tissue damage. Fortunately, on May 19th, he will undergo hernia repair surgery at our medical partner's care center. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $241 to fund Rwabinumi's surgery. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully allow him to live more comfortably and confidently. Rwabinumi says: “I hope to get well and free from all this pain that I have been having for a very long time because when I am at home with no one around to assist me, I can’t even bend to pour water on the basin for a bath.”