Phionah is a cashier at a local bank. She is a confident and outgoing lady in her late 20s. She is single and the youngest of ten children, with two brothers still studying. Three of her elder sisters are married and work as farmers, while the rest are still in school. Phionah loves music and singing, and she is a member of the church choir. She holds a degree in business management, but despite her qualifications, she has been unable to secure a job in her profession. She works as a bank teller, where she earns $27 a month. She uses her salary to support her parents by contributing to fund her siblings' education. In 2020, Phionah began to experience troubling symptoms, including anterior neck swelling. Initially, it was small, but over time it increased in size, causing her shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and even protrusion of the eyes. She was diagnosed with nontoxic goiter. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Phionah receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on April 4th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Phionah says “This has caused me a lot of pain yet without support, I may not raise the money needed for my surgery, I appeal for your support.”

Hean is an 80-year-old grandmother from Kompong Cham province. Now retired, she worked for many decades as a rice farmer. She has two daughters, one son, and ten grandchildren. Since her husband passed away two years ago, she moved in with her youngest daughter, who is also a rice farmer. In her free time, Hean likes to listen to monks pray on the radio and help care for her grandchildren. One year ago, Hean developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, thus is unable to travel on her own. When Hean learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three hours to seek treatment. On March 8th, doctors will perform surgery on Hean's right eye. Hean needs help to fund this $253 procedure. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Hean says, "I hope after surgery I can take good care of my grandchildren."

Shallon is the mother of three children and a businesswoman from Southwestern Uganda. She has a diploma in education, but was unable to get a job in that field, so decided to start a small retail shop to make ends meet. She lives in a rental house with her children, as she separated from her husband. Two years ago, Shallon began to experience troubling symptoms, including neck swelling, difficulty breathing, and swallowing. She was diagnosed with cystic goitre. A visit to a traditional herbalist had not helped, so she went to the hospital. She had a scan, and surgery was recommended to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Shallon receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on January 24th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money to pay for it. Shallon says, “I hope the complications I have been passing through will be no more once I am given a chance to be operated on with your help.”