Yousos is a 58-year-old laborer at a cashew farm from Cambodia. He lives in an isolated village in Stueng Treng, Cambodia, with his wife and their two children. His wife also works at the cashew farm, and both of his children help with cashew farming to support the family. The household depends entirely on its small daily labor income for daily expenses and basic needs. In his free time, he helps with farm work and household chores. In 1988, while serving as a soldier at the border, Yousos sustained a gunshot wound to his right femur, resulting in a fracture. An external fixation was applied to facilitate healing; however, the fixation later became loose and was removed. He then sought treatment through Khmer traditional medicine. While his condition appeared to improve as he was able to walk and return to work normally, he continued to have discharge from the wound. Ten days ago, while working on his farm, he twisted the same leg and fractured the same area again. He now experiences pain, discharge, and difficulty walking. The non-union fracture and infected wound make it very challenging for him to perform daily activities and continue his farm work. When Yousos learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC), he traveled for nine and a half hours seeking treatment. On February 20th, surgeons at CSC will perform a debridement procedure to remove damaged and infected tissue from the wound and allow the wound to heal. Yousos can contribute $50, but needs help raising the remaining $367 to fund his procedure and care. Yousos said, “I have lived with this injury for many years, but now the pain and infection make it very difficult to walk. I hope this treatment will finally heal my leg so I can return to my farm and live without suffering.”

Michael is 54 years old and a pedicab driver from the Philippines. He transports people and things using a bicycle with a passenger sidecar. Michael lives with his two sons. One of his sons works in construction, while the other is a housekeeper, and together they help Michael cover their household’s regular expenses. Two months ago, Michael began to experience troubling symptoms, including persistent abdominal pain. He was diagnosed with gallstones and has been advised to undergo a cholecystectomy, the surgical removal of the gallbladder. If left untreated, his symptoms will continue to worsen and put her at risk for further health complications in the future. After seeking treatment through our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), Michael is scheduled to undergo a cholecystectomy on February 7th. A portion of the cost of the procedure is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $1,031 to cover the cost of Michael's surgery and care. Michael shared, "I cannot afford surgery, but I also couldn’t wait any longer for treatment because I need to support my family. Once the operation is finished, I look forward to getting back to normal. I can’t express how thankful I am for this opportunity."

Mwamini is a 31-year-old woman from DR Congo, and the mother of four children, one boy and three girls. She and her family, including her husband, live in a refugee settlement in Uganda. Mwamini lost her parents in the conflict back home, while her husband's parents still live in DR Congo. Both Mwamini and her husband had limited access to education growing up, due to their respective families' financial challenges. Presently, they both work as small-scale farmers on rented land, to provide food for their household and generate a small income from the surplus they sell. Life in the refugee settlement has been challenging, and the family continues to struggle to meet their basic needs. Five years ago, Mwamini began to experience troubling symptoms, including a swelling at the site of a previous surgical incision. Over the last two years, the condition has progressively worsened, causing her significant discomfort and affecting her ability to work. As the swelling increased in size, she began experiencing abdominal fullness, pain, and a noticeable abdominal mass. Eventually, the condition became so debilitating that she was forced to stop participating in farming activities, placing an additional burden on her family's livelihood. In an attempt to find relief, Mwamini tried various herbal remedies, but her condition continued to deteriorate. Her breakthrough came when she attended a surgical outreach organized by our medical partner's care center, Rwibaale Hospital, where she was advised to seek further evaluation and treatment at the hospital. There, was diagnosed with both an incisional hernia and grade three splenomegaly (enlarged spleen). Physicians have recommended a laparotomy, which is a surgery that opens up the abdominal cavity to treat her condition. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $230 to fund Mwamini's surgery. On June 2nd, she will undergo surgery at Rwibaale Health Center. Once completed, this procedure will hopefully greatly improve her quality of life. Mwamini says, "I hope to get relief from the pain, so I can go back to my farming activities and take good care of my family."