76-year-old Smaoh Bernado is a married man from Mpando Village in Mozambique. He has seven children, all of whom are married and in their respective homes. He lives with his wife and grandchildren. In the past, Smaoh was a farmer who grew maize for consumption and commercial purposes to support his family; however, due to his old age, he now depends on his children for support. Smaoh has been using a catheter for the past year as a result of his inability to pass urine. He experiences pain while attempting to pass urine and much discomfort from the catheter. He has been going to a local health center for regular catheter changes until he opted to seek additional evaluation and treatment at our medical partner's care center Nkhoma Hospital. Smaoh was diagnosed with enlarged prostate, and was scheduled for open prostatectomy surgery. His family is unable to cover the complete expenses of the procedure. If left untreated, he may have recurrent urinary tract infections, and he may have to live with the catheter. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Smaoh receive treatment. On March 12th, surgeons at Nkhoma Hospital will perform open prostatectomy surgery which will relieve him of the pain. Now, Smaoh needs help to fund this $530 procedure. Smaoh says, “I look forward to returning home free from this condition.”

Mom is a 65-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. Widowed five years ago, she lives with her youngest daughter, who works at a nearby garment factory. She has six other children who have all moved out to nearby villages or the capital city in search of better job opportunities. Mom has twelve grandchildren who visit often. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and listening to the local Buddhist radio station. About two months ago, Mom developed a cataract in her right eye, causing her photophobia, itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, so it is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Mom learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one and a half hours seeking treatment. On April 3rd, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her right eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Mom shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better. I easily get around and I would help my daughter by taking the kids to school."

Samuel is a smart, playful boy aged one year and eight months old. He loves martial arts and can recite the entire alphabet. He loves to pray with his mother. Before he was born, a prophet told his mother that she would give birth to a son named Samuel. She was very happy to have a son as her older children are all girls. Samuel's mother cleans the street for a living. She carries her son on her back and cleans the street early in the morning. Sometime back, Samuel contracted pneumonia due to the cold mornings, and she stopped working for a while. She has recently resumed to help support her family. Her husband works as a day laborer, but he does not have consistent work. The family lives in a rented single-room mud house. Their income is minimal, and they struggle to meet their daily expenses. They receive government donated food on public holidays. An international organization supports one of her school-going daughters, paying for her education and donating some food every month. Samuel was born with a congenital condition called epispadias, where the urethra does not develop into a full tube, and the urine exits the body from an unusual site. As a result of this condition, Samuel experiences constant urinary leakage and is unable to urinate while standing like other boys. Samuel is scheduled for epispadias repair but his family is not able to meet the surgery costs. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Samuel receive treatment. On March 12th, surgeons at their care center BKMCM will perform an epispadias repair surgery so that Samuel can live more comfortably and confidently. Now, Samuel's family needs help to fund this $1,040 procedure. Samuel's mother says, "I love him so much that I pray every day that he will be fine after the surgery. I am worried that I might lose him during the surgery, but I want him to heal and become like other boys, so I consented to him having the surgery. I wish for him to become continent, and attend school someday."