Janet is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She completed her education up to the primary level but had to withdraw due to lack of school fees. She got married at the age of sixteen and together with her husband, they have seven children. The family has a small piece of land that Janet and her husband cultivate. Their earnings from this are very modest and unfortunately some of their children have had to drop out of school due to financial constraints. Ten months ago, Janet started experiencing some troubling symptoms, including severe abdominal pains. She was diagnosed with a large irregular intra-peritoneal cystic mass. She has been experiencing great discomfort which has deteriorated her health and has directly impacted their family income. Physicians 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 $279 to fund Janet's treatment. On March 7th, she will undergo surgery at Uganda Martyr's Ibanda Hospital. Once completed, this procedure will greatly improve her quality of life. Janet says, "I was already worried about how we shall raise the hospital funds but to my surprise, God already had a plan for us. I have high hopes of having a successful surgery, and I know everything will move on smoothly. I will be able to resume my usual activities of farming, and my children will be able to go back to school and complete their studies.’’

Kanha is an 8-year-old third grader. She lives in Kampong Speu province with her older brother and grandparents. Her mom works in a handbag factory a couple of hours away, and can spend time with her children on weekends. Her grandparents work as rice farmers, and have some extra income from their daughter's factory job. In her free time, Kanha likes reading and art. She hopes to do well in school so she can work at a bank or private company one day. When she was one year old, Kanha dropped some bread into an open cooking fire. Unfortunately, her right fingers were badly burned when she tried to retrieve the bread. She was treated at a local hospital to manage the burns and prevent infection. Since that time, burn scar contractures have developed, tightening the skin around her fingers. When Kanha's family learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. On December 5th, surgeons at CSC will perform a burn contracture release surgery to help her to use her hand easily again. Now, her family needs help to fund this $495 procedure. Kanha said: "I want to be able to hold my pens at school and use my hand better."

Songheng works in a textile factory and lives with his parents, who are rice farmers, in Kandal province. He has a brother who lives in the family home and a married sister who lives nearby. When not working, Songheng enjoys listening to music with friends. Songheng operates machinery in a textile factory, stitching together fabrics that eventually find their way into clothing sold around the globe. On January 11th, his hand slipped while cutting through a thick piece of fabric with a mechanical saw. The sharp blade tore through his left arm, severing the radial nerves in his wrist. He was taken to a local hospital for surgical repair, but doctors told him they were unable to suture the radial nerves in his hand that are crucial for movement and sensation. Songheng is unable to use his left hand and feels constant burning in his thumb due to the damage to his nerves. He cannot work and is worried that he is unable to contribute to the family finances. Without proper treatment, he might never fully regain function in his hand. The hospital directed him to our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. Skilled surgeons at CSC have achieved positive results for patients in removing damaged nerve or tendon sections, reconnecting healthy nerve ends, or implanting a piece of nerve/tendon from another part of the body. These procedures can repair the damage, and attempt to restore as much function as possible. With limited finances, Songheng needs help with the $572 cost of the procedure, which will cover medications, surgery, post-operative care, and physiotherapy. His surgery is scheduled for February 16th. Songheng said: "I am hopeful the doctors can fix my hand so I can work again and have no pain."