Thokozani is a 23-year-old university student from Malawi. He is the fourth born in a family of ten children and the only child in his family who went on to study at the university level. Thokozani is completing a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management (Wildlife) and Eco-tourism. His higher education student loans support him, and he lives in a single-room hostel with two friends. In his free time, Thokozani enjoys watching wildlife programs and eating rice served with beef. Thokozani was born with a hernia condition, and in 2020, he started experiencing on-and-off episodes of discomfort. He visited a private hospital where they diagnosed his condition and recommended surgery, but he was unable to afford it and returned to school. In this last year, however, the pain has become too much to handle, causing him to miss classes. His worsening condition is impacting his ability to engage in daily activities and complete his education. Fortunately, Thokozani recently received a text from a friend regarding surgery support that is available with our medical partner. He immediately called the medical center and was able to see a surgeon who confirmed the diagnosis of a left inguinal hernia and the need for him to undergo surgery. A hernia is a condition in which soft tissue bulges through a weak point in the abdominal muscle. If the hernia is left untreated, the size of the protruding intestine might get bigger and become strangulated, leading to the reduction of blood flow to surrounding tissues, which may be life-threatening. Thokozani will undergo surgery on March 6th. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is requesting $575 to fund the procedure. Thokozani is hopeful that this surgery will allow him to finally heal and return to school in good health. He is looking forward to his brighter future and making his family proud by being the first to complete university studies. He said, “I can’t wait to concentrate after surgery; kindly help me as I plan to finish the remaining part of my course.”

Tor lives in Prey Veng province with his wife, one of his daughters and her family, and four grandchildren. They all work in the nearby rice fields. Tor enjoys watching Cambodian boxing and spending time with his family. Tor's right leg was injured by a bomb during the time of the Khmer Rouge and the injury did not heal properly. Tor has since been diagnosed with Majorlin Ulcer, a type of cancer that can grow from burns, poorly healing wounds, or scars. It grows slowly, but over time it can spread to other parts of the body. As a result of the pain and discomfort, Tor is unable to go up and down stairs and needs assistance for everyday activities. Tor was accompanied by his relatives to travel four hours to reach Children's Surgical Centre. On February 21st, Tor will have an above-the-knee amputation at this facility. The amputation will eliminate pain and help prevent the cancer from spreading. The family needs help to fund this procedure and our medical partner is requesting $479 to cover medications, surgical materials, and four nights of hospital stay. His grandson said, "I hope my grandfather can have surgery so he is no longer in pain and can enjoy time with his family."

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."