Elifa is a small business owner from Malawi. She is 41 years old and a mother of six children. Together with her husband, she relies on vegetable farming to support their family and provide for their children's needs. For 24 years, Elifa has had an incisional hernia. In 2002, after giving birth to her first child by Caesarean section, she began experiencing severe pain around the surgical incision. For many years, she managed the pain with painkillers and continued with her daily responsibilities despite the discomfort. Over time, she developed a mass around the incision site, which caused ongoing discomfort and gradually became part of her daily life. This year, however, her condition became much more difficult to manage. For about a month, Elifa experienced severe pain from the mass, prompting her to seek medical attention. She was referred to our medical partner's care center, Nkhoma Hospital, for specialized treatment. Fortunately, on October 7th, Elifa will undergo hernia repair with mesh surgery, and our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $500 to fund Elifa's surgery and care. Elifa said, "I am thankful that I have finally been referred to Nkhoma, but the cost of surgery is more than my family can afford. I am asking for help so that I can have this surgery, recover well, and return to my family and my work without the pain I have carried for so long. I will be deeply grateful to everyone willing to support me.”

Sarom is a 52-year-old widow from Cambodia, who works as a rice and vegetable farm laborer in Kandal province. Her husband passed away six years ago, and she now lives alone. She has two sons and one daughter with no grandchildren; her oldest son works as a company laborer, while her other two children are still students. In her free time, she enjoys listening to monks chanting through her phone. Five years ago, Sarom developed a pterygium in her right eye, causing her itchiness, tearing, and blurry vision. Pterygiums are non-cancerous growths of the conjunctiva, a mucous layer that lubricates the eye. The growths occur when the conjunctiva is exposed to excessive sun damage, wind or dust and the cells grow abnormally over the pupil. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, recognizing faces, working, and going anywhere outside. When Sarom learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two hours seeking treatment. Sarom needs a surgical procedure to remove the abnormal conjunctiva from the cornea surface and replace it with a conjunctival graft to prevent recurrence. The total cost of her procedure is $298. This covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care for two days. The procedure is scheduled for August 4th. Sarom says: "After a successful surgery, I look forward to my vision greatly improving, so I can easily return to work and no longer worry about my eyes."

Mai is a 78-year-old widow from Cambodia. She has two children and lives with her eldest child, who is a rice farmer. In her free time, she enjoys listening to monks praying. In April 2026, Mai accidentally fell from a chair and fractured the neck of her left femur, resulting in an intracapsular hip fracture. At first, she was still able to walk with support, but the pain gradually became worse over the following months. Since September, her condition has significantly deteriorated, leaving her unable to walk. She now relies on a wheelchair to move around. The ongoing pain and limited mobility have made even her everyday activities increasingly difficult, and she needs support with getting around. On November 3rd, Mai will receive a hip hemiarthroplasty with the help of our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre (CSC). A hip hemi-arthroplasty is a partial hip replacement that involves replacing half of the hip joint. Hopefully, this procedure will help Mai move without discomfort. Mai's family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $612 more to fund her procedure and care. Mai's granddaughter said, “I hope my grandmother’s surgery goes well and helps her walk again. I want her to be free from the pain, move around more easily, and enjoy spending time with our family without being confined to a wheelchair.”