Annet is a confident, social and interactive woman. She is a mother to two daughters and lives in southwestern Uganda. Growing up, she had an ambition of being a teacher but was unable to achieve this dream. Her husband died in 1990, and she raised her daughters independently. She farms for a living and mostly grows enough to feed her family and then sells off the surplus to generate income. She lives in a two roomed house with two of her grandchildren. For over 2 years, Annet has been experiencing lower abdominal pain, bleeding, and persistent backache. She has been diagnosed with premalignant cervical lesion, which if left untreated could turn into cancer. She needs to undergo a hysterectomy, a procedure in which surgeons will remove her uterus. When symptoms became severe, she was seen by a doctor and was recommended for a total abdominal hysterectomy. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is requesting $219 to fund Annet's surgery. On February 20th, she will undergo gynecological surgery at Karoli Lwanga Hospital. Once recovered, Annet will be able to resume her daily activities free of pain. She says, “I have faith that when given your support, I will be worked on, will be able to regain my health and continue farming in good health.”

Nom is a 64-year-old widow. She is a retired rice farmer from Kampong Thom province, living with a daughter since her husband passed away ten years ago. She has two daughters from her long marriage to her husband - one is a rice farmer, one works in construction, and they have given her five beautiful grandchildren. At home most of the day, she likes to listen to the monks chant on the radio, or visit the local Buddhist centre. Five years ago, Nom developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision and difficulty keeping her balance. 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 Nom learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for two and a half hours seeking treatment. On January 3rd, doctors will perform small incision cataract surgery and an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. She shared: "I hope after surgery I can see better. I want to help my daughter take care of my grandchildren and do housework to help her."

76-year-old Moyenda hails from a village in Lilongwe District. He has 12 children of whom 3 are in school and the rest are married in their respective homes. Moyenda had to leave primary school when he was young, therefore he could not secure a good job and support his family. He depends on farming where he grows maize for consumption and sweet potatoes for commercial purposes. For one year, Moyenda has been experiencing a painful swelling in a sensitive area. The swelling disappears after a while, and it is accompanied by abdominal pain and vomiting. He has been visiting different health centers where he was given drugs to no avail until he was advised to visit Nkhoma Hospital for further assessment. Moyenda was diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia, and he was scheduled to undergo hernia repair surgery. However, he cannot afford the cost although he wishes to undergo surgery. This condition has had a negative impact on Moyenda’s life as he feels abdominal pain when the swelling appears, and he cannot do his farming activities. If the condition is left untreated, it may lead to strangulation which can be life-threatening. Treatment will relieve him of the pain and he will be able to focus on his farm without any hindrances from the condition. Moyenda is scheduled for hernia repair surgery February 13th. Our medical partner African Mission Healthcare is requesting $500 to fund surgery, medications, and medical care. Moyenda says, “I would love to be free of this condition for good.”