Borey is a 28-year-old father who lives alongside his wife in Takeo province. They recently celebrated the arrival of their daughter, now a delightful 10-month-old. They both work as wait staff in a local restaurant and take turns caring for their daughter. When not working or caring for his precious daughter, Borey likes to play basketball with his friends. On and off for the last 11 years, Borey has had an ear infection. He bought medicine at the local pharmacy, but the infection always returned. This infection caused the tympanic membrane, or the ear drum, in the right ear to perforate, which has caused hearing loss and tinnitus. His ear pain makes it hard for Borey to sleep at night, and his hearing loss makes it difficult to hear others speak at work. Borey worries he will not hear his daughter if she cries. Borey traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 5th, he will undergo a myringoplasty in his right ear. During this operation, surgeons will close the perforation. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is requesting $487 to fund this procedure, which covers medications, supplies, and inpatient care. Borey said: "I hope this operation will stop the ear infections and I can hear better than before."

Samon is a retired grandmother. She is 67 years old and has two daughters, three sons, and seven grandchildren. She lives with her husband and her youngest daughter, with both of them caring for Samon's aging husband. Now retired, Samon used to make and sell bottles of fish sauce in the local market. In her free time, she likes watching movies and going to the pagoda to pray. Around three years ago, Samon developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her 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, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Samon learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for one hour seeking treatment. On March 7th, doctors will perform a phacoemulsification 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. Samon shared, "I hope after surgery my eye can see better, and I can drive my motorbike to bring my grandchildren to school."

Christine is a small-scale farmer from Uganda. She is married and blessed with four children aged between 17 years and 1 year who are all in school except the last one. Her husband is a builder, and they live with her parents in a two-room mud house for shelter. They combine efforts to develop and support their family. Eleven years ago, Christine began to experience troubling symptoms, including a neck swelling associated with pain, difficulty in swallowing, and loss of voice. She is also unable to carry heavy items and experiences headaches. She visited Rushoroza Hospital for treatment. She was diagnosed with a goiter and surgery was recommended to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Christine receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 24th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Christine says, ‘‘I believe and pray to have a successful surgery. I hope to continue with farming after my recovery to be able to support my husband and our family. May God bless you.’’