Agatha is a peasant farmer from Kenya. She is a mother of five children. Together with her husband, they tend to their small ancestral land to provide for their children. She noted a small lump on her left breast in January 2020. The lump did not go away and she thought of visiting the hospital. She went to two facilities where she had mammogram and FNA tests done. That was followed up with a biopsy and she had a cancer diagnosis. Agatha decided to come to Watsi's Medical Partner's Kijabe Hospital where doctors have advised that she needs a mastectomy. With the right and timely treatment, Agatha will be out of risk of cancer metastasis. Without treatment, the cancer may spread to other organs. A mastectomy, a surgery to remove breast tissue, has been suggested to rid her body of breast cancer and to prevent the cancer from metastasizing. Agatha has now registered for the national insurance scheme, but it is not yet available. Their monthly income is negligible to meet the cost of surgery. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $816 to cover the cost of a mastectomy for Agatha. The procedure is scheduled to take place on March 30th. After treatment, Agatha will hopefully return to a cancer-free life. Agatha says, “My prayer is to be free from this cancer problem. I am hopeful that the treatment will be a success.”

Florence is a small scale farmer together with her husband. She was not able to proceed with studies due to lack of school fees. Florence came to our facility complaining of general body weakness. She had scanning done and c-section surgery recommended due to her twin pregnancy. She had a previous delivery as c-section and her surgeon recommended this surgery for a better and safer delivery outcome. The mother of three children is not able to raise the funds required for the planned delivery. She is hopeful of a successful surgery and appeals for financial assistance. Florence says, “I expect the best out of my surgery and a happy family.”

Nimusiima is a 30 year old single mother to three children, all of whom are still in school. She separated with her husband because of her health condition leaving her with no support for her three children. She earns a living from selling second-hand clothes along the roadside but since she earns limited profit from the business, she at times does small-scale farming growing food crops to feed her children. When she separated with her husband, she had to rent a two-roomed house which she shares with her three daughters and rent is paid from the profits she earns after her sales. Nimusiima came in to the hospital presenting with an unrepaired delivery episiotomy that she has had for the last two years. She has discomfort and incontinence. It has greatly affected her quality of life and her marriage. Nimusiima had never been to any hospital for treatment for her condition due to limited finances but having heard over a radio health talk show about the hospital's program and the surgical operation it supports, she decided to come and check if she could also be helped. Having reached here, she visited the gynaecologist who examined her recommended an anterior colporrhaphy and perinerraphy treatment to restore her quality of health. Nimusiima shared: “I hope to get a better quality of life after my surgery and be free from this condition. I hope to resume working for the betterment of my children's future.”