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.”

Eab is a 76-year-old woman from Cambodia. She is a widow whose husband passed away during the Khmer Rouge era. She currently lives with her granddaughter, who works as a grocery seller. She has three children, all of whom are married and live in nearby villages. In her free time, she enjoys listening to monks chanting prayers and visiting the pagoda when possible. Eab developed swelling, pain, and redness of the right knee one week after undergoing a right total knee replacement in July 2025. Due to an infected knee implant, she subsequently underwent surgical debridement in September 2025. Despite treatment, the infection has recurred, and she is currently experiencing a recurrent right knee prosthetic joint infection. To address the infection and prevent further complications, the surgical team plans to remove the infected implant, perform knee fusion, and apply an external fixation frame as part of her treatment. Fortunately, surgeons at our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, can help. On June 9th, Eab will undergo surgery that will help control the infection, relieve pain, and improve the stability of her leg. This is expected to improve her ability to move more comfortably and reduce ongoing complications. Eab's family can contribute $100, but needs help raising $500 more to fund her procedure and care. Eab said, “After the surgery, I hope I can walk more comfortably without pain. I would like to be able to go to the pagoda more easily, participate in religious activities, and be more independent in my daily life.”

Scovia is 58 years old and a mother of nine from Uganda. When she was 10, she lost both of her parents within a short period, leaving her and her siblings to be raised by their grandmother. She and her husband depend on farming as the family’s main source of livelihood. They primarily grow food crops such as beans, maize, and potatoes for household consumption and sell any surplus produce to generate income for her family’s needs. Twenty years ago, Scovia began to experience troubling symptoms, including a swelling at the front of her neck. Because the swelling grew slowly and was not painful, she did not initially seek medical attention. However, about a month ago, she began experiencing shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing, and increasing breathing difficulties. Concerned about her worsening condition, she sought medical care at a nearby hospital where she was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the gland located in front of your neck and produces thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for functions such as metabolism, growth, and other bodily functions. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare, is helping Scovia receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on November 2nd. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help raising money. Scovia says, “This has never been painful, but recently, I couldn’t breathe. Am always catching my breath and can’t do anything about it because of limited finances. I kindly appeal to you for support to have my surgery so I can continue farming and keep my children in school.”