Deziranta is a 48-year-old farmer. She is a mother of three daughters who are all married and working as farmers. She lost her husband in 2020 to kidney disease. Despite her early love for school, Deziranta had to drop out after completing 7th grade due to lack of school fees. Currently, she practices farming for her livelihood and occasionally works in other people's gardens where she is paid 5,000 Ugandan Shillings. She lives in a two-roomed muddy semi-permanent house in Buhunga Rukungiri District in Southwestern Uganda. Six years ago, Deziranta developed a painful swelling on her back. This swelling causes her sleepless nights as she cannot sleep on her back. She also experiences paralysis of the back and cannot lift or carry loads. Her symptoms limit her from activities she would comfortably do before, which led her to seek medical attention. Deziranta traveled to our medical partner's care center to receive treatment. On February 28th, surgeons will remove the mass. Now, Deziranta needs help to raise $137 to fund this procedure. Deziranta says “I beg for your mercy for support to make my surgery possible. Without it, I won’t ever get a chance to undergo my surgery due to limited finances."

John is a hawker (the local name for a street vendor) from Kenya. He has six children all under the age of 18 years. His wife helps at home and John is the family's sole breadwinner. Lately, due to his condition, John has been unable to work. He has no alternate source of income, and shared that he is struggling to raise his family. John first started experiencing a loss of appetite and stomach pain in April 2022. He visited a local health center and was treated for stomach aches, but his condition did not improve. He later started having episodes of diarrhea and has lost a significant amount of weight. He also has been experiencing bleeding that has caused him anemia. As a result, he has had several blood transfusions and hospital admissions. Recently, a biopsy at Kijabe Hospital revealed that John has colorectal cancer. Colorectal cancer is a disease in which cells in the colon grow out of control. At the current stage, his doctors feel the cancer can be stopped surgically from spreading. However, the procedure has to be done as soon as possible because it is urgent. He is now scheduled to undergo surgery and needs support. Unfortunately, John does not have medical coverage and cannot afford the surgery. He is requesting financial assistance to support the $1,074 needed for his medical care. John says, “I cannot eat, and I have lost a lot of weight. I have had several blood transfusions because of bleeding. I need this surgery to help fight the cancer.”

In is a 66-year-old retired rice farmer from Cambodia. She has three sons, five daughters, and 17 grandchildren. Sadly, five years ago, her husband passed away due to hypertension. Now, she lives with one of her grandchildren. When In is not cooking, she enjoys listening to monks chant on the radio. Three months ago, In developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision with frequent tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so she is not able to go places on her own. When In learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On November 18th, 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 raising $253 to fund her procedure and care. In shared, "I hope I can see better so I can take care of myself. I want to go to the pagoda by myself and not be afraid."