Meet Anna from Malawi: a 55 year old married mother of two children, aged 38 and 35 respectively. Anna is a business woman, whose husband does piece work in town when he can get jobs to do. Anna was healthy until about 30 years ago, when she started experiencing intermittent swelling above the umbilical area. She didn't think it was important, so she did not seek medical help. Over time, however, the frequency of the swelling episodes increased, and she began to experience discomfort. In 2022, Anna’s condition deteriorated, and she visited different hospitals, where the problem was associated with her raised blood pressure. Due to increased swelling, Anna found that she could no longer conduct her business. In September of this year, Anna visited a private hospital, where a diagnosis of an epigastric hernia was made. Surgical intervention is required. If the hernia is left untreated, it could become strangulated, which can be a life threatening development. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is seeking $575 to fund Anna's hernia repair surgery, which is scheduled for November 15th, at Partners in Hope Medical Center. Anna looks forward to a successful surgery that will enable her to refocus on her business, so that she can continue supporting her family.

Allen is a 60-year-old small-scale farmer from Uganda. She lost her husband fifteen years ago and raised their six children on her own since his passing. As she was unable to afford their school fees, her children's income is modest, and they are unable to support their mother while she cannot work on the farm due to her medical condition. Allen hopes to resume her work once she recovers. Thirty years ago, Allen began to experience troubling symptoms, including a growing anterior neck swelling that caused pain. She has also been experiencing respiratory issues affecting her productivity. She was diagnosed with multinodular thyroiditis. She visited our medical partner's hospital for review, and the doctors recommended she undergo a thyroidectomy to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), is helping Allen receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on November 3rd, during which the surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $333, and she and her family need help raising money. Allen says, “I hope for a quick recovery, and after my complete recovery, I will resume farming.”

Benson is a 68-year-old small-scale farmer from Uganda. He is a father to two children, sadly mentioning that three others have passed away. Benson worked in construction, but due to his age, he transitioned to farming. His wife contributes to farming as well. Recently Benson has experienced some health difficulties, and he said that his daughter's support has been crucial for him and his wife. For the past nine months, Benson has experienced swelling around his shoulder blade. The swelling also causes discomfort, numbness, and pins-and-needles sensations. He struggles to turn his head and experiences sleepless nights due to the pain and consistent headaches. After undergoing an examination, doctors discovered a mass in Benson's shoulder that is causing his symptoms. Fortunately, our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare (AMH), can help. Benson traveled to AMH's care center and will undergo surgery to remove a mass in his shoulder on July 11th. Now, Benson needs help to raise $137 to fund this procedure. Benson says, “I hope to be relieved from all the pain I’ve had once I am operated on.”