Puttra, who is 17 years old, lives in Kampong Speu, a province just outside of the capital city of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. His parents are pig and cow farmers, and he has three younger sisters. In his free time, Puttra plays soccer with his friends and feeds the cows near his house. In the future, Puttra would like to be a teacher of Cambodian studies. Puttra has nasal polyps in each nostril that result in discharge, poor sleep, and pain, including frequent headaches. He has been using medications that his mother regularly purchases at a pharmacy to manage these symptoms, but his condition has not improved. Our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, is here to help. On March 8th, Puttra will undergo a bilateral polypectomy at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre, which should permanently alleviate all of his unpleasant symptoms. Puttra and his family need your help to raise $388 to fund the surgery. Puttra hopes that after surgery, this problem will be gone, and he can focus on school.

Giripina is an elder from Uganda who had eleven children- three of whom are still living. She is a small-scale farmer alongside her husband, who also practices carpentry. During her free time, Giripina enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. One month ago, Giripina began to experience uncomfortable symptoms, including a bulging abdomen. She continued with her activities at home, hoping that the condition would go away on its own. When the symptoms intensified, she was referred to a hospital where she was diagnosed with partial intestinal obstruction. The doctors recommended surgery given that, if left untreated, Giripina could develop worsened obstruction, gangrene, intestinal perforation, sepsis, or death. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Giripina with this life-saving treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a curative laparotomy on March 10th. This procedure will cost $297, and Giripina and her family need your support. Gripina says, “I pray for a successful surgery. I hope to get well so that I may be able to continue taking care of myself and my family through farming.”

Sov is a 72-year-old widower from Takeo province. He has one son, six daughters, and twenty grandchildren. He lives alone after his wife passed away 40 years ago. His children help support him through their work at local garment factories. At home, he enjoys listening to monks pray on the radio, and joining ceremonies at his local pagoda. Two years ago, Sov developed a cataract in his right eye, causing him blurry vision and a cloudy lens. He has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on his own. When Sov learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, he traveled for 4.5 hours seeking treatment. On January 5th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and implant a new lens in his right eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs help to fund this $253 procedure. Sov said, "I hope after surgery I can see more clearly, so I can recognize faces and join ceremonies at the pagoda in my village."