Meet Nafissa. She is a 25-year old woman who shared that she tends to be very shy and reserved. She lives with her parents and her young child in an area of Burkina Faso where conflict is currently impacting their lives deeply. When she was a child, Nafissa developed a painful growth on the left side of her chin. This swelling in her lower jawbone affected her ability to eat, and was determined to be a benign tumor that needed to be removed. Her parents were able to secure the funds to send Nafissa to a hospital in Togo, where she could be treated at no cost to her family. The growth was removed, and for several years, Nafissa did well. However, the growth recurred, and in the middle of last year, Nafissa returned to Togo, where the second growth was excised. This time, however, the surgeon determined that her whole jawbone would also need to be removed. As the doctor in Togo did not have the necessary training to perform the surgery that Nafissa needed, he referred her to a physician with our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare. Miraculously, Nafissa is now scheduled for a major jaw surgery with the leading team at AIC Kijabe Hospital in Kenya. As Nafissa's husband abandoned her because of her condition, and provides no support to Nafissa or their child, Nafissa and her parents are looking to you to help fund the $1,500 procedure, which will finally relieve Nafissa of the pain and symptoms that result from the tumor. Nafissa says: “It pains me that I have to stay at home with no friends. Making it worse, I cannot work to provide for my child.”

Sarom is a 41-year-old silk weaver living in Kandal province in Cambodia. She is divorced from her husband and has one daughter who sells cosmetics at the local market and one son who is still in school. About six months ago, Sarom developed a chalazion in her left eye, which causes her pain, itchiness, and irritation. A chalazion is an inflamed cyst in a patient's tear gland. Because of her condition, it is difficult for Sarom to see well enough to weave. Sarom traveled for two hours to seek treatment from our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre. On May 9th, surgeons at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre will remove the cyst through a chalazion excision procedure. After she has recovered, Sarom's symptoms should improve. She needs your help raising $210 to fund this procedure. Sarom shared: "I hope after surgery my eye stops being itchy, I will feel happy, and I will be able to go to back work."

Thy is a 49-year-old rice farmer living in rural Cambodia. Together, he and his wife have two sons, three daughters and one grandchild. His wife also works as a rice farmer. When he has free time, Thy enjoys watching Cambodian boxing. One year ago, Thy developed a cataract in his left eye. The cataract obscures his vision, and makes his eye tear and itch. As a result of his discomfort and visual impairment, Thy feels that he is less able to go about his life independently. Thy learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, and sought their help. On January 23rd, doctors at Kien Khleang National Rehabilitation Centre will perform cataract surgery, and implant an intraocular lens in Thy's left eye. After recovery, he will be able to see clearly. Now, he needs your help to fund this $253 procedure. Thy said: "I hope after surgery I can work more, help my wife do housework, and take care of our grandchild."