Eva is a 37-year-old mother from Uganda. Her husband works in a Sacco and she owns a small hairdressing business in her local village. However, due to limited capital for expansion, her business has not been able to compete with similar businesses in the area and her husband's job does not provide financial stability for their family. 15 years ago, Eva began to experience troubling symptoms, including a painful swelling on the front of her neck, shortness of breath, and disfigurement of her neck. She was diagnosed with a goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is helping Eva receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on February 14th at our medical partner's care center. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. This procedure will cost $252, and she and her family need help to raise the funds. Eva says “I know that my condition has limited my progress, but I hope that now I will have the surgery done under your support, I will live a happy and improved lifestyle as I resume with my work.”

Peter is a 5th grade student from Kenya. He is an only child being raised by his single mother, who works as a hotel waitress earning about $70 per month. The family also has a small tea plantation in their ancestral home, but are unable to raise the funds needed for Peter's surgery. Peter has been diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain and increases intracranial pressure. As a result of his condition, Peter has been experiencing difficulty in holding things and walking. The condition has affected his appearance, with a change in the color of his eyes. Over time, he has developed urine and stool incontinence. His worried mom decided to seek treatment from several hospitals. Doctors determined that Peter needs a special surgery that will relieve pressure from the skull. Without treatment, Peter will experience severe physical and developmental delays. Our medical partner, African Mission Healthcare Foundation, is requesting $720 to cover the cost of surgery for Peter. The procedure is scheduled to take place on January 11th, and will drain the excess fluid from Peter's brain. This will reduce intracranial pressure and greatly improve his quality of life. With proper treatment, Peter will hopefully develop into a strong, healthy young boy. Peter’s mother says, “Peter has been sickly and has been missing school for almost a year now. This condition is affecting his school life. He needs this treatment to recover and go back to school.”

Kim is a 71-year-old retired rice farmer. She is from Kandal province in Cambodia, and has one son and two grandchildren. Currently, she lives with her son who is a construction worker. Her husband passed away many years ago. Some of her favorite activities include joining ceremonies at her local pagoda and cooking for her grandchildren. Two years ago, Kim developed a cataract in her left eye, causing her blurry vision, light sensitivity, and tearing. She has difficulty seeing things clearly, including colors and faces, and is worried about falling when walking, so is not able to go places on her own. When Kim learned about our medical partner, Children's Surgical Centre, she traveled for three and a half hours seeking treatment. On December 8th, doctors will perform a small incision cataract surgery and place an intraocular lens implant in her left eye. After recovery, she will be able to see clearly. Now, she needs help to fund this $253 procedure. She said: "I hope my vision improves and I can get around easily by myself. I want to be able to help care for my grandchildren and walk to the pagoda by myself."