Tika was married at the age of 15 and had her first child aged 16. She has had three more children since then and life is hard – her husband lives and works in India but she and her family have very little to live on.

When Tika was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst, she couldn’t afford to have treatment – but the pain was becoming worse. When she heard about INF Nepal’s medical outreach camp, she was desperate. The team there referred her to the district hospital where she had an operation the very next day. Surgeons removed a cyst the size of a mango weighing 1.5kg.

Tika was so happy to be free from pain and so thankful for her free treatment: “I’m so lucky… this camp has blessed me with a painless life. I am heartily thankful to the team.”

Each year, about 600 women like Tika find help at INF Nepal’s gynaecological outreach camps.

In the remote, rural regions of Nepal, healthcare services are limited. Those that do exist can be hard to access due to landscape and lifestyle. It may be several days’ hike to the closest hospital, and all hands are needed at home to make ends meet.