Rwanda Cancer Relief
Who We Are
Increasing public awareness of all forms of cancer and enhance the abilities of healthcare professionals who treat cancer.
Rwanda Cancer Relief
With legal personality number 728/NGO/LP/01/2021, Rwanda Cancer Relief (RCR) is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that has been provisionally accredited by the Rwandan Governance Board (RGB).
The primary objective of RCR is to increase public awareness of all cancers, including those that affect both children and adults. We increase public awareness of all forms of cancer and enhance the abilities of healthcare professionals who treat cancer. In addition, we support those who are fighting cancer and their families financially and emotionally.
Past Achievements
RCR is an organisation that aims for the involvement of everyone regardless of the age group or gender. Therefore, in celebration of childhood cancer awareness ,every year, during the month of September, Rwanda, through RCR joins the rest of the world to celebrate through a walk in the city of Kigali. With humble beginnings, the idea sparked in the year 2014 and it has drawn more than a hundreds of young people, to raise awareness of childhood cancers. The movement grew on an annual basis, with more activities being incorporated and a greater, national recognition by the policy makers. As a highlight, general public awareness and education were carried out during a community centred activity – the monthly community work (Umuganda) – in a Kigali neighbourhood by the organisation’s volunteers, together with various television and radio talk shows. Since 2016, the month of September has been marked by the Rwanda ministry of health as the month of childhood cancer awareness on the national level, and the movement is trending towards being partially funded with an awareness budget from the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).
School Clubs
RCR plans to have a cancer club in most primary and secondary schools to raise awareness in these schools, thereby, with the plans to reach the country at large. They will be organising community outreaches to educate the local communities about cancers, increasing awareness of Cancer in Rwanda.
Transport Support
3 Centers
Rwanda has only three centres that provide either chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, i.e. Butaro cancer centre of excellence, King Faisal and Rwanda Cancer Centre. These centres are located in Kigali and another in the northern province, far from many patients; these patients face transport challenges. Due to that, RCR intends to provide shuttles that will transport these patients.
Hope Lodge
Through research, the team at RCR observed that many travel long distances for treatment, making it even harder and leading to treatment and follow-up abandonment. RCR intends to create homes away from home for patients and caregivers. The lodge will have general and private rooms, a kitchen, a playroom and all other house necessities. Our goal is to create a home-like environment. Our first lodge will be in Kigali, near the Rwanda Cancer Centre in Kanombe.
Writing Contest
At the beginning of January 2022, the Rwanda Cancer Relief organisation launched an online writing contest that was aimed at empowering the public with cancer-related information and enhancing the well-being of cancer survivors by giving patients, survivors, relatives, and friends a platform to share their stories and at the same time debunking myths around Cancer. This writing contest is significant to the identity of RCR as it is another avenue to create awareness in the community.
Presently, several myths/misconceptions and stigmatisation have been attached to cancer patients, which has affected many, causing them to stay away from discussions about cancer patients or survivors. This is one of the reasons RCR was established to create a platform for these individuals, but this can not be achieved solely, and it requires the efforts of every individual that makes up our communities. We urge you today to evolve to become a change maker for CANCER-affiliated individuals.