Stop cervical cancer in Rwanda!

Hello,

I work for a medtech company Elekta developing technology for cancer care.

The Elekta Foundation is a philanthropic organization created in February 2022 with the mission to improve access to cancer care in underserved countries. In its first year, the Foundation focused on the prevention and treatment of cervical cancer in Rwanda.

This September we will arrange a "Ride for Rwanda" event, cycling four days in a row, from Crawley UK to Amsterdam NL. The “Ride for Rwanda” aims at raising funds for women suffering from cervical cancer in rural villages.

The funds will be used to build a community-based support system that includes psychological, social support as well as pain relief for women with cervical cancer from our screening project. We also want to include nutrition to help them recover from their surgery, chemo and radiotherapy. Patients typically are discharged from the hospital and return home with no follow-up when they are most likely to have severe or worsening symptoms, when they are most physically and socio-economically vulnerable, and when their families are under tremendous stress. With this project, we will create affordable, sustainable, and scalable cancer patient care in the Gicumbi district to measurably improve the quality of life of these cancer women. We need $50k for this project.

Every little bit helps and can make a real impact in these women's lives.

Cervical cancer is a silent killer that claims the lives of a woman every two minutes in the world. Most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, where women lack access to screening and treatment. This breaks my heart: every woman deserves the right to live a healthy and dignified life. That's why I'm proud to be part of the Elekta Foundation, a philanthropic organization created in February 2022 with the mission to improve access to cancer care in underserved countries.

The Elekta Foundation focused on Rwanda, where cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women. In less than 4 months, they completed a project that tested 20000 women for HPV and treated more than 600 women for precancerous lesions so that they won't develop cervical cancer. Unfortunately, some women have already had cervical cancer. Through the screening, they were diagnosed and are now receiving advanced cancer treatments.

Now they have new challenges to face in their lives. Imagine being diagnosed with cervical cancer and having no support system to help you cope. Imagine facing physical and psychological pain as well as social stigma. Imagine losing your ability to provide for your family and your dreams for the future. This is the reality for many women in rural Rwanda who are suffering from this devastating disease. They are mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends. They need our help. That's why I'm taking part in the "Ride for Rwanda" challenge, a fundraising initiative that aims to raise funds for women with cervical cancer from our screening project. By cycling 100 kilometers in one day for 4 days, I hope to make a difference in their lives.

Your donation can make a huge impact on the lives of women with cervical cancer in Rwanda. The funds will be used to build a community-based support system that includes psychological counseling, social assistance, pain relief, and nutrition. These services are essential to help them recover from their cancer treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. They also help them cope with the emotional and social challenges they face. With your support, we can give them hope and dignity. We can show them that they are not alone. We can save lives.

Thank you for your generosity and compassion.

Fundraising in Finland under collection number RA/2023/808.