Faraja's main mandate initially was to provide information and therapies to aid patients through their chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. However, with an increased cancer burden in Kenya ( mortality currently at 32,000) there is a higher demand for financial assistance for patients. The Faraja Medical Support Fund aims to give the right treatment at the right time to up to children and adults with cancer in Kenya. The fund offers support to cancer patients in Kenya.
1There are only 32 registered oncologists in Kenya for a population of 52 million (compared to 766 in the UK). This leads to an annual mortality rate of 32,000 a year due to cancer compared to 7 in 10 in the developed world. Cancer treatment is hugely expensive - even for those who can afford it the resources are sparse. Radiotherapy treatment in Kenya is offered publicly and subsidized at only 2 Referral hospitals. Patients still have to top up to receive full treatment.
The Faraja Fund will support needy cancer patients through treatment in Kenya. Despite the government subsiding cancer treatment, there are still gaps and patients still need to pay treatment costs out of pocket, a burden that is too much to bear for most. Through the fund, we can support up to 50 patients every year forever by giving hope, help, and life to children and adults with cancer in Kenya.
Giving hope to thousands of adults and children living with cancer. Within the next 2 years Faraja aims to raise 1 million US dollars for a special purpose medical fund which will provide life-saving grants, such as chemotherapy and radiation. Over the past 2 years a pilot project where they have given life-saving grants to 42 people and over 90% are well today. I know they can save many more lives with our help, and this will be our motivation to complete get to the top of this mountain!
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
