By John Kagwi | Project Leader
1. Summary of Progress:
The high cost of cancer treatment together with high cost of living continues to be a very big problem for many needy cancer patients in rural areas and urban slums in Kenya. Since our last report in October 2025, Six Bridges Foundation has intensified its efforts to support vulnerable and needy cancer patients who are often forced to choose between struggle for basic survival and life-saving treatment. From November 2025 through the early 2026, we are focused primarily on the critical essentials that make healing possible for those most in need.
For our beneficiaries in rural Kenya and urban slums, a cancer diagnosis is often viewed as a death sentence, leading to unjustified isolation and stigma. We have worked tirelessly to remove these barriers, restore human dignity, and prevent avoidable suffering by bridging three main gaps in cancer treatment and care. During this period, our focus shifted toward expanded outreach programs and field activities. This was made possible by increased funding from well-wishers and our dedicated GlobalGiving partners.
2. Activities and Progress:
(i). Health Insurance Premiums:
We paid for needy patients the annual insurance premiums, SHIF (Social Health Insurance Fund) which is Kenya's mandatory government insurance. This will help them to access cancer treatment for the next one-year up to January 2027.This includes, regular tests, chemotherapy and radiotherapy hence reducing suffering and the burden of cost on the needy families.
(ii). Nutritional Food Support:
We provided monthly food baskets to very needy families where the breadwinner is incapacitated by treatment, ensuring that patients have the nutritional strength to endure chemotherapy and other forms of cancer treatment. We also provided food to children who have been orphaned by cancer and who are living on their own.
(iii). Education for Cancer Orphans and those from families affected by cancer:
We intervened to pay and to top-up school fees for children whose education was at risk because they have been orphaned by cancer and for those whose parents are sick and very needy and are facing high cost of cancer treatment.
3.Results and Impact
Our outreach and field activities this period directly addressed three critical gaps, ensuring that needy cancer patients and their families get the services that they needy worth of their human dignity.
1. Medical Access through SHIF Insurance Coverage:(Kenya's Mandatory Government insurance).
(A). Result:
We successfully paid the full annual Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) premiums for 10 needy patients, securing their medical access through January 2027.
(B). Impact:
This coverage provides a lifeline for the next 12 months, allowing patients to undergo regular diagnostic tests, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy without the fear of being turned away due to lack of funds. By removing this immediate barrier and burden of medical costs, we have drastically reduced the psychological and financial strain on these needy families, ensuring continuous treatment, healing and hope and overall saving these lives of needy cancer patients.
(C). Costs: (Each needy Cancer Patient received $56 for annual SHIF Insurance Cover for a total cost of ($560).
2. Nutritional Food Support:
(A). Result:
We distributed monthly food baskets to 10 high priority needy families where the primary provider is incapacitated by illness or where children have been orphaned by cancer.
(B). Impact:
From our filed visits, we found some needy cancer patients who take chemotherapy on empty stomach due to extreme poverty while other needy patients lack nutritious food. Proper nutrition is a medical necessity during cancer treatment. This support ensured that 10 patients and their families had the nutritional meals required to withstand the physical toll of chemotherapy. For children orphaned by cancer and those who are surviving on their own, these food supplies provided more than just food; they provided the security and stability needed to survive a period of profound loss and uncertainty.
(C). Costs: (Each needy Cancer Patient and family received $40 for monthly food support for a total of ($400).
3. Education for Cancer Orphans and for those from families affected by Cancer.
(A). Result:
We intervened to pay or top-up school fees for 15 children whose education was at risk because they have been orphaned by cancer and specifically for those whose parents are sick and very needy and are struggling with high cost of cancer treatment.
(B). Impact:
Cancer often claims a child’s future alongside a parent’s health. By securing their education, we have restored their only hope of living and for a better future. We have prevented these children from dropping out of school, protecting their basic children right to education, improved their long-term educational prospects for careers and restored their human dignity during a time of emotional distress and family trauma.
(C). Costs:(Each needy Child receiving an average of $32 for School fees for one School term starting January 2026 to April 2026 for a total cost of ($480).
4. Challenges and Lessons Learned:
While our field activities from late 2025 into 2026 have been successful, we encountered several challenges that have shaped our strategy for the coming months.
(A). Challenges Encountered:
(i). High demand for (SHIF) Social Health Insurance Fund:
The need for the new Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) support is very high and many patients are asking to be helped in the payment of this annual insurance cover. Due to inadequate funds to cover many new cases we could only pay for 10 new needy patients and their families. We also noted that most needy patients lack reliable phones in order to receive service from the hospitals through the official government SHIF portal because it is digital.
(ii). Rising Food Costs:
Inflation in local markets and the famine in the country at this time means that the cost of a nutritional food basket fluctuated. We found it challenging to maintain the same quantity of high-protein items within our set budget of $40 per family. So, we were only able to provide the most basic foods to sustain each family for two months.
(iii). School Fees Support:
We realized that that many children and families affected by cancer require assistance for school fees support. We still have many needy cases pending and who require our urgent support. However due to limited funds we could only pay school fees 15 needy children.
(iv). High cost of transport:
This is still a very big challenge which still hindering our outreach programs. We rely on hired transport, taxis and boda boda or motorcycles which is costly. We look forward to get a donation for a lifesaving 14 seater van to make it easier to reach many needy patients and to transport those who are very weak to hospitals.
(B). Lessons Learned:
(i). Integrated Support is important:
We learned that paying for SHIF Insurance ($56) is only effective if we can also provide Food Support ($40). Most of the patients have compounded needs which cannot be isolated. A patient with insurance but no food often cannot physically withstand the chemotherapy the insurance pays for. If we get enough funds, we must continue to package these supports together.
(ii). Emotional support beyond School Fees:
For our 15 students, we realized that this is just a small number of very needy children. However, paying school fees for them is just the first step. These children also require heavy emotional and psychosocial support, as the trauma of losing a parent or seeing their parents suffer and struggle with sickness often affects their grades even when the fees are paid.
(iii). Food Support for needy families:
Unfortunately, almost every needy family affected by cancer that we visit expect us to give them food support despite having limited funds. We therefore need to scale up our fund-raising appeals in order to meet this expectation. We need to at least provide a small amount of food support to more families that we visit because they are all struggling very much just for a basic meal. This is due to high cost of treatment and high cost of living.
(iv). The Power of Outreach:
Our field visits proved that office-based charity is not enough. Many of the families we helped were found only because we reached out to them, we physically went into the slums and rural areas. Through our collaboration with community health workers, we shall continue with proactive community-based patient identification as the only way to reach the neediest cancer patients.
5. Plans for the Next Reporting Period:
As we look toward to the next quarter, Six Bridges Foundation aims to scale up our activities to other geographical regions and counties. Our scope of coverage is still limited and we have not been able to reach out to patients from distant counties due to shortage of funds.
A. Expanding Our Out-Reach
(i). Enhanced Fund-Raising Campaign:
As we continue with our programs, we continue to face new and bigger challenges every day. We are receiving a very high number of needy cases which requires us to scale up our donor funds appeals and campaign. We shall continue to connect with and to send appeals to donors and well-wishers both local and international.
(ii). SHIF Enrollment Drive:
We plan to identify and enroll an additional 20 vulnerable patients in the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). Our goal is to ensure they are fully registered and their premiums are covered so they can start chemotherapy without delay.
(iii). Nutritional Food Scaling:
We aim to increase our monthly food basket distribution to 20 families, specifically targeting households where children are currently serving as primary caregivers for sick parents.
(iv). Enhancing Education & Psycho-social Support:
(a). Orphan Support: We will continue to monitor the 15 students we are currently supporting and seek additional funding to include 5 more cancer orphans for the next school term.
(b). Peer Support Groups: We plan to launch monthly small community-based support groups where patients can share experiences and combat the social stigma that often leads to isolation and premature death from cancer.
B. Long Term Vision:
A Life Saving Van for needy Cancer Patients.
Many needy cancer patients in Kenya cannot access treatment sometimes not because medicine does not exist, but because they cannot afford or find transport to the hospitals. Public transport in remote areas is unreliable, slow, and often unavailable. Patients miss vital doctor appointments, their cancer spreads rapidly, and many suffer or die needlessly. We shall continue to appeal for this van in order to ensure that no one dies of cancer simply because they could not reach the hospital in time.
6. Appreciation and Donor Message:
We at Six Bridges Foundation sincerely extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our donors on behalf of all the needy cancer patients, the beneficiaries of your funds. They are overwhelmed by your love, kindness and support, your continued heart of giving and sacrifice is what makes these plans a reality. Whether it is $56 for an annual insurance cover or $40 for a monthly of food baskets, your generosity is also the fuel for our mission. Without your support it would not have been possible to save lives.
Please see the testimony of our beneficiaries on the links provided and on our Links Page
7. Financial Summary (Reporting Period: Oct 2025 – Feb 2026).
During this reporting period, Six Bridges Foundation utilized donor funds to provide direct, life-saving interventions for needy cancer patients and their families. Below is the breakdown of our direct program expenses:
Activity Category: Unit Cost Total Beneficiaries Total Expenditure (USD)
(Insurance SHIF) $56 / year 10 Patients $560
Food Support $40 / month 10 Families $400
Education for Orphans $32 / term 15 Children $480
TOTAL DIRECT IMPACT: $1,440
7. Notes on Expenditure:
(i). Cost Efficiency: For just $128, we were able to provide one patient with a full year of health insurance, a month of food, and a child’s school fees for a term.
(ii). Direct Impact: 100% of these specific funds went directly to beneficiary costs. Administrative and field logistics (such as fuel) were minimal and covered by separate local well-wisher donations, ensuring that GlobalGiving partner funds went straight to the target groups.
(iii). Funding Source: These activities were made possible through the generosity of our GlobalGiving community and local Kenyan well-wishers who believe in bridging the gaps in cancer care for the needy.
Future Funding Requirement:
To maintain these 35 beneficiaries (10 patients, 10 families, 15 children) and expand to the 20 additional families planned for the next quarter, we are seeking to raise an additional $4,500. This will ensure no child drops out of school and no patient who is seriously in need and who requires our urgent support is left out.
8. Contact Information:
Mr. John M. Kagwi
Chairperson, Six Bridges Foundation (NGO)
Email: sbfkenya@gmail.com
Cell: +254 722 921 949
9. Acknowledgement:
As Six Bridges Foundation, we extend our deepest gratitude to the individuals and organizations whose support has made our Late 2025 and 2026 activities possible. Bridging the gap in cancer care is a collective effort, and we recognize the following:
Conclusion:
Cancer may be a silent killer, but with your partnership and if we continue to join hands together it no longer has to be a death sentence of isolation and poverty.
Thank you for being the bridge in cancer care for the most in need.
Links:
By John Kagwi | Mr.
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