Breast cancer survivors in Kitengela, Kenya received free prosthetics and post-mastectomy bras from the Noonkopir Afya Foundation in partnership with Mercy Steps Program. Dr. Margaret Masara, director of Noonkopir, aims to help survivors unable to afford these essential products, which restore confidence and wellbeing after breast removal surgery. The prostheses and bras are too expensive for many Kenyan women.
Breast cancer causes over 5,000 new cases in Kenya each year. Both organizations strive to end stigma and empower survivors to thrive beyond cancer’s grasp. Niceta Njagi of Mercy Steps emphasized that breast cancer could strike anyone; embracing survivors, rather than ostracizing them, enables emotional healing. The donated materials, imported from Switzerland, allow low-income women to access care and look past mastectomy scars.
By providing support, destigmatizing breast cancer, and restoring survivors’ wholeness, the program gives women hope.
Read the complete article by Diana Meneto in the Kenya News of December 18, 2023.