The Breast Cancer Initiative East Africa (BCIEA) held a fundraising event for breast cancer awareness on Wednesday, October 23, as part of its annual campaign.

The campaign focuses on raising awareness about breast cancer and educating the public on how to fight the disease.

During the event, Bank of Kigali committed to contributing Rwf5 million. This partnership reflects on Bank of Kigali’s commitment to supporting initiatives that enhance the well-being of communities and bring vital health issues to the forefront.

Oda Nsabimana, one of the co-founders of BCIEA, thanked Bank of Kigali, one of their sponsors, for buying the Pink Wellness House where the group now works.

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"They are helping us expand the building where patients stay in Kanombe. We hope to add more rooms so that we can have at least eight women stay there each month," she said.

Nsabimana said they started the initiative in 2007 with Philippa Kibugu-Decuir, the main founder. Both are breast cancer survivors.

Nsabimana explained that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and BCIEA holds a walk in partnership with Green Hills Academy to raise awareness. This year, however, the walk was cancelled due to the Marburg virus outbreak.

Instead, the organisation only hosted a fundraising dinner to support their activities.

Explaining why they started the initiative, Nsabimana said: "We launched this to raise awareness about breast cancer so that all Rwandans can understand what breast cancer is and how to handle it. Many people think that having breast cancer is a death sentence, but this cancer, when detected early, can be treated."

She emphasised that their focus is on educating people about how breast cancer develops and recognising the signs.

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BCIEA reaches the public through schools, markets, and media campaigns to spread knowledge about breast cancer.

The organisation works in four districts: Kirehe, Kicukiro, Huye, and Musanze, and supports patients in several ways.

Nsabimana said, "We provide things like prosthetics for those who have had their breasts removed, and we offer emotional support to comfort them.

"For patients coming from far, we help them with transport. For instance, those travelling from Huye to Kicukiro for treatment. We also give temporary accommodation to those who have nowhere to stay while waiting for their hospital appointments," she added.

Nsabimana stressed the importance of early detection in increasing survival chances.

"The problem we have is that women often go to the hospital when it’s already too late. But early detection is key. We even have radiotherapy here in Rwanda, which isn’t available in many African countries, yet people wait until the situation worsens before seeking treatment," she said.

She explained that breast cancer has four stages, and that early-stage cancer is treatable.

"When detected at stage one or two, treatment is possible. We’ve helped over 100 people, but unfortunately, more than 20 people died from breast cancer this year," she explained.

She also noted that men can get breast cancer, though it is less common. "We have had two male members; one passed away, and one is still alive. Men also get breast cancer, but not as many as women," she said.

In her message to the public, Nsabimana urged people to prioritise early screening. "What I can tell people is to go for early screening, they don’t have to wait until they are sick. It’s advisable to get screened at least once a year," she said.

She also called for more support for patients, saying, "The community should be there for those battling cancer. Lack of support makes the journey much harder for patients."