GIVING BACK : VIRGINIE BOPDA KONTCHOU RUNS FOR A CURE

I love sharing stories about causes, initiatives and people  "GIVING BACK" to their community.

Here's one about an amazing lady &  "RUN FOR A CURE AFRICA"

A brief Bio?

My name is Virginie Bopda Kontchou, spouse and proud mother of three wonderful children. I have been working in education for about 12 years and I enjoy working with children and witness the changes my fellow teachers and I bring into their lives.

An overview of the history of the organization/foundation?

I joined Run for a Cure Africa at its inception through a fellow teacher, named Ebele Mbanugo.In 2009, Ebele created Run for a Cure Africa with the vision of helping underprivileged women of the community to get access to screening and treatment of breast cancer. A few years earlier, her mother has been diagnosed with breast cancer, and through the help of Susan G. Komen, she got access to free treatment and today she is cancer free. I instantly joined the program, because my father had died almost two decades earlier from prostate cancer, and I wanted to be part of the alleviation of this deadly disease in our community.

Run for a Cure became so successful in Nigeria that we decided to take it to other African counties. Being a native of Cameroon, the choice was made automatically!! ....and we started the program in Douala in 2012.

What motivated you to join this cause?

What motivated me was the prostate cancer my father went through and died from about twenty years ago. Those years were very difficult moment for my family and we were all desperate to see our father going away and not being able to do anything to stop him from going. Knowing that breast cancer is curable at its inception stage, I decided that  if I could be part of the saving the life of only one woman, it would be worth doing. Our current focus is educating people in our various communities, providing free screening to underprivileged women, and subsidizing the treatment of breast cancer.

An overview of the activities in Cameroon?

The program started in Cameroon in July 2012. We had a race/walk to sensitize people about breast cancer. This year, we are coming with stronger set of activities.The  “Pink Week” takes place July 8 to July 13 2013 in Douala

-          8^th July 2013: A Dinner. To explain to our potential sponsors, our vision and goals and planned activities for week.

-          9^th - 10^th July 2013: A forum and pre-screening stage for breast cancer

-          11^th -12^th July 2013: A free screening stage for breast cancer

-          13^th: A race/walk for breast cancer

 

What is the goal of fundraising in 2013?
 The goal of fundraising of 2013 is to provide free screening and subsidize or cover the cost of breast cancer treatment to underprivileged women of our community as well as some emotional support. We are  currently working with a number medical centers and hospitals in Douala, but our ultimate goal is to create a breast cancer center where women would come and access free screening and treatment.

This is not a "one man" task. It requires the contribution of anybody and everybody.

Our websites are great source of information on breast cancer and our organization, and also how one could do to help. Together we will turn the breast cancer mortality rate into the breast cancer survival rate.

www.runforacureafrica.org

www.ruforacureafrica.org/cameroon

email:info@runforacureafrica.org/Cameroon

Phone: +1 832 202 4952

                +237 99 53 80 87

Thanks Virginie. Keep up the great work!! I lost an Aunty and Uncle and many others to cancer..It is a cause that is close to my heart.

OK people, please go the site to donate. Nothing is too small. You never know what impact it will have!Check out the site for more info..Join the walk/run if you are in Douala

"Together We Can Beat Cancer"

Y.M.
IRepCamer