Wisdom Engraced
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A non-governmental organisation, Okapi Children Cancer Foundation (OkapiCCF), has marked Children’s Day 2025 by visiting young cancer patients in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to raise awareness and advocate for increased support for childhood cancer. The foundation’s founder and chief volunteer, Ms. Kemi Adekanye, led the initiative at the National Hospital and the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja.
“There is currently no structured support or government intervention for children with cancer,” Adekanye said. “We are helping to reduce some of their financial burdens by covering part of their treatment costs and offering psychological support, just like we are doing here today. We all need to come together to raise awareness and support for these children. Even for those who are not yet diagnosed, cancer is more common in children than most people realise”.
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The initiative brought smiles and hope to children in the hospital, reassuring them that they were not alone in their fight. Malam Sani Abdulkarim, father of a five-year-old cancer patient, said, “We appreciate the foundation for making these children happy on this special day. I also appeal to the government to support these families, especially financially, and to establish more oncology centres.
Mrs. Francesca Augustine, mother of a two-year-old cancer patient, expressed gratitude: “When she was diagnosed, it was devastating, but God sent the Okapi Foundation to restore our hope and support us. She has now completed her treatment.”
Dr. Oyesakin Adewunmi, Chief Consultant Paediatrician and Head of the Oncology Unit at the National Hospital, Abuja, lauded the foundation’s decade-long support of children with cancer. “Through their contributions, we’ve been able to finance treatments to completion, and some of these children are now survivors who have returned to school,” she said. Adewunmi also highlighted persistent challenges in the fight against childhood cancer, including lack of funding, access to blood and blood products, and socio-cultural factors.
Dr Ifeoma Ezeukwu, Head of the Paediatric Hemato-Oncology Unit at the Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, called for a unified effort: “Everyone should support children with cancer. The belief that cancer doesn’t occur in children is outdated. It does, and it is treatable if detected early. We urge the government to make cancer treatment for children free and include it in the national health insurance scheme. This will ease the financial burden on families.” She also acknowledged OkapiCCF’s continued partnership in supporting children through diagnosis, investigation, and treatment.
The foundation distributed hampers filled with food items and gifts to children undergoing cancer treatment as part of the Children’s Day celebration
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