World Cancer Day is one singular initiative under which the entire world unites in the fight against the global cancer epidemic. Caritas India has been involved through various activities to help the community face, control and prevent this killing disease for the past few years. Caritas India intervened in this global issue of Cancer through a humble initiative of the Ashakiranam Cancer care campaign in the year 2014 in Kerala. In the last 8 years of its journey, the campaign has witnessed a lot of positive changes in Kerala to unite under one voice to face and defeat Cancer and build cancer resilient villages.

The Ashakiranam Cancer Care Campaign of Caritas India is the multi-dimensional cancer-preventive approach for building cancer resilient villages. The initiative envisages focusing on awareness building towards preparedness to cancer prevention, helping the poorest of the poor in early detection and treatment, promoting safe to eat food through an integrated family farming approach and taking up cancer research initiatives with the support of leading hospitals in Kerala. In the last 8 years of its journey, the campaign has witnessed a lot of positive changes in Kerala to unite under one voice to face and defeat Cancer and build cancer resilient villages.

On World Cancer Day, all the 32 Diocesan Social Service Society (DSSS) partners across Kerala have shown their solidarity to participate in Cancer care programmes upholding the world cancer day theme. A total of 172 programmes were organized on the day with the support of 32 DSSS partners in Kerala and reached around 14,800 people. The programmes cover cancer awareness webinars, physical awareness sessions by cancer oncologists/experts, cancer early detection camps, audio and video documentary release on cancer care, initiating cancer surveys, organic farming promotion programmes like distributing vegetable samplings, seeds, manures etc, cancer patients support programmes in terms of food/nutrition kit distribution, hygiene and medical kit distribution, income generation programme support, tele-counselling and house visiting by volunteers, covid cancer care support, hair, wig and blood donation events, cancer survivors gathering, resource mobilization events and volunteers registration and promotion programmes.

“Our perception about cancer is to be changed, we have to accept the reality, we have the potentiality and inner strength to defeat the disease, it is our decisive mentality to win or to lose, be strong and be the winners,” said Dr. Sudhodhanan in his talk to people in the webinar organized by PSSP, Palakkad. 27 online webinars and 52 physical field awareness sessions were organized on World Cancer Day to enlighten the masses to lead a cancer-free life.

Around 975 cancer patients were supported with the financial aid of Rs. 9,39,000 for their treatment and 2,832 cancer patients received support in terms of food, medical, hygiene kits on the cancer day. “I am so happy with this campaign because I have been able to get to know about all the consequences of this disease and help so many cancer patients over the years through this Campaign. I have been able to facilitate a lot of cancer care activities in the communities. This campaign not only brings hope in the life of the patients but also to the people involved in it to serve more,” said by Sr. Pavithra, the Ashakiranam liaising officer for Anugraha DSSS after facilitating Ashakiranam world cancer day events in the dioceses.

One of the noble activities done by Ashakiranam volunteers on world cancer day was tele-support to covid cancer patients. “It was really an encouragement for me to feel the happiness of the cancer patients who were affected with covid, while I called them on cancer day. The joy they expressed during the telecommunication was given extra energy to me to contact other more patients and enkindle the hope in them that there are not alone and there are people to be with them in the struggling time” said Ms. Ashna Shanu, a volunteer from Shreyas, Bathery.

Cancer survivors gathering was, yet another important event organized by DSSS partners on world cancer day. Ashakiranam campaign has a strong belt of Cancer survivor volunteers who are providing exceptional services to the campaign growth. “I would say that the Ashakiranam campaign had a great role in my journey from a cancer patient to a cancer survivor. Now I am a survivor volunteer too in the Ashakiranam campaign. I extend my support to the Cancer care campaign of Caritas India in every possible way. I do lead sessions and share my story with cancer patients to motivate them to overcome the disease, I also do house visits, counselling. I could learn that, engaging in these activities, I am enhancing the capacities and strengths within me to do more and more” expressed Ms. Jessy Xaviour, breast cancer survivor volunteer, KIDS, Kottapuram during the survivors gathering.

Even though the covid cases are on the rise in Kerala, the partners organized these programmes upholding the covid state protocols to show their solidarity with Caritas India towards her great mission of building cancer resilient villages in Kerala.