Hope Cancer Resources has reached the shores of Africa through a partnership with Dr. Riogi Bahaty, a general surgeon at the Kisii Teaching & Referral Hospital in Kisii, Kenya.

Dr. Bahaty has an interest in cancer support – breast cancer support, specifically – and recognized the need for it in her community. “There’s an enormous need for psychosocial support to cancer survivors and their families in our community,” she said. “They face challenges of stigma and cultural beliefs that make their journey difficult.”

Dr. Bahaty had the idea of starting a breast cancer support group in Kisii and decided to share it with her sister, a Northwest Arkansas resident. Her sister then contacted Hope Cancer Resources to see if we would be able to meet with Dr. Bahaty during her next visit to the States, upon which we happily agreed. 

A group of our social workers and health educators met with Dr. Bahaty to address difficulties she had already encountered and to provide insight into some of the best practices we’ve discovered in starting and continuing our support groups.

“The partnership with Dr. Bahaty and her clinic in Africa has allowed us the opportunity to share experiences we have had in our community – both challenges and wins – and to learn from what she is doing with her support group in her community,” Miki Biggers, LCSW, OSW-C, Hope Cancer Resources’ Director of Social Work Services said.

Upon her return to Kenya, Dr. Bahaty opened the Martha Cancer Survivors Support Centre where her breast cancer support group now takes place. She keeps in contact with our social workers to share how the support group is going and recently shared an activity she used with her group that Miki now plans to use with one of our support groups.

“Hope Cancer Resources has played a key role in the setup of the Centre,” Dr. Bahaty said. “I was very encouraged by members of Hope Cancer Resources who made the idea of a support center a reality. They provided resources and great ideas to make the Centre start successfully.  I have received mentorship from Miki Biggers who has been very helpful throughout the journey to establishing MCSSC.”

Dr. Bahaty recently traveled to the United Kingdom to begin a fellowship in breast surgery. The support group will continue on in her absence.

“Though we are in different countries on different continents,” Miki said, “we see that the need for support through cancer survivorship is important regardless of geography.”

The image above shows donated mastectomy supplies sent to the Martha Cancer Survivors Support Centre. We'd like to thank Valerie Wright, V for Victory Foundation and the Pink Ribbon Boutique for donating these items.