BCIEA Inc. in a Nutshell
Breast Cancer Initiative East Africa Inc. (BCIEA) is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit breast cancer advocacy organization registered in Texas, USA and Kigali, Rwanda. In memory of her sister, Mabel, who she believes represents many African women, Philippa Kibugu-Decuir, a 25 year breast cancer survivor and a Texan educator founded BCIEA Inc.
BCIEA is committed to reducing the devastating impact of breast cancer that stems from ignorance, misconceptions, myths, stigma and lack of awareness.
Mission: To ensure that through advocacy, awareness, education, empowerment, treatment, support and research; patients will not face breast cancer fearfully and helplessly alone.
BCIEA was formed in protest against the prevalent late stage breast cancer presentations associated with poverty, ignorance and lack of awareness in East Africa. 87 percent of these late stage cases resulted in death. After losing her sister to late stage breast cancer (liver metastasis) and her own survival from her early stage breast cancer diagnosis, Philippa was plagued by 2 questions: Does where you live determine if you live or die? Mabel, her sister lived in Lubumbashi where there were no cancer services or oncologists. In fact doctors did not know what ailed her and she had to be flown to a London hospital where she died in 1986 after an expensive surgery that could not save her life. When Philippa got her diagnosis in Houston, she received state of the art treatment from a multi-disciplinary group of excellent doctors plus a support systems and she survived.
Would her sister be alive if she lived in USA? Mabel represents many African women. Something had to be done every breast cancer patient deserves the same opportunity Philippa had.
It is this mindset, these questions and the the unexplainable desire for change that compelled Philippa to establish Breast Cancer Initiative East Africa Inc. in honor of her sister and all those she represents. She decided to incubate her nonprofit in Rwanda, for charity begins at home with the hope of replicating it in the East African Community.
BCIEA has been promoting breast cancer awareness, education and early detection in Rwanda, East Africa since 2007, though it was officially registered in 2009; and has since, directly impacted and educated more than 15,000 people in Rwanda between 2008 - 2018.
Public education is also accessed through word of mouth, billboard, phone calls, social media and display advertising campaigns and its annual Ulinzi Walk which has been covered by the press in the region. Philippa has since expanded her work to education of residents and even refugees in Houston, Texas where she lives. Philippa works tirelessly to increase breast health awareness everywhere she is and education with a dream that she will live to see the CURE.
This year BCIEA celebrates Ten Years of Hope and Service with humility, honor and pride. We are also grateful to all of you who have been with us on this uphill journey; we could not have come this far without you.
Thank you for your encouragement, love, prayers, support and and embracing our vision.
WHAT BCIEA DOES
ADULT
All adult, rural and urban women and men connect in a unique and meaningful way as they learn about facts, risk factors, signs and symptoms, myths, precautionary measures and more about breast cancer. The BCIEA trained presenters explain the critical role self awaeness,r breast self exams, clinical breast exam is provided by volunteer doctor or nurse . Participants have the opportunity to practice technique on specialized silicone breast models. BCIEA provides physical, (prostheses and wigs), emotional and spiritual support to breast cancer patients, survivors and their families via our BCIEA Breast Cancer Survivors Support Group. The Wellness House serves as one stop for information, education, meeting, training, transition to/from treatment Center. Wellness Garden is our model for Healthy food/diet/nutrition and vocational skills.
WE USE OUR HOOK: IKUNDE = LOVE YOURSELF, IMENYE = KNOW YOURSELF, ISUZUMISHE = GET CHECKED in all our teaching.
YOUTH
BCIEA Youth interactive program teaches students how to adopt and practice healthy habits and how to lower their risk for breast cancer by deliberately making healthy choices. It is a well known fact that every day we make choices that influence our well-being. Over time, the rewards and consequences of these choices can become significant. Health behaviors formed during adolescence are closely associated with morbidity and mortality in adulthood so these important skills will have lasting effect well into adulthood and play a major role in cancer control. BCIEA encourages the youth to actively participate in outreach and volunteer activities to broaden and broaden and deepen breast health education among their friends and relatives. Participation is key to character/citizenship development that will empower the youth to take action and become proactive in the fight against cancer. http://breastcancerafrica.org
Our Vision: To spearhead and maintain a breast cancer initiative that educates empowers, nurtures, changes and saves lives in East Africa.
Our Mission: To ensure that through advocacy, awareness, education, empowerment, treatment, support and research; nobody faces breast cancer fearfully and helplessly alone.
Donate to BCIEA Inc.
Breast Cancer Is Everybody's Business worth investing in to save life.
