This past week was quite a sad one for our family, as we had to say goodbye to my sister-in-law after a short, but brave fight with cancer.
After her passing, my brother-in-law and I had a chat about their experience, and he mentioned the excellent assistance they had received from CANSA, without which they would have been completely lost.
He said he believed this organisation did not receive enough exposure at all, because they did not even know where to find them or which services they offer. After thinking about his statement, I realised that this is definitely the case.
CANSA is celebrating its 90th birthday this year, and it is sad to think that after all these years, many people do not know much about them, the services they offer, or even what they need to continue their operations.
I also realised that a lot of people know about breast cancer and prostate cancer, because awareness campaigns about these two forms of cancer receive a lot of publicity, but not many people know that almost every month of the year is dedicated to a different awareness campaign for different cancers. It is also a fact that not everybody knows (or maybe realises) that CANSA is dependent on donations and most of the staff members are volunteers, meaning that if we, as the community, do not support them, they cannot continue helping those who are fighting this dreadful disease.
With the global Covid-19 pandemic, and everything coming with it, for CANSA and every other non-profit and non-government organisation funding just about dried up, as they could not host any fundraisers. It seems people just forgot about them, leaving them with their hands in their hair.
With all this in mind, maybe we should change our way of thinking and prioritise helping these type of organisations more, even if it means doing something small. We do not all have the financial means to make huge donations, but sometimes it is not only financial assistance that is needed. There are so many different ways to help.
If you are cleaning out cupboards, why not donate your old clothing? Tired of all the extra Tupperware, cutlery or crockery in your kitchen? There might be an organisation out there who would be very grateful to have it. Not sure what you want for your birthday? Ask your friends and family to donate money towards your chosen organisation, instead of buying gifts.
Until next week, stay safe and look out for each other …
