Philip Odiyo Ouma – A Fresh Chapter, A Fresh Perspective

We invited Philip ‘Odiyo’ Ouma to join us from Kenya. Odiyo works tirelessly at the Faraja Cancer Support Trust in Nairobi. Not only is he a caregiver, but he is an inspired advocate who – in spite of limited access to resources – helps his fellow Kenyans address the emotional scars of cancer. Odiyo enriched our South Africa Odyssey by sharing his knowledge of the landscape of cancer in other parts of Africa as well as his sense of humor, passion for service, and enthusiasm for creating change in the world. 

The Fresh Chapter program was a life changing experience for me. I will be forever grateful to Terri and the people who made it happen. I joined A Fresh Chapter when I was really low, tired, and exhausted after many years of serving patients in Nairobi. Listening to the pain the families go through, the fear of losing children to cancer, and the constant financial burden can be emotionally exhausting and draining. I needed a new perspective in my service and work. The South Africa Odyssey gave me exactly that. Listening to my fellow tribe members share their experiences and volunteering alongside them in the hospital made me realize that the challenges patients face – the pains and the fears – are the same, no matter where in the world you are.

The opportunity to volunteer in Cape Town hospitals not only gave me new perspective, but new ideas too. I learned a lot from the South African advocates and doctors we met and have begun engaging some of the oncologists in Kenya to look at ways to bring some of these programs to Nairobi. Just one example is Project Flamingo, which offers free mastectomies for breast cancer patients. The odyssey also enabled me to develop an amazing network of friends from the United States whom I have kept in touch with and constantly share information and updates with. My wish it to create A Fresh Chapter program in Kenya and I will encourage others to experience it as well as do what I can to help make it happen. A Fresh Chapter changed my life and my perspective about cancer care forever.

South Africa to Kenya: Expanding Our Vision

It was a volunteer trip to South Africa in 2011 that helped me heal from cancer and infused a new sense of possibility and purpose into my life. Then, subsequent trips to Rwanda in 2012 and Tanzania in 2014 sparked a love of the African continent and a desire to introduce other people to the beauty, contradiction, and perspective I discovered there. In 2015, we offered our first South Africa Odyssey experience where our participants spent time volunteering with families affected by HIV. Then, this past fall, we returned to Cape Town for our first cancer-specific volunteer program. We collaborated with local cancer advocates and non profits and our participants shared their stories, volunteered at a children’s hospital, and played music or spent time with patients in the public hospitals.

While in Cape Town, my co-facilitator, Janet, and I were fortunate to spend time meeting with a group of social workers from across the public and private sectors in Cape Town. As I shared aspects of my story and some of the resources we have developed for A Fresh Chapter, I was reminded that authentic and vulnerable human connection knows no race, geography, or socio-economic status. Through our conversations, we began to explore if or how we could adapt some of the A Fresh Chapter tools, resources, or activities we have developed to be shared/offered in lower resource settings. There is much more explore to make sure we are truly serving the needs of the local community

So, in early 2018, I will return to South Africa to explore ways we can deepen the impact of our program scheduled for October 2018 as well as see how we can collaborate with local organizations to adapt and create AFC resources for patients, survivors, and caregivers in South Africa. Then, I will travel to Nairobi where Odiyo and I will connect with others across the cancer space and explore how we might expand our program offering to Kenya. I can’t wait to share these experiences with you as we continue our work to create a true ripple effect of good around the world.

If you or someone you know is looking for a meaningful way to start fresh in 2018, mark your calendars. Our application season for next year’s fall programs in Costa Rica (September 2018), South Africa (October 2018), and Peru (November 2018) is about to kick-off. Stay tuned for our announcement on December 27, 2018. Here’s to an inspiring and purposeful 2018!