Rose Kariuki went to South Africa in 2018 as a fellow with A Fresh Chapter. She is now part of the team bringing AFC to Kenya as part of this September’s Global Emerging Leaders Program. Read what she learned from cancer and how she uses her experience to teach others in her community about the disease.

Finding and giving support

When Rose received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2014, she found it depressing. “My heart sunk. I thought I was just going to die.” She was scared, because she had a young daughter. “I looked at my child and wondered if I was going to make it. All I knew about cancer was death.” Rose’s doctor said it would be a long journey, which gave her hope that she could overcome.

Rose told her daughter she had a “problem,” or a “small condition.” She let her daughter touch her lump, adding that a doctor would remove it. “I did not want to scare her. I talked to her in a very nice manner.” She prepared her daughter by talking about surgery and the adverse effects of the medicine. Her daughter prayed for her. Rose enrolled her in boarding school, “to protect her from the agony” she was going through. She says, “Today, we are happy, bubbly people. You wouldn’t know we went through that.”

Family played a key role in Rose’s journey, giving her 100% support. After surgery, Rose moved into her mom’s house. Her mom and sister cared for her, during chemo, which she described as bad–for both physical and financial reasons. Rose said she wasn’t afraid of “radio” (radiation). By this point in her treatment, she had learned more about cancer from books. She started thinking about how to connect with other patients. Since she often felt alone, she knew that others must feel the same. She formed a group with other patients at her cancer center. They cared for each other and “supported the one who’s down.” Anywhere between 5 and 40 patients attended the group, meeting at the hospital or in people’s homes.

Making connections with A Fresh Chapter

Rose used her experience as a primary school teacher of 26 years to get the word out about cancer. She shared information with her students, so they could pass it along to their parents. Her group also visited churches to tell their stories and educate women about cancer.

In 2018, AFC founder, Terri Wingham, gave a talk at a cancer support group meeting in Nairobi. Rose took interest in what Terri had to say. Philip Odiyo Ouma, a psychologist at Faraja Cancer Support Trust, told her more about AFC. Rose applied to be a fellow to South Africa in 2018, an experience she described as a wonderful feeling. She enjoyed meeting people from other places and getting to connect with them. Rose calls them her sisters. She saw that cancer impacted people across all cultures–not just her. “They went through the same thing.” Her time in South Africa included volunteering at a hospital and visiting homes. “I impacted someone’s life. It is one of the best things that has happened in my life.”

During the psychosocial programming of the South Africa trip, Rose learned to hold space, which she uses at home and at work. She learned to let go of baggage, as well as the art of writing letters and burning them. “To me, it was a great turning point. I stopped holding grudges, became more loving. It was just incredible.”

Global leader

In South Africa, Rose went to a village, where people were humble. It reminded her of a place in Kenya. Her observations helped her recognize that there are always people going through hard times. Rose tells people to speak hope to the next person, to be an encourager and talk positively. She loved going to Cape Town to touch the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Rose also found joy in seeing penguins, which she had only seen in pictures. She returned home believing there were more possibilities to volunteer in her community.

AFC’s Global Emerging Leaders program in Kenya takes place September 11-25, 2019. “I can’t wait,” Rose said. She looks forward to seeing many Kenyans being empowered by the AFC toolkit the participants will help customize for the Kenyan culture “I’m so hopeful and positive.” When Rose describes AFC to her community, she says it is “like a bigger support group.” For people traveling to Africa for the first time, Rose thinks they will enjoy the vegetation, animals, good food and good people. “They will come and share their experiences, and we’ll share our experience with them.”