Rotary Uganda Cancer Ward phase I at Nsambya hospital ready

Below is a speech given by IPDG  Stephen Mwanje on Sunday 15^th April 2012 at Rotary Club of Kajjansi President Peace Taremwa’s home in Akright Kakungulu

The Speech has been transcribed by Rtn. Hannington Sebuliba

The project is a joint venture with Centenary Bank. Centenary Bank partnered with Rotary D9200 and Nsambya Hospital in April 2011 in the ‘Bridge the Cancer gap campaign’. The 3 year project will see a cancer ward built in Nsambya hospital and 12 cancer awareness days held around the country. Centenary Bank is investing UGX 380m in the project. The cancer ward will be the second in the country and will have two floors, ground floor for cervical and breast cancer patients and first floor for prostate cancer patients. The cancer awareness day’s activities comprise of sensitization, testing, counseling and referring patients to where they can get help. We believe by the end of the project many lives will be saved. 

Am happy to be here on this fellowship it reminds me of the words of PAG Martin Kiyaga, he used to encourage us to have home hospitalities at your homes. “If you don’t invite us to your homes willingly, they’ll find themselves in your home unwillingly” what he meant is that you’ll loose some one and we shall be forced to come to your home unwillingly. So he used to encourage us to host home hospitalities in our homes. I thank you president and your Ann for hosting us to this home hospitality today.

Artistic impression of the Centenary Bank and Rotary Cancer ward in Nsambya hospital.

I want to thank this club for induction of new Rotarians with more hands you are going to do well.  My request for the year, I want to request Mr. President that you support the programs that are running in this country. Rtn Margaret here will tell you how many programs that are running in this Country. Water Plus, Gift of Life, but I got special intrest in cancer programme. As you are already aware, we are building a cancer ward in Nsambya Hospital. As I speak now, the building is going up, we have finished phase one, and it was supposed to be handed over to us next week but because of the DCA, we have postponed. We are going to phases two and three. My appeal, is that this Club comes and support.

We have two initiatives coming up in the month of May we shall have a music concert  in Serena Hotel and the proceeds 50% will go towards building the cancer ward. I want to appeal to you to participate by buying as many card for that concert as possible. In the month of August on the 26^th, 2012 we are going to have the first ever Rotary  run  in Uganda  (cancer run) we are targeting more than 10,000 runners to participate. I appeal to you  to encourage all your friends to join us in this run. In addition to this fundraising, we are carrying out cancer parades because we believe that you can’t treat cancer without awareness. Cancer is killing our people, we are starting with women. Cervical Cancer and Breast cancer are the biggest killers of women today. It is killing our sisters, it is killing our mothers, our wives, daughters and yet we know it can be prevented. As Rotarians, we are carrying out parades to let people know about this disease and how to prevent it.

My appeal to you is that this club organizes at least one cancer parade. Please talk to women there and encourage them to come for free cervical and Breast cancer screening.

Thank you very much for inviting me this evening.