Janet Mbuguni – Director of TLM & Member of FoCC
Tumaini La Maisha: Overview
Tumaini La Maisha Tanzania is the first and only NGO dedicated to improving the
wellbeing of children with cancer in Tanzania and directly supports the Children’s
Cancer Ward at Muhimbili Hospital.
Founded in November 2011 by a group of committed parents and supporters,
Tumaini La Maisha has a range of activities to directly support children with cancer
and their families, as well as creating awareness of children’s cancer across
Tanzania.
The primary focus of the organisation is:
1. To provide non-clinic support services directly to children with cancer and their
families.
2. To advocate for improved access and quality of Paediatric Oncology Services
across Tanzania
3. To increase awareness of cancer in Tanzania amongst communities to improve
diagnosis and referral procedures.
Tumaini La Maisha: Overview
Location: Muhimbili National Hospital- Dar es Salaam Tanzania
Size: 13 staff and volunteers
Areas of specialisation: Provide non-clinical support to children with cancer and to
raise awareness of childhood cancer in Tanzania.
Programmes:
A hostel for long stay children and parents at the hospital
Daily School programme for children in the hospital
Therapeutic Play Therapy Programme
Family support programmes
Counselling services
Programmes Cont..
• IGA for carers/parents
• Childhood Cancer awareness campaigns
• Advocacy for improved access and quality of Paediatric
Oncology Services across Tanzania.
• Advocating for investment in Paediatric Oncology in Tanzania’s
National Cancer Plan
• Monitoring resource allocation to Paediatric Oncology in
Tanzania
Life on the ward
Snapshot of Childhood Cancer in Tanzania
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Government - Free Cancer treatment
MNH – Public Paediatric Oncology ward (Free)
MNH treats 350-400 new cases per year (2012)
BMC treats 200 new cases per year (2012)
BMC - Cost Sharing – Paediatric Oncology beds
TZ- Expected 2300 new cases each year
Stakeholders-CiC, MoHSW, TLM & FoCC
Linkage with hospitals –CCBRT/KCMC/Bugando/Mbeya/Baylor
Survival level from 12% 2009 to 55% 2012 (MNH)
Survival level -70% 2012 (BMC)
Challenges facing Childhood
Cancer in Tanzania
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Lack of Childhood Cancer awareness
Late presentation – 3-6 months delay
Lack of Specialist drugs, medicine & supplies
Shortage of specialist staff (Nurses, H.A)
No Tanzanian Paediatric Oncologist to date
Limited non clinical facilities (family support)
3months to 1 year stay in the hospital
PROGRAMMES
11 Bedrooms for 22
families.
From Feb- Dec
Accommodated more
than 80 families
Classes
Sungura
Tembo
Outside space for playing
Ubunifu (Creativity) Room
Income generating
room/Recreation Room
Outside Playground
Tumaini La Maisha : Results Achieved
Outcome
Results Achieved
Children with cancer have participating in
play therapy and education programmes
367 have accessed our education
programme. 21 children are now able to
speak standard Swahili and 2children have
passed primary education exams in flying
colours with TLM assistance from education
program
Caregivers have been trained in income
generating activities skills and Training in
entrepreneurship skills
65 caregiver have participated in IGA, 6
families have been awarded with starter
packs and have launched the activities as
their income earning to their social life.
Children and carers have received counselling 106 children and adults have attended
regarding cancer as the disease and
counselling classes . This has created
treatment
awareness of childhood cancer
Children and their families have been
accommodated at the Long Stay Houses
83 families accommodated . An improved
wellbeing of children receiving cancer
treatment lived at the house
Tumaini La Maisha : Results Achieved
Outcome
Results Achieved
Life skills training for the caregiver
57 carer attended the training and received
education on caring for the sick children
Family support programme
32 families have been supported with
transportation to go home/to come to
Muhimbili
Programme Successes
La Maisha:
(whatTumaini
has worked well)
Programme Challenges
Successes and
(what Challenges
has not worked well)
Education Programme
Unpredictable participation children in the
programs due to the nature of
treatment/medication
Long stay hostel for the families
Never been in fully capacity due to the nature
of the families and treatment
Income Generation Activities (training)
Unpredictable participation of caregivers in
the programme due to the nature of
treatment
Family support programme (transport)
Unpredictable children conditions which
changes all the time. Eg death, critical
condition
Tumaini La Maisha: Inputs for future planning
Partner ideas:
How can you support our work:
To increase awareness of cancer in Tanzania
amongst communities to improve diagnosis
and referral procedures.
Assist in development of a strategy and link
age with MoHSW/NCCP/MCDGC/MoEVT and
other partners
TLM to become financial sustainable with
multiple funding channels
By building TLMs capacity and training to
strengthen our systems (funding)
Advocacy for improved access and quality of Guide TLM and linkage with policy makers,
Paediatric Oncology Services across Tanzania partners and government
Improve Income Generation Activities
Assist sourcing markets for the products
Friends of Children with Cancer-Overview
It is a network of friends to support the needs of the families
affected by childhood cancer in Tanzania
Key Objective
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To raise awareness of childhood cancer in Tanzania
To support the work of TLM
To fundraise for the needs of children with cancer
To mobilize donation for the children with cancer
To follow up on all the children during and after treatment
Friends of Children with Cancer - Programmes
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Chapter in Mwanza
Chapter in Dar es Salaam
Chapter in Mbeya
Daily School for Cancer children in BMC
Home visits
Awareness raising campaigns
BMC - School Educational Programme
Tembo
&
Sungura
Way Forward
JOIN US TODAY
To save lives & give hope to the families
affected by childhood in Tanzania
Early Warning Signs of Childhood
Cancer
• Headaches/signs of haemorrhage(bleeding).
• Eye changes – white pupil, new onset squint, loss of
vision, swellings.
• Lumps or swellings – especially if painless
• Pallor or fatigue, weight loss
• Fever – persistent and unexplained
• Unusual - nausea or vomiting (especially early
morning or worsening over days), changes in speech
• Limb or bone pain, limp, bones breaking easily
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS-DISCUSSION
Janeth Mbuguni
Cell: 0754 – 747999
Email:
jmbuguni@tumainilamaisha.org
walter@focc.or.tz