By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
If you were looking for a day out having fun this weekend then stop!
Tickets to the popular Husqvarna KidzCan Zimbabwe Mud Run have been sold out.
The Mud Run sponsored by Husqvarna is scheduled for his Saturday at Mt Pleasant Sports Club is definitely the place to be for the whole family.
Organised by the KidzCan Zimbabwe, a humanitarian child-centered Private Voluntary Organisation dedicated to increasing the survival rate of children suffering from cancer and blood related disorders, the mud run tickets are going for US$10.
The mud run is one of the fundraising initiatives by the KidzCan Zimbabwe including activities for the Orange Month, KidzCan and Golf Day.
KidzCan was founded by Andrea Whatman in Zimbabwe. KidzCan Zimbabwe was then formally registered in 2009 as a humanitarian child-centred private voluntary organisation dedicated to increasing the survival rate of children suffering from cancer and blood-related disorders in Zimbabwe.
Since 2009, more than 9000 children were registered and supported by KidzCan. Every year, at least 800 kids are actively consulting with KidzCan while others are getting treatment. About 200 kids are registered with the organisation every year with 60% of them mostly at an advanced stage.
Some of the kids have their conditions realized late, making it difficult for them to respond well to the treatment. This is because of a lack of knowledge and awareness. For this reason, KidzCan has been at the forefront of raising cancer awareness especially among children and young adults.
KidzCan operates at several hospitals in Zimbabwe including, Parirenyatwa group of hospitals- ward A4 Special and C10, Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Hospital, Sally Mugabe Children’s Hospital in Harare and Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo.
KidzCan also accepts volunteering services and those who wish to volunteer are free to contact KidzCan.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) children are inequitably impacted by cancer with more than 400 000 children diagnosed annually around the world and about 90% of them living in low- and middle-income countries.
Survival rates are at a very low 20% or less in African countries, compared to more than 80% in developed countries. Common challenges across Africa include lack of awareness and education, limited access to primary prevention and early detection services, coupled with delays in diagnosis and treatment.
There is also limited access to palliative care and pain relief.
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