Sage Foundation Partners Bricon to Raise ₦3.6m for Cancer Patients

Every year, more than 80,000 Nigerians lose their battle with cancer, and more than 100,000 new cases are recorded

Participants during the Walk for Hope exercise in Lagos

Rebecca Ejifoma
The Sage Foundation in partnership with The Bricon Foundation, a Nigeria-based non-profit organisation aims to raise $10,000 (about N3.6 million) to support cancer patients who cannot afford medical treatment in its effort to create awareness about cancer and assists cancer patients and their families.

The Keeping Hope Alive $10,000 Challenge has three phases: the first of which was the ‘Walk the Talk cancer walk in Lagos, on Friday, 27 October', to raise funds and create awareness about breast cancer. The Sage Foundation appealed to colleagues, business partners, customers and the wider community to support the cause by getting people to sponsor their walk, the proceeds of which will go towards the Keeping Hope Alive fundraising initiative.

According to Sage, every year, more than 80,000 Nigerians lose their battle with cancer, and more than 100,000 new cases are recorded. For many of the two million Nigerians living with the disease, life-saving medical treatment is not an option, either because of the high cost or because there are not enough support centres equipped to handle the disease.


“The Keeping Hope Alive Challenge forms part of the Sage Foundation’s global $1 million challenge which aims to raise about $1 million to support charities around the world,” Regional Director for Sage in West Africa, Magnus Nmonwu said.

He added that when detected early, cancer is treatable, saying it was not right that millions of people were affected because they could not afford medical care. “The Sage Foundation is committed to building opportunities in local communities and we believe that, together, we are stronger against cancer.”

Speaking also, co-founder of The Bricon, Abigail Simon-Hart, decried that Nigeria has the worst cancer death rate in Africa, at a shocking 80%. The majority of deaths are due to late presentation and/or inaccessibility to medical care. “At Bricon, we believe that, through awareness, early detection and providing appropriate and timely support to cancer patients and their families, we can bring that figure down and make a difference in millions of lives.”

Of course, The Bricon Foundation was established to provide practical support to cancer patients and their families. This includes funding for treatment, diagnostic tests and medication, subsidising or providing free mastectomy products, and providing training to local nurses and doctors supported by International partners.

It is a foundation that creates awareness about cancer via education, advocacy and counseling, caring about the emotional well being of those with cancer, supporting with fund raising for treatment, equipment and training.

Having lost a parent each to cancer, Abigail - also a cancer survivor - and Niyi co-founded the Bricon.

Meanwhile, The Bricon is a foundation that creates awareness about cancer via education, advocacy and counseling, caring about the emotional well being of those with cancer, supporting with fund raising for treatment, equipment and training.
It is co-founded by Abigail and Niyi. They lost a parent each to cancer and Abigail is a breast cancer survivor herself.

The other two phases of the events in the “Keeping Hope Alive” Challenge include:
The KHA button campaign that encourages people to wear a button during November to show their support for the cause. A fundraising Football match in the first quarter of 2018.

To support one or all three events, direct donations can be made to the Bricon Foundation:
Account Name: The Bricon Foundation
Bank: GTB Plc
Account Number: 0223638186
Reference code: SAGEF KHA