February 15th was a cheerful day for the children at the Pediatric Oncology Ward of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). In honor of International Childhood Cancer Day, Kaymu spent a fun and gift-filled morning playing with children battling cancer. LUTH has a dedicated ward for children with cancer whereby kids and adolescents of all ages receive inpatient and outpatient treatments to fight their conditions. Childhood cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death among children and adolescents in Nigeria and the survival rate of children with cancer is much lower than the world average.
In its bid to build community, drive social responsibility, and raise awareness about this important cause, Kaymu initiated a partnership with the Children Living with Cancer Foundation (CLWCF). The first collaboration occurred at Monday’s event, as Kaymu involved its internal community of sellers and employees to provide relief and joy to the children.
Kaymu sellers donated a large variety of toys, games, and books for the children. Kaymu employees also organized a donation drive for children’s clothes and shoes. The morning was filled with fun activities such as board games, coloring, reading, face-painting, and video games leaving the children with many gifts from Kaymu. Commenting on the event, Kaymu Managing Director Sefik Bagdadioglu said, “Making a difference is most impactful when it is a collective effort; this is why we were keen on involving our merchants and team for our first collaboration with CLWCF. We are as strong as our community.”
This initiative is one of many partnerships Kaymu is building to support communities across Nigeria. It was an enjoyable time for the Kaymu team and the children, who had an opportunity to take their minds off their sickness and engage with other youth. Commenting on the children’s response to Monday’s event, Dr. Nneka Nwobi, CLWCF’s Founder said, “Events like Kaymu’s fun day not only make the children happy, but the staff and parents as well. They show everyone that the community cares about childhood cancer and that the kids are not fighting their battles alone.”
