By Elise Kenimbeni
Non-governmental organization Mori’sChild Foundation has launched a weeklong campaign to raise awareness about childhood cancer across major supermarkets in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
From Monday, October 12 to Sunday, October 18, 2026, Mori’sChild Foundation, in partnership with Sodicam, rolled out an impactful initiative dubbed “100 FCFA for a Healing-Smile.” This collaborative corporate social responsibility drive established a week-long fundraising and awareness presence inside prominent local retail hubs, notably Casino and Super U.
Speaking to the media, Sodicam’s representative, Bertrand Bella, outlined the company's active commitment to fighting cancer on multiple fronts.
He noted that while October traditionally focuses on breast cancer awareness (Pink October), Sodicam is simultaneously prioritizing childhood cancer, with special attention dedicated to mothers and children.
For the Mori’sChild Foundation, this represents a vital "two-in-one" initiative.
Organizers emphasize that raising awareness among parents directly safeguards children, as a healthy, informed mother is best equipped to properly care for a sick child.
Childhood Cancer : A Community Move
Throughout the seven-day campaign, supermarket shoppers met with volunteers and medical specialists, receiving educational flyers that detail the early warning signs of pediatric cancers. While the initiative accepts financial and in-kind donations, organizers stressed that the primary goal is advocacy—spreading the message that childhood cancer exists and can be successfully treated within Cameroon.
“To carry out this activity, Mori’sChild Foundation has put in place two ribbons: the adult ribbon and the children's ribbon," explained Ruth Grace Ngo Nyobe, Founding President of the Mori’sChild Foundation. "On the adult side, parents take a Post-it note to write a word of comfort to hospitalized children, sticking their name to a large fresco. On the other side, healthy children color mini ribbons and add their names. Together, these frescoes will be gifted to young cancer patients currently in hospital wards. It is our way of telling them that the community outside is wholeheartedly with them, praying for them, and wishing them courage. In the same vein, 2,600 flyers were distributed to clients across the three supermarkets visited during this seven-day campaign.”
Ruth Grace Ngo Nyobe insisted on three crucial pillars driving the foundation's message:
- Early Detection Saves Lives: Childhood cancer exists and is curable in Cameroon, but recognizing warning signs and consulting a doctor early completely changes the clinical outcome.
- Every Gesture Counts: Even the smallest contribution makes a tangible difference—100 FCFA can purchase a "Healing-Smile," and words of comfort matter just as much as financial aid.
- Corporate Action Matters: When companies mobilize, they educate entire workforces, effectively informing entire extended families.
Looking toward the future, the founding president, Ruth Grace Ngo Nyobe expressed a strong desire to scale the program.
She said: “Mori’sChild Foundation wishes to visit other companies to educate their employees on childhood cancer, covering warning signs, the importance of early diagnosis, and family support," she stated. "Businesses wishing to host an awareness session are invited to contact the NGO through its official channels.”
Critical Warning Signs: When Every Second Counts
The campaign presence was heavily backed by medical expertise on the ground. Dr. Nyemb, a medical oncologist embedded with the volunteer teams, warned that pediatric cancers require urgent attention compared to adult oncology.
In an interview, she outlined the need to accentuate sensitization at the level of parents, women and the public in general.
“We cannot talk about breast cancer without mentioning the child; children suffer from cancer too," Dr. Nyemb explained.
"Of the expected pediatric cancer cases in our country, only about 400 children are officially diagnosed each year—meaning nearly two-thirds go undetected. While cancer can take time to settle in an adult, it moves aggressively in a child over a week, two weeks, or three months because children are in a phase of full growth. Their cells multiply quickly.”
Dr. Nyemb urged parents to look past basic diagnoses like malaria if symptoms persist, advising families to watch for a specific battery of early warning signs:
- A fever that persists despite routine treatment
- Abdominal pain accompanied by an abdominal mass
- Joint pain or noticeable masses at the neck level
- Intense, persistent headaches and unexplained fatigue
“Dear parents, let's not hesitate," Dr. Nyemb urged. "Let's go to the hospital with our children if these signs persist, because it could be cancer. If we lose time, the prognosis becomes grave. Late-stage diagnosis is more expensive to manage and leaves almost no chance for a cure.”
She concluded with a plea for expanded national support: “The mother and child are one. We call on all corporations, societies, and individuals to lend us their voices and hands so that we can expand diagnostic capabilities countrywide—ensuring our fathers, mothers, and children find solutions here at home.” Dr. Nyemb added.
The "Two Walls and a Shopping Cart" Experience
The campaign successfully translated these abstract medical warnings into a tangible, interactive solidarity experience on the supermarket floor through two distinct mechanisms:
- The Emotional Walls ("Two Walls"): This initiative beautifully bridged generational gaps. While adults filled the "Healing-Smile Ribbon" wall with messages of hope and prayers, healthy children actively colored and signed adjacent mini-ribbons, forming a collective visual promise of companionship destined for hospital wards.
- The Tangible Impact ("A Shopping Cart"): To demystify charitable giving, a transparent pricing display showed shoppers exactly what their micro-donations fund. A single contribution of 100 FCFA explicitly secures one sterile syringe, while 500 FCFA funds a notebook and pen for the hospital-based Happy Class program. Larger donations directly subsidize critical medical interventions, translating 5,000 FCFA into laboratory test fees and 10,000 FCFA into vital blood bags.
The week-long awareness drive that ended up on Sunday, October 18, aligning with the Sodicam Connect Team Building event, where the foundation engaged company employees during a sports walk from Casino Centre to Super U Ntougou, culminating in a final educational session with medical experts in a restaurant based in Yaoundé.
