In Ghana, a new secret weapon in the fight against cancer has come in the form of Jamila Jennifer Douglas Onyejekwe, a 38 year old woman with a big heart. Two years ago Jamila’s husband sadly lost his battle against cancer and died in the local hospital. He owned a taxi company in the local area and was a respected businessman. Following his death Jamila decided to raise money for the hospital so that they could buy equipment and medicines for the cancer unit. She did lots of interviews with the local radio stations and newspapers to raise awareness of the situation. Her frank and honest way of talking attracted hundreds of donations throughout the area and she was able to give a large sum of money to the hospital.
Following this she has gone on to work for various cancer and health charities in Ghana to raise money and provide much needed support for both the sufferers of cancer and their families. She has a well-deserved fame in her area for the tireless work that she does and she has made a difference to so many lives.
Jamila has two children of her own, aged 8 and 10. She often talks on the radio about how her husbands sad death has affected them as a family. Using her experience Jamila supports many families in her town that are going through a similar experience. Jamila has always believed that in sharing her own problems and worries she will be able to ease the struggle for other people. She has said in many of her radio interviews that sometimes having someone to listen to you can make a huge difference and make you feel that you are not alone. The workshops and home visits that she makes to families affected by this terrible disease have given hope both locally and throughout the country.