I'll be back in three weeks!
My husband, Ed, and I are leaving Friday for northern Ethiopia in East Africa, where we've been invited to speak to women refugees from Eritrea. We're taking the loving spirit of people here in Kansas City with us!
Some members of the Eritrean Christian Fellowship Church (ECFC) in Overland Park, Kan., recorded a song we will play during our presentation. The song is about being strong and overcoming challenges, and it’s performed in their native language, Tigrinya. It's a perfect message to inspire women. Thank you, ECFC!
I'm also grateful to Komen Kansas City. When they heard about our project, they volunteered to print 1,000 breast cancer awareness brochures in the Tigrinya language. Long after Ed and I leave Africa, the women refugees will have the brochures to remind them of the signs and symptoms of breast cancer.
Ed and I will have a translator for our presentation, and the doctor and nurse from the refugee clinic will also be there to answer questions and let the women know what to do if they discover a lump or other problem in their breast.
We will be speaking at a series of meetings at four refugee camps. All the women in the camps have been invited, and it’s more than 15,000 women!
When I was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago, Ed and I decided to do whatever we can to help battle breast cancer and save lives. We are honored and thankful to have this opportunity in Ethiopia and Kenya. This is a volunteer effort, and we are confident that as we bless others our lives will be enriched.
I will tell the women in Africa the same thing I tell women here in Kansas City: Don't be afraid of finding out you have breast cancer. Be afraid of finding out too late. Do your self-exams, get your mammograms and don't be afraid to see a doctor if you have questions.
We'll also be visiting with doctors who treat breast cancer patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Nairobi, Kenya. My husband is also on the board here in Kansas City of an organization called A Bright Future for Kids, so we will be visiting children in a school in Ethiopia that is partnering with the organization.
We invite you to follow us on journey to Africa. Click here to like us on our Ed and Cynthia Share the Love Foundation Facebook Fan Page.
I'll also be blogging and posting pictures on Tumblr. Click here to follow our my Tumblr.
Finally, watch 41 Action News Midday. I'll send pictures and video messages just for viewers!
Ed and I will be careful. We've had our shots and we will be safe.
I'll be back on the air on Oct. 20 and bring you more in-depth stories about the fight against breast cancer in Africa.
