Hand in Hand: Community Fundraising for Treatment Support

Cancer is a debilitating disease that affects millions of people around the world every year. It is a devastating illness that can cause physical and emotional distress and often requires extensive treatment and care. Unfortunately, the cost of cancer treatment can be prohibitively expensive, which is why many cancer patients struggle to afford the care they need.

In recent years, there have been many campaigns aimed at raising funds to help cancer patients cover the costs of their treatment. These campaigns are often led by non-profit organizations, charities, or individuals who have been personally affected by cancer and want to make a difference.

One such campaign is the "Hand in Hand" initiative, which was launched 10 years ago by the Rotaract Club of University of Moratuwa. The goal of the project was to raise funds to help cover the costs of cancer treatment for patients who were unable to afford it on their own.

My fellow co-chair, Rtr. Thisara Menuka, and I were able to carry out this project for RI year 2022-23 as well, thanks to the leadership of our president, Rtr. Charithma Hettiarachchi, and the co-directors of the Community Service Avenue.

In the past years, the volunteers and the club have organised several fundraising events, including selling stickers and t-shirts. These events not only raised funds but also helped to raise awareness about the challenges that cancer patients face. As the project gained momentum, more and more people got involved, including local business groups. These organizations provided us with stalls and space, which greatly helped us in successfully completing our fundraising events.

We were able to keep the momentum this year as well and managed to add a new phase to the project. I would say this is not merely a project but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give back to society.

Thanks to the hard work of the volunteers and the generosity of the community, the "Hand in Hand" project was able to raise a significant amount of money to help cancer patients cover the costs of their treatments. The funds will be used to provide financial assistance to patients who are struggling to pay for their treatment, which includes covering the cost of medications.