Written by Nadia* with support from Maureen Onyango, CFK Africa Communications & Advocacy Lead.
My name is Nadia,* and I am a cancer warrior.
Looking back, my story feels like a miracle. If I hadn’t been at CFK Africa’s Tabitha Medical Clinic (TMC) that Tuesday afternoon, my life could have taken a very different turn. My brother’s wife was experiencing some health complications and needed a doctor, so I took her to TMC. We live in Gatwekera village in Kibera, and TMC has been my trusted clinic since I moved to Kibera in 2006, so I knew she would be in good hands.
While we waited, a CFK Community Health Promoter began a health talk in the waiting area. She spoke about the importance of annual cervical cancer screening. I hadn’t planned on getting screened that day, but as I listened, something stirred in me. I decided to go ahead and do a screening while I was at the clinic.
That was my first cervical cancer screening in 2022.
When the results came back positive, I was in denial. I went to three different health facilities, hoping one of them would say the results were wrong. But each time, the answer was the same. That’s when reality finally settled in – I had cancer.
That period was the hardest time of my life. I lost so much weight, I felt like a feather. Facing cancer was overwhelming, but the team at Tabitha Medical Clinic refused to let me face the diagnosis alone.
They encouraged me, checked on me, and developed a treatment plan. Through the clinic’s long-standing partnership with the US CDC, they worked closely with sub-county officials to provide a specialized thermocoagulator for treatment, and a dedicated healthcare worker to treat me and three other women with cancer.
After completing treatment, I returned for a follow-up test to check for any remaining cancer cells. The results came back negative; I was cancer-free.
Today, I am healthy. I still go for annual cervical cancer screening at TMC because I know firsthand how important early detection is. Screening saved my life once, and I will never take that for granted. I am alive. I am healed. And I am deeply grateful.
If I had ignored that health talk or brushed off the ideas of screening, my story might have ended very differently. Now, I encourage everyone, especially women, to be proactive about their health and go for annual cancer screening. Many women in my community aren’t aware of the risks associated with cervical cancer or don’t have access to reliable health education. But when cancer is detected early, as it was in my case, the chances of successful treatment are much higher.
Tabitha Medical Clinic offers free cancer screening. Please go and get tested. It could save your life.
* Nadia (not her real name) agreed to be interviewed about her experience. To protect her privacy, her name has been changed.
***In honor of our 25th anniversary in 2026, this story is #3 of 25 Stories of Change, shared throughout the year and featuring youth and families whose lives have been transformed by CFK Africa.