The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Featured image via ashclinicalnews.org

Fighting cancer is one of the most challenging and heartbreaking things that a person could go through. It requires resilience, strength, and a true fighting spirit to stand in the face of this horrible disease. With a realisation that psychological support is one of the most important things that a cancer patient needs at such a time, the Kon Gamilan Initiative (Be Beautiful) aims to help women struggling with cancer maintain their beauty, giving something to hold on to as cancer tries to take it away from them.

The Kon Gamilan Initiative is one of many initiatives that aim to support cancer patients. One of their activities is a workshop that teaches women with cancer how to handle the disease, and how to maintain their beauty throughout treatment. Chemotherapy, which is sometimes necessary for cancer patients, takes a toll on one’s body, and may lead to hair loss, among other side effects. This workshop will help women keep their original beauty despite all of that.

Mirihan Khalil, an Egyptian cancer fighter, joined this initiative and attended one of their workshops. She spoke to Reuters about her experience, “It makes a whole lot of difference, psychologically, for us to feel that we still look good, that nothing has changed, neither the medicine nor our sadness has taken their toll.” The Kon Gamilan Initiative is already active in Lebanon and the UAE, and will be launched here in Egypt in seven hospitals in the upcoming months.

The program teaches women how to take care of themselves, and offers them emotional and psychological support, as well as teaching them about the right food to eat for proper nutrition. They’re also looking to run three workshops in five of Egypt’s governorates. Hanady El-Imam, founder of the initiative, says, “When a cancer patient feels beautiful, and is getting the proper nutrition, this will affect her mental state positively, enhancing her immune system. This can make her stronger in the fight against cancer.”

The Kon Gamilan Initiative is looking to launch in Egypt with a bang. Cardiologist Dina Omar, a co-founder of the initiative, stated that they’re aiming towards providing this service for 5000 Egyptian women in their first year. We’re glad to see such initiatives making their way to Egypt, and we’re hoping for many more to support our men and women fighting against cancer.