Kenya Biggest Coffee Morning with Faraja Cancer Support Trust

Faraja Cancer Support Trust, a non for profit charity that offers free complementary therapies to cancer patients and their care-givers is hosting ‘Kenya’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ for the second time. Started last year, the awareness initiative creates a conversation about cancer over a cup of coffee. Individuals, friends, corporates and schools are encouraged to become hosts any day in the month of October and to create awareness by having a conversation about the fight against cancer.

It is unfortunately true that 1 in 3 people will get cancer and at least 2 million people are living with cancer in Kenya today – so it’s a huge issue that affects us all. 80% of cancer in Kenya is diagnosed when in the advanced stages and curative measures are not possible.

The initiative targets the growing community who are looking to join in the fight against cancer. A group of friends, family and colleagues can gather for a social meeting as they indulge in cup of coffee ( or beverage of their choice) and a slice of something delicious as they raise funds for a great cause.

When the group becomes a host having made prior arrangements with Faraja, a speaker from Faraja will talk about the cancer scene in Kenya and a survivor about their cancer journey. Last year, 33 hosts took part and a total amount of Kshs2.9 million was raised.

All proceeds raised by the host will go towards support Faraja in providing the free complementary therapies, expanding cancer library, funding Craft for Cure program at Kenyatta National Hospital’s children’s ward and medical assistance program.

This year Faraja plans to make Kenya Biggest Coffee Morning bigger and better by attracting a significant number of hosts.

6 Steps to making your Coffee Morning a BIG success

Step 1 – Choose where and when

You have the whole month of October choose from to host your Kenya’s Biggest Coffee morning day. Decide the venue which you think will work best in terms of logistics and for people to turn up. This can be at your home, office, school or even online. For example 10.30am is a popular choice in the office, when people are welcoming a little break or refreshment.

Step 2 – Think about how you will do it

For your coffee morning, you choose. You can dress it up, create a theme or keep it simple. Some ideas to provide inspiration:

• Challenge your office colleagues to a ‘cake for cancer’ bake-off. Light-hearted competition where the cakes are sold on the day and a winner is announced.
• Buy your cakes, put them on some pretty plates and watch the donations rise.
• Go all out and organise a ‘high tea/coffee’ afternoon for the ladies at home
• Theme it at school events – ask the kids to come dressed up or wear their favourite hat
• Run a competition within your coffee morning for extra donations eg how many coffee beans are in the jar.

Top tip: Last year lots of people choose to hold a Cake Auction….and these were very successful!

Step 3 – Invite as many people as possible

To help you promote your event you will find inside 30 lovely invitations to hand out and 10 posters to help raise awareness. If you live outside of Kenya (or prefer to do things online) then we can also send to you an e-invite.

Step 4 – Ask for money and let them know what can be done with it

It couldn’t be simpler – in exchange for the delicious treats you put out for everyone to enjoy, ask people to make a donation to Faraja Cancer Support Trust. For those hosting online coffee mornings, or hosts wanting to ask people who can’t make it for a donation consider setting up your own Coffee morning page on the website M-Changa at http://changa.co.ke/

Any donations on the day will give hope and support to children and adults living with cancer through Faraja Cancer Support services. To give you an idea of what donations can ‘buy’;

• Kes 200 could pay for an art therapy session for 30 children undergoing cancer treatment.
• Kes 500 could help to run a breast or prostate cancer monthly support group with an average attendance of 30 in each group
• Kes 1000 could pay for 2 rounds of radiation in a government national hospital every month
• Kes 5000 could run a cancer awareness workshop in rural Kenya

Step 5 – Thank and Bank

 

Once you have counted up all the money from your event we would suggest that sending out an email to thank and let everyone know how much collectively has been raised.

Visit the Faraja Cancer Support Trust Website HERE, and follow them on Facebook & Twitter.