2025 January – March Newsletter

5th Parents Support Group

We understand that caring for a child with cancer can be emotionally overwhelming. We dedicated the day to supporting and uplifting the incredible parents who give their all, every single day. Through shared stories and encouragement, we reminded them that they are not alone on this journey.

10th Kibubu Challenge Campaign

Students at HOPAC rallied together to raise funds to support childhood cancer treatment through the kibubu campaign. The campaign plays a vital role in helping provide free, high-quality cancer treatment to children in need. A heartfelt thank you to the entire HOPAC community for their generosity and ongoing partnership—and special recognition to Bhriah, Chelsea, and Yohane for their outstanding efforts!

21st DHL Partnership

DHL Africa has been an invaluable partner in our mission to provide hope and healing for children with cancer. Their support in transporting life-saving treatments to our centers and ensuring the smooth delivery of samples has been a true game-changer. Because of DHL’s efforts, countless children with cancer have a real chance at recovery. Together, we’re making a difference one delivery at a time.  Thank you, DHL, for being a beacon of hope and a vital part ofthis journey!

28th Dr. Trish Featured on Childhood Cancer Podcast in Ireland

We are honoured to share that Dr. Trish Scanlan was featured in the latest episode of the Childhood Cancer Ireland podcast to launch their 2025 season. In this inspiring episode, Dr. Trish reflects on her journey in paediatric oncology, from moving to Tanzania to witnessing survival rates for children with cancer rise from just 10% to over 50%. She also speaks about her work in Gaza, her role as interim Director of Global Health at Children’s Health Ireland, and her enduring hope for continued progress in cancer treatment and care.

1st Academic Awareness Walk

On Saturday, Academic International School, in collaboration with cRDB Bank and with the support of the People’s Defence Force, organized an incredible awareness walk to shine light on childhood cancer. Beyond raising awareness, Academic International School has also raised over TZS 14 million as part of the Kibubu campaign! In order to support childhood cancer services in Tanzania. A heartfelt thank you to the students, parents, partners and the entire Academic International School community who made this possible!

10th Rabbit Ray

Kick starting Monday morning with Rabbit Ray! Through our Playtherapy program, this fun and engaging tool helps the kids feel at ease with needles and all the hospital procudures as they undergo treatment! Let’s continue to support their treatment by donating through TLM mpesa 0744733839 or Yas mixx 0677867580

10th Delgany Lions Club Welcomes Dr. Trish Scanlan

Dr. Trish Scanlan was warmly welcomed by the Lions group in Delgany, where she gave a heartfelt presentation on childhood cancer services in Tanzania. The evening sparked a lively and engaging discussion about the challenges children face and the ways in which the Lions might offer support. In a wonderful show of generosity, the Delgany Lions Club donated €1,610 to help children with cancer access life-saving treatment. We are so grateful for their interest and commitment to making a difference.

15th International Childhood Cancer Day

On International Childhood Cancer Day, we launched Make-A-Wish Tanzania, a program focused to help bring hope, joy and healing to children with cancer by making their wishes come true!

At the event, we had the joy of witnessing two incredible children have their wishes come true!

Farhiya wished for a beautiful princess dress and enjoyed a magical cake decorating session at Soul Treats Bakery and Kuyela whose wish was to own a Simba sports club jersey! and to make it more special he received a surprise message from his favorite player Steven Mukwala! Moments like these remind us why we do what we do. This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to create more smiles and unforgettable memories for these incredible children. A special thanks to all our partners, donors, friends and supporters for joining us as we mark this incredible milestone as all we do would not be possible without you!

22nd Art & Learning with the Inner child foundation

The Inner Child Foundation, Brushify team members, and dedicated volunteers. The day was filled with creativity and compassion through an art workshop designed to introduce the healing power of art to children undergoing cancer treatment. This session, part of the 2025 “Outlet Project,” aimed to boost self-esteem, self-expression, and inspire new hobbies through art therapy. The Inner child foundation also donated tablets to support the children’s learning during treatment—ensuring their education continues alongside their healing. A special thank you to Brushify Tz for their artistic expertise and materials, and to everyone who made this day so meaningful.

23rd Kilimarathon 2025

This year’s Kilimanjaro Marathon was a powerful show of support for children with cancer, as 14 incredible runners including popular influencer Bongozozo took on the challenge in support of TLM. Thanks to the combined efforts of the race organizers and our dedicated individual fundraisers, a total of TZS 26 million was raised to support life-saving cancer treatment for children in Tanzania. A huge thank you to all our runners, donors, and supporters as you’ve truly made every step count!

24th Wish child Meets his favorite footballer

We are thrilled to share the heart warming story of Wish Child Kuyela, whose dream was truly brought to life! Kuyela not only received his very own jersey but also had the unforgettable experience of watching his favorite footballer, Steven Mukwala play live! A wish granted, a memory cherished. Moments like these are what make our mission so meaningful. Thank you to everyone who helped make Kuyela’s wish come true!

28th Ambassador Nicola Vists TLM

Priviledged to welcome H.E. Nicola Brennan, Ambassador of Ireland to Tanzania and Dr. Charles Sagoe-Moses, the country representitive of WHO Tanzania. Through our valued partnership with the Embassy of Ireland, we have made incredible strides in expanding access to childhood cancer treatment and services across Tanzania. This collaboration continue to bridge critical gaps, ensuring that more children receive the care they need. A heartfelt thank you for the continious support in building a healthier and more inclusive future for children with cancer!

29th

First Year Academy

Dr. Trish Scanlan had the pleasure of speaking to students and parents at First Year Academy about childhood cancer and the work being done to support children in Tanzania. The visit was made even more special by the incredible generosity of the students, who raised an impressive TZS 600,000 to support young patients in need. A heartfelt thank you to Ms. Chandra for introducing us to this wonderful school community and helping make this meaningful connection possible.

5th

Visit from Prof. Martin Corbally

We are honored to welcome Prof. Martin Corbally. A long-standing friend and supporter of Paediatric surgical services, Prof. Corbally spent valuable time at MNH mentoring surgical teams, reviewing complex cases and supporting ongoing efforts to strengthen paediatric surgical care. His visit continues to inspire and uplift both staff and patients, reinforcing the importance of collaboration, compassion and clinical excellence in transforming children’s lives.

8th International Women’s Day

To mark International Women’s Day, a group of women from Watumishi Housing Investmernts (WHI) visited TLM. The visit was a gesture of solidarity and compassion as the WHI team praised the work being done to support children with cancer. In addition to their words of encouragement, they generously donated essential supplies and cash contributions to help fund treatment for the children receiving care. We are deeply grateful for their support and commitment to making a difference.

TATA Women Visit

As a way of giving back to the community on IWD, the incredible women from TATA Tanzania visited us to show their support for children with cancer and donated essential house items

10th PAIRS Training 2025

The Irish and Tanzania PAIRS faculty collaborated to expand paediatric emergency training across Tanzania. MNH was accredited as a PAIRS training centre following the successful delivery of Quick PAIRS modules. A Train-the-Trainer (TTT) programme at KCMC graduated 18 new Tanzanian PAIRS trainers, making it the second independent training centre. Over 40 healthcare professionals from three regions were trained, with strong results and positive feedback. This milestone marks a significant step forward in sustainable, locally led paediatric training across the country.

11th City Cancer Challenge in Dar es Salaam

We were honored to welcome delegates from City Cancer Challenge (C/Can) as they assessed ways to enhance cancer diagnosis, treatment & patient support in Tanzania. Their visit included meetings with government representatives to secure commitment to sustainable cancer care, site visits to MNH & ORCI to identify key gaps and opportunities and discussions on collaborations with NGO and advocacy groups for greater impact. They also explored long-term funding strategies to ensure lasting change. We’re excited about the next steps and look forward to what’s ahead!

16th St. Patrick’s ball 2025

We are over the moon for the incredible support and generosity at our St. Patrick’s charity ball! Thanks to everyone who attended and contributed, we are thrilled to announce that, after all expenses we have raised an astounding USD 55,000 for childhood cancer services in Tanzania! Your presence and kindness have made a real impact on the lives of children with cancer, adn we cannot thank you enough. A special shoutout to our amazing sponsors, donors and guests- your dedication makes this journey possible. Thank you for standing with us!

Go to the link here to relive the magic of the night!

17th Irish Minister and Director General of Irish Aid Visits TLM

We are honored to welcome Hon. Neale Richmond, Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Mr Michael Gaffey, Director General at Irish Aid, to the paediatric oncology unit at Muhimbili National Hospital. The minister commended the dedication of doctors and healthcare workers caring for children with cancer and praised TLM for its vital role in improving paediatric cancer care and reaffirmed Ireland’s commitment to strengtheing Tanzania’s health sector

20th Eliwangu Attends Make-A-Wish Annual Conference in Geneva

Eliwangu represented Tumaini La Maisha and Make-A-Wish Tanzania at the Make-A-Wish annual conference in Geneva. This global gathering brought together affiliates from around the world to share best practices, inspire innovation and strengthen the collective mission of granting life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Eliwangu’s participation marked a milestone moment as Tanzania has now officially begun granting wishes, becoming the first Make-A-Wish network in Africa.

Ally is a 6 year old who was first seen at Muhimbili National Hospital in August 2021 with complaints of recurrent fevers, gum bleeding, facial and lower limb swelling and generalized lymphnodes swelling. He was also pale, tired and had a headache that wouldn’t go away.

Through TLM’s National Childhood Cancer Network (NCCN) referral and transport team, Ally was admitted at the oncology ward at Muhimbili National Hospital. He had several investigations many supported by TLM, and was diagnosed to have ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA (Blood cancer). It was also very obvious that poor Ally was also very malnourished. One of our tests revealed a further complication which he must have silently picked up from a previous infection – Ally had a damaged heart from Rheumatic heart disease. It was a devastating news for the family especially a mother who was taking care of him at the hospital to find out that his son had blood cancer and heart problems and that he will undergo intense treatment for about 3yrs. This further complicated his treatment as some of the standard chemotherapy for his leukaemia was not possible to give as it could further weaken his heart – so the team had to be creative and substitute alternative medications. But it was great that this issue was picked up at the very beginning thanks to the thoroughness of the care provided.

Ally is now doing great – his leukaemia is in remission and in October 2024 he finished his 3 year-long slog of chemotherapy. He recovered nutritionally within a few weeks of his initial treatment thanks to all the nutritious and yummy food and supplemental therapeutic snacks TLM provides all our young patients. And our cardiac colleagues are keeping a very close eye on his heart for us. He may need surgery in the future but for now his heart is in good shape.

Through TLM’s social programs, the clown doctors and teachers significantly helped with Ally’s therapeutic recovery. It was very important to him to continue his schooling throughout his treatment and we were able to help with this through our school programme. He is now a very happy healthy child and continuing with school, and in December 2024 he finished first in class and best student. Our children really are the most extraordinary inspirational young people on the planet.

Ally’s story highlights resilience, the importance of support, and the power of hope. It’s a reminder to children that even in the toughest moments, they can be heroes in their own lives and to those who are so proud to care for them.