Seed grants for the 2009 campaign
'I love my healthy active childhood'
UICC has awarded its first seed grants for World Cancer Day 2009!
The seed grants aim to increase the capacity to run new school and community projects to encourage kids to live a healthy, active childhood and maintain a healthy body weight.
- Each grant was for around US $1,000-2,000.
- The grants were awarded as a result of a competitive process – applications were received from 18 countries throughout all regions of the world.
Nine projects by member organisations have been chosen to receive the seed grants:
Jordan
King Hussein Cancer Center
Project title: “I love my Healthy Active Childhood”
 The World Cancer Day event for 2009 in Amman, Jordan took place on February 10th 2009, organized by the King Hussein Cancer Centre. A total of 105 students form the Jabal Amman Middle School for girls were excused from their classes for the school day in order to join the full day event prepared by a core group from the King Hussein Cancer Center. The core group was comprised of eight key members from several departments and professions including: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Consultant, Psychotherapist, Play Therapist, Nutrition professionals, Marketing, Media & PR as well as International Affairs.
Throughout the day the students took part in information sessions and a variety sessions including nutrition, art and physical activity. They were able to learn about being healthy and active in creative ways like building a food pyramid, drawing healthy food and watching an educational puppet show. Overall the day was a great success!
Download and read about the day’s programme here in detail.
Argentina
Liga Argentina de Lucha contra el Cáncer (LALCEC)
Project title: “Me gusta hacer deporte y comer sano”
In line with the UICC campaign and thanks to the seed grant awarded, the Liga Argentina de Lucha Contra el Cáncer – LALCEC organized educational and playful activities for parents and children in Buenos Aires (Parque Tres de Febrero)on February 4th, 2009.
A huge inflatable structure emphasized the importance of play and physical activity. Two clowns conveyed a double message: laughter as a positive health factor, tobacco as a negative factor. There was also an obstacle course involving hats and caps, that highlighted the need to be sun-smart and a fruit space with apples, cereal bars and water underlined the importance of a healthy diet. Their Representative Network throughout the country also carried out these same activities.
Bolivia
Asociación de Lucha Contra la Leucemia Paolo Belli La Paz
Project title: “Information on childhood cancer in Spanish, Aymara and Quechua”
World Cancer Day 2009 was a key date for the Asociaciòn de Lucha contra la Leucemia Paolo Belli Instituto Boliviano de Oncohematologìa of Bolivia, who launched their project ‘Informative and educative calendars against cancer’ in line with the slogan for this year’s World Cancer Campaign, ‘I love my healthy active childhood!’
Available in all the native languages of Bolivia (Spanish, Aymara and Quechua), the institute will provide calendars for families and physicians informing the public on the risks, signs and causes of cancer. Looking especially to target the younger generation, the calendars will also be distributed in primary schools, high schools and universities, helping to raise public awareness and to instil healthy habits by encouraging a balanced lifestyle of eating well and physical activity.
The project is tailored to tackle the most relevant cancer issues in Bolivia, those being a significant lack of awareness of the public and the frequently late diagnosis of childhood cancers.
Burundi
Alliance Burundaise contre le Cancer
Project title: “I love my healthy active childhood”
World Cancer Day in Burundi was celebrated with much success. Burundian Alliance Against Cancer (ABCC) joined the Ministry for the Public health, the Media, the health workforces, youth and the population to carry out meetings of promoting the topic of the year: “I love my healthy active childhood” a UICC World Cancer Campaign initiative. ABCC distributed papers informing about cancer prevention and food was given to the pupils of the ten local schools. Overall, 10,000 students were reached.
World Cancer Day ABCC also promoted an environment without tobacco for the children. Student led clubs with the mission to control tobacco and cancer worked with ABCC and the direction of agriculture and the breeding in the province of Gitega and planted fruit trees at the elementary school of Giheta. After the ceremony for the new fruit trees the students led a walk encouraging other students to live a healthy and active childhood.
Indonesia
Ministry of Health Indonesia
Project title: “Mass campaign for children on diet and physical activities”
In line with the UICC campaign and thanks to the seed grant awarded, the Directorate General of Disease Control and Environmental Health organized a “Mass Campaign for Children on Diet & Physical Activities to Prevent Cancer.” They distributed materials about healthy diet and physical activities for children.
They had seminars and talk shows for school age children and a bike initiative to raise awareness on the risk factors of non-communicable disease, all focusing on preventing and raising awareness for cancer. The goal was to develop public awareness to prevent cancer risk factors by maintaining a healthy life style, such as consuming a healthy diet of at least 500 grams of vegetables and fruits every day, doing physical activities for 30 minutes every day, and maintaining ideal body weight according to the BMI for children.
 Namibia
Cancer Association of Namibia
Project title: “Open day for schools and media campaign”
The Cancer Association of Namibia received huge attention from the media on World Cancer Day as it helped to make widespread the awareness of the signs, risks, causes and dangers of cancer in line with the theme of the 2009 World Cancer Campaign: ‘I love my healthy active childhood,’ and as it promoted a healthy balanced lifestyle and physical activity to stave of cancer.
Among many activities and open days taking place, the CAN made national television appearances and both made public announcements and gave informative talks on the radio. Furthermore, the day received coverage from newspapers in the forms of articles and adverts.
In a direct address to the public and particularly to children, the CAN also printed posters and provided school timetables for young students that informing them on the warning signs of cancer and effective cancer prevention practices.
 Nepal
Nepal Cancer Relief Society
Project title: “Childhood Obesity and Cancer Awareness Project in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur Cities of Nepal”
To mark World Cancer Day, the Nepal Cancer Relief Society (NCRS) organized a ‘Talk Program’ to discuss the cancer issues touched upon by the UICC’s World Cancer Campaign 2009 slogan, ‘I love my healthy active childhood.’
A number of government officials and society representatives, including the Secretary of Ministry of Health and Population, senior oncologists and representatives of the NCRS, were present at the Talk Program to offer their thoughts and expert opinions on the topic.
Aiming to spread awareness, participants (over 150 people) were supplied with posters and pamphlets concerning tobacco products and cancer; and the program itself was both nationally broadcast and publicised by newspapers and journals.
In line with this year’s World Cancer Campaign, the NCRS also handed out fruit to the sick and at the Kanti Children Hospital.
Slovakia
League Against Cancer
Project title: “Obesity is limiting you”
World Cancer Day 2009 was a key date for the League against Cancer Slovakia’s (LAC) cancer-combating project ‘Obesity is limiting you,’ a project primarily aimed at the younger generation to promote cancer awareness and a healthy lifestyle inspired by the theme of the 2009 World Cancer Campaign, ‘I love my healthy active childhood!’
The LAC has published numerous leaflets and brochures which are available for free throughout the country informing the public on the link between diet and exercise and cancer and encouraging healthier lifestyles. Furthermore, the LAC uses moving boards, a new and popular form of communication, to attract public attention; and on World Cancer Day these were set up in the centre of Bratislava accompanied by promoters distributing leaflets.
Addressing young people in particular, the project encourages the handing out of informative brochures in schools and calls upon teachers to educate their students on the risks, signs and causes of cancer – emphasizing especially the role played by diet and exercise in cancer development.
Tanzania
Ocean Road Institute
Project title: “Encouraging children in Tanzania to balance food and drink choices with physical activity”
The Ocean Road Cancer Institute at Dar es Salaam in Tanzania made World Cancer Day 2009 the starting date for their project, ‘Encouraging children in Tanzania to balance food and drink choices with physical activity’ in line with the theme for this year’s World Cancer Campaign, ‘I love my healthy active childhood!’
Through this project the institute endeavours to raise public awareness about the potential link between diet and physical activity and cancer, to generate media interest, to develop local information and to motivate the public to eat healthily and engage in regular physical activity with the help of all the organizations in Tanzania concerned with the prevention or treatment of cancer.
Paramount to the projects objectives encouraging the public to lead a balanced lifestyle and to teach children healthy habits both by informing them of the risks of an unhealthy lifestyle and by acting as role models. In addition to this, the Ocean road Cancer Institute will provide health professionals, leaders and policy makers with fact sheets and resources both in English and Swahili languages.
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