A cancer patient can have the right medicine, the right doctor and a plan that works. And still, treatment can end early. Why?
The Surprising Reason
Most of us think people stop treatment because the medicine is too hard or the illness is too strong. Sometimes that is true. But for many families in Uganda, the reason is much simpler. The money ran out.
Not money for the medicine itself. Money for everything around it.
Five Hidden Costs of Cancer Care
When a patient needs treatment, the hospital bill is only one part of the story. Here are the costs that often catch families by surprise:
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Rent. Good cancer hospitals are often in Kampala. A patient from a village must find a place to stay, sometimes for weeks or months.
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Food. Eating well matters during treatment, but daily meals add up fast.
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Transport. Patients travel to the city, then travel to the hospital again and again for check-ups.
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A caregiver’s needs. A family member often comes along to help, and they need a bed and food too.
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Lost income. If a parent is sick or caring for someone who is, the family may earn less at the same time costs go up.
Each cost looks small by itself. Together, they can feel like a mountain. When the mountain gets too high, some families choose to go home, even if the treatment is not finished.
A Man Who Noticed
Gilbert Kevin Jimmy Kwizera is a Ugandan-born humanitarian leader. He was born in Kampala on 30 November 1971 and later studied commerce and finance. According to his profile, he grew up seeing how poverty and illness can hurt families.
He also noticed a pattern. Many patients were leaving treatment, and the cause was not medical. It was hard outside the clinic. That observation led him to found the Cancer Charity Foundation, also called CCF.
His idea was simple. If rent and food are the problem, help with rent and food.
What Is The Haven?
The flagship program of CCF is called The Haven. It is a support center near Kampala’s cancer hospitals. It offers:
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Free accommodation, so patients do not worry about rent
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Meals, so patients can eat while they heal
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Counselling, so patients and families do not face fear alone
Patients often come with a caregiver, and the support is meant for both of them. A Daily Express article in February 2026 reported that CCF helps hundreds of patients each year by easing the daily worry of rent and food.
Why This Kind of Help Works
Think about a patient who has a safe bed near the hospital. She can rest after a hard session. She can get to her next appointment on time. She does not have to make the choice between paying rent and finishing her medicine.
Treatment works best when patients can keep going. Every missed visit is a risk. By lowering the practical barriers, The Haven helps patients stay on their path.
Care That Respects the Person
Money is only part of the story. How people are treated matters too.
CCF is described as avoiding the habit of treating patients as “cases” and focusing on respect instead. Mr. Kwizera’s approach is called dignity-based care. In simple words, it means seeing a patient as a whole person with a name, a family and hopes for the future.
Cancer already takes a lot from people. Kind and respectful care helps give some of it back.
Stories That Show the Need
The stories shared by patients make the problem clear.
One woman reported that she felt a difference in her body, had tests and was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She was brought to Mr. Gilbert Kevin Kwizera by a person she was acquainted with in the place of work, and via CCF she received the medical tests and treatment she required. She got better, and she says she is a “living testimony of hope”.
A second woman received treatment consisting of surgery and six chemotherapy cycles. She was too weak to travel to get medicine, so her daughter got money from his work place. For all six rounds, he helped with the cost. She indicates that his support has been a great help to her family when caring for them was too expensive.
Then there's Salim Bwagu who was diagnosed with cancer when young, and who lived 24 years with the disease, with breaks in between. He is a resident of South Africa and first met Mr Kwizera in 2006 and after that the charity funded the remainder of his treatment. Salim completed his entire medical studies in 2007. This tale demonstrates the need for support to continue beyond the need.
Beyond Cancer Care
Mr. Kwizera’s work reaches past the hospital. He also leads Haven Welfare, a charity that supports addiction recovery. In March 2026, he donated schoolbooks, pens and charts to Divine Mercy Nursery and Primary School in Fort Portal. These are different causes, but the idea stays the same: find the small barrier that holds a person back, and help remove it.
What You Can Do
You do not need to run a charity to help. Here are some simple ideas:
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Check in. Call or visit a neighbor who is sick. A kind visit can lift a heavy heart.
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Offer small help. A meal, a ride or a place to rest can mean a lot.
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Share information. Tell families that support services like The Haven exist.
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Encourage early checks. If someone notices a strange change in the body, urge them to see a health worker soon.
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Support local charities that help patients and caregivers.
Small acts, done by many people, can add up to big change.
The Big Idea
Cancer is hard enough. No family should have to stop treatment because of rent or food. Through the Cancer Charity Foundation, Gilbert Kevin Jimmy Kwizera has turned this idea into action, and The Haven gives patients a place to stay while they fight.
When we lower the walls around care, more people can reach the finish line.