NGO Highlights Stigmatization of Breast Cancer Survivors, Launches Empowerment Program in Nigeria

Category : Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) | Sub Category : Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) Posted on 2026-04-03 15:58:52

The Engraced Life Foundation (ELF), a non-governmental, non-profit organization, has drawn attention to the ongoing stigmatization faced by breast cancer survivors in Nigeria. Alongside raising awareness, the foundation has launched a structured empowerment program aimed at helping survivors regain dignity, independence, and long-term wellbeing.

Founded over 15 years ago by a breast cancer survivor, the foundation was born out of personal experience at a time when awareness of the disease was low and widely misunderstood.

The ESAI Empowerment Program

ELF’s ESAI program is a holistic aftercare and empowerment initiative designed to go beyond medical recovery. The program focuses on:

• Providing practical skills and business knowledge

• Offering mentorship and psychosocial support

• Supporting indigent women survivors to rebuild sustainable livelihoods

“Some survivors are abandoned, while others exhaust their life savings on treatment,” the founder explained. “This initiative is designed to help them rebuild their lives through sustainable means of livelihood.”

Accountability and Growth

Daniel, representing ELF, emphasized that accountability and evaluation are central to the program’s design. The pilot phase, currently running with a small cohort of survivors, is intended to refine the model before it is scaled up to reach more women across the country.

Through the ESAI program, ELF aims to not only address the medical needs of survivors but also empower them to reclaim their lives, dignity, and independence after breast cancer.