- Odysseus Foundation
-
The Odysseus Foundation is a UK-based charity currently working in 11 countries[1] around the world to help women and children in rural and socially excluded communities lead healthy, productive lives. The charity provides screening for breast and cervical cancer as well as educational resources aimed at raising awareness of the disease. It also runs programmes aimed at raising awareness of breast and cervical cancer among the UK population.
Founding
The Odysseus Foundation was founded by Justen Schafer Humes, who has more than 15 years' experience working for various charities in Washington DC, New York City, London and Greece [2].
From a very young age, Schafer Humes has been affected by cancer, having lost several family members and close friends to cancer. He was himself diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2006. This led him to develop international breast and cervical cancer advocacy outreach projects in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Humes has spoken at several international conferences, and been described by Nancy Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, as "one of the most extraordinary international cancer advocates, contributing to cancer detection and treatment in the developing world."[3]
Campaigns
In September 2011, the Odysseus Foundation launched a campaign called Penelope [4]. The aim of the campaign is to screen 100,000 women in developing countries for breast and cervical cancer by 2015, as well as raising awareness among women both in the UK and around the world.
The tagline of the campaign is 'Know your bits and boobs', and the charity released a smartphone application that provides tips on how to recognise the signs of breast and cervical cancer [5].
References
Categories:- Health promotion
- Charities based in the United Kingdom
- Cancer awareness
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.