"Great against Cancer Family Homes" for Children

Soleterre’s Commitment to Children with Cancer in Ivory Coast

Since 2006, Soleterre has been standing alongside children with cancer and their families through its global pediatric oncology programme, “Great against Cancer”. In Ivory Coast, this work goes beyond providing medical treatment: it is about giving families hope, creating safe spaces for children undergoing therapy, and strengthening the local health system to fight childhood cancer effectively. With the support of philanthropic funding, we can expand these efforts, particularly by training and mentoring local health workers, an investment that will have a lasting impact on the nation’s ability to tackle pediatric cancer.

Ivory Coast is a country of contrasts. While its economy grows rapidly, access to healthcare remains limited, social protection is scarce, and medical resources are extremely stretched. Pediatric oncology faces dramatic challenges: each year, around 1,000 children are diagnosed with cancer, but approximately 800 will die without proper care. The country has only a handful of oncologists, including two pediatric specialists, and a single pediatric oncology ward in Abidjan, with just over twenty beds. Families living in rural areas often face late diagnoses and limited access to the medicines and expertise required to save their children’s lives.

Soleterre’s approach in Ivory Coast addresses these challenges through a combination of medical, social, and educational interventions. Awareness campaigns help communities recognize the early signs of pediatric cancer and seek timely medical advice. Health workers receive ongoing training and mentorship so they can diagnose cancer promptly, guide families through complex treatment pathways, and improve the quality of care across the country.

At the heart of this work is Casa Akwaba, our reception house in Abidjan. The house offers a safe, welcoming space for up to 28 children and their caregivers. Families receive nutritious meals, psychosocial support, and transport to and from the hospital, which allows children to adhere to their treatment more consistently and reduces the stress on parents during a deeply challenging time. Casa Akwaba is also a hub for activities that bring normalcy and joy to young patients, giving them strength to continue their fight against cancer.

Philanthropic funding plays a crucial role in amplifying this work. It allows us to expand training programmes, provide scholarships for young Ivorian doctors and nurses, and ensure uninterrupted access to life-saving chemotherapy. For example, treating Burkitt lymphoma, the most common pediatric cancer in the country, is highly effective if caught early, yet a single cycle of chemotherapy costs between €600 and €1,000, an impossible sum for families earning about €90 per month. Philanthropic support can fill these gaps, making survival possible for children who would otherwise have no chance.

The impact of our programme is tangible. In recent years, Soleterre has directly supported over 60 families, providing care and housing for both children and caregivers. More than 130 children have received life-saving chemotherapy through emergency funding. Beyond these numbers, the programme is building local capacity to sustain progress. By training doctors, nurses, and lab technicians, we are creating a network of skilled professionals who can diagnose, treat, and follow up with children across the country. Each trained health worker multiplies the effect of the programme, improving outcomes for hundreds of children over the course of their career.

Looking ahead, Soleterre is gradually transferring the management of Casa Akwaba to a local partner while maintaining a network of technical support and quality assurance. This ensures that the house remains rooted in the community while benefiting from international expertise. Philanthropic funding is essential to make this transition successful, and to continue expanding the reach and quality of our services.

Soleterre’s commitment in Ivory Coast is about more than treating cancer. It is about giving children a chance to survive, supporting families when they are most vulnerable, and building a sustainable, locally led healthcare system that can save countless lives in the future. We invite philanthropic partners to join us in this mission by funding clinical scholarships, training programmes, emergency chemotherapy, and the localisation of Casa Akwaba’s management. Together, we can transform short-term lifesaving interventions into a durable, national response to childhood cancer.

As part of Soleterre ETS’s Great Against Cancer program, the “Oncological Poverty & Caregiver Fatigue in Taranto” initiative brings crucial relief to families grappling with cancer’s many burdens. In Taranto, where industrial pollution has driven cancer rates sky-high and strained household budgets, this intervention, backed by an important Italian philanthropic foundation, fights the hidden crises of caregiver burnout, patient disability, and financial hardship.

Over the first half of 2025, we have:

• Offered emotional support: Regular listening desks and psychological counseling sessions have welcomed caregivers in safe, confidential spaces. In addition to group meetings, individual support consultations have helped family members share experiences, learn stress-management techniques, and rediscover hope.

• Restored mobility and independence: Psycho-motor rehabilitation workshops at the “La Casa di Sofia” center have enabled oncology patients to regain basic motor skills, easing pain and reducing dependence in daily life.

• Empowered through knowledge: Socio-economic training workshops have equipped caregivers, especially women, with the tools to manage household budgets and navigate social-benefit systems. Thanks to this guidance, many families have successfully accessed social bonuses and disability stipends, alleviating part of their financial burden.

A story that captures the heart of our work is that of Maria and her father, Luigi. Maria cares for 78-year-old Luigi, who battles prostate cancer with mobility challenges. Through home-based physiotherapy and dedicated psychological support, Maria learned gentle self-massage techniques for her father and found strategies to contain her own anxiety. “Now I can care for my dad without feeling overwhelmed,” she says, her confidence visibly renewed.

Our Italian philanthropic partner’s generous support has made these interventions possible, funding skilled psychologists and physiotherapists, securing welcoming venues, providing essential workshop materials, and covering administrative and logistical needs. Every euro invested translates directly into better care, stronger families, and greater resilience across Taranto.

Challenges & Adaptive Measures
A limited pool of suitable venues has sometimes meant shifting locations at short notice, and some caregivers have found it hard to attend sessions due to work or childcare constraints. In response, we have partnered with a local cultural center to secure a larger, better-equipped space and launched a community-based childcare service to ease participation. Monthly focus groups continue to gather feedback so we can adapt our activities to families’ real-world needs.

Looking ahead to our next update in December 2025, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our philanthropic partner and to all the professionals and volunteers whose dedication powers our Great Against Cancer program. Together, we’re restoring dignity, hope, and strength to the families of Taranto, one caregiver, one patient, one story at a time.