When Robert Murithi lost his mother to cervical cancer, his world fell apart. But from that deep personal pain, he found purpose — to fight for women who continue to suffer in silence.
Robert’s mother battled cancer bravely, but she faced more than just the disease. She endured stigma, misinformation, and poverty.
In her community, people whispered that she was bewitched. Many discouraged her from seeking medical help, and by the time she was diagnosed, it was too late.
“I watched my mother fade away not because there was no medicine, but because there was no understanding,” Robert recalls softly. “That pain changed my life forever.”
Out of that heartbreak came the Naledi Initiative, which Robert founded to honor his mother’s memory. Naledi — a Zulu word meaning bright morning star — symbolizes hope after darkness.
The organization provides free screening and awareness programs for women in underserved areas across Kenya. Its goal is simple but powerful — to ensure that no woman dies from a preventable or treatable form of cancer.
Through medical camps, community outreach, and education, the Naledi Initiative focuses on early detection and access to treatment, two critical steps that can save lives.
“We realized many women avoid hospitals out of fear or shame,” Robert explains. “We go to where they are — villages, markets, even churches — to talk openly about cancer and break that silence.”
Robert’s mission goes beyond medical support. His team works to change the way communities think about cancer. By training community health volunteers and support groups, they help families provide emotional care and encourage women to go for regular check-ups.
“We have seen women regain confidence, start treatment early, and survive,” says Robert. “That’s what my mother would have wanted — for others to live.”
The initiative has since partnered with local hospitals and NGOs to expand access to screening and has reached over 15,000 women since its launch in 2021.
Every success story fuels Robert’s determination. For him, every woman screened or saved through Naledi’s programs is a tribute to his mother’s memory — a living light that shines through others.
“From my mother’s struggle came my mission,” he says. “From her pain came a movement of hope.”
As Kenya continues to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Robert’s story stands as a reminder that the fight against cancer is not just medical — it’s also emotional, social, and deeply human.
Through the Naledi Initiative, one man’s loss has become thousands of women’s second chance at life.
