Çisem Kaço from Türkiye is the YES Student of the Month
By Khayraan Abbas Ali (YES 2017-2018, Kenya, placed by PAX in Buffalo, NY)
During my exchange year, I was deeply influenced by two amazing women who nurtured my leadership skills and passion for promoting good health. They encouraged me to engage in community service, including coaching children with disabilities and raising awareness about life-threatening diseases. This experience opened my eyes to the lack of health knowledge in my community back home in Kenya, inspiring me to take action.
A few years after returning home, a close relative was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo surgery. The news was devastating—she had unknowingly developed a cancerous lump, and because most malignant lumps are painless, she had never considered screening. It was only when she noticed a visible lump near the surface of her skin that she decided to get checked. Watching her endure the most challenging period of her life, filled with uncertainty and fear, was heartbreaking. This experience made me wonder how many other women in my community were in the same situation, undiagnosed and unaware. Determined to change this, I applied for a YES Alumni Grant to increase breast cancer awareness in my community.
Through my project, my team and I aimed to educate as many women as possible. We organized a three-day workshop, which reached 150 women. To tailor our approach, we distributed questionnaires beforehand to assess the community’s awareness of breast cancer. The results were alarming—many women had little to no knowledge about the disease.
To ensure effective outreach, we partnered with Afya Yetu Health Group, a local community health organization, which connected us with professional doctors specializing in breast cancer education. These experts trained participants on self-examination and led discussions on symptoms, causes, and prevention. The workshop concluded with an open forum, providing a safe space for participants to share experiences and ask questions.
A particularly moving component was hearing firsthand accounts from breast cancer survivors. Their powerful stories of diagnosis, treatment, and recovery added an inspirational element to the workshop, reinforcing the importance of early detection.
The impact of the workshop was profound. Afya Yetu Health Group reported an increase in women seeking medical evaluations, with some receiving early-stage diagnoses, underscoring the importance of awareness and timely testing. Participants shared encouraging feedback, expressing gratitude for the knowledge gained.
Our long-term goal is to foster a culture where health is a priority, ultimately improving health outcomes and saving lives. We hope to continue educating women and increasing the number of screenings and early diagnoses.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the YES program, and AFS-Kenya for their invaluable support. A special thank you to Afya Yetu Health Group for their collaboration, and to my fellow alumni and volunteers for their unwavering dedication in making this workshop a success.