It is really disheartening to read about the cancer epidemic, which has not only hit Kenya, but globally. It is pure evil to manipulate vulnerable people for gain to the point of death, after untold suffering.
Gone are the days when cancer was a disease of the rich, for its now sadly attacking even the poor that cannot even afford the expensive treatment process.
When the developing world abandoned their cultures and embraced the western lifestyle, this opened doors for lifestyle-linked diseases like diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
There is research that proves that cancer is preventable where people live happy, holistic lives with their emotional, physiologic, dietary and financial aspects well balanced out.
To imagine that doctors have for the longest time known this fact but kept the information to themselves, is most painful and unimaginable, if not evil. But to be fair, let us also acknowledge that where big money plays, it is dangerous business.
It is a well-known fact that as goes America, so does the whole world. Maybe the world could borrow a leaf from cancer prevention interventions being undertaken currently in the USA to control the epidemic.
Health Coaching is one such movement that is geared towards educating people on the importance of living a well-balanced life to prevent disease and improve health.
Even though this effort may be a drop in the ocean, and the wellness doctors behind the movement have before them the herculean task of fighting against the strong cartels propelling the cancer epidemic, I sincerely believe this is a step in the right direction.
The plan is to cause a ripple effect starting from the grass roots level where we have the majority of victims, by shifting people’s beliefs and lifestyle habits.
This could begin in small changes such as being more active, drinking more water, avoiding sugar and harmful starches, even going off grid and planting our own foods, because it is hard to believe the “organic” labels on foods anymore.
The best change I truly like is teaching our children how to cook while using simple steps for that would be the beginning of this long journey into changing the direction that global health is currently headed.
While it may not be possible to see immediate changes, it is the idea that health is not a destination but a journey that we have to keep in mind.
We shall arrive there so the important thing is to make that first important step and if we do that, we may not necessarily change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust our sails to reach our destination.
Finally, I hope that we can all cut out the chatter, the ill feelings and disappointments, and remember that we are a part of the universe with a responsibility to nurture and protect it, not only for ourselves, but for our posterity.
It is still a beautiful world, let’s strive to be happy.
By Susan Wambui.
Senior Columnist/ Kenyan Parents in USA
