My professional background began as a journalist 6 years ago with The Guardian Newspapers where I wrote and produced documentaries addressing misconceptions of cerebral palsy and advocating for the rights of underserved citizens in Nigeria. My interest to switch into Health space began in 2022 when I lost two of my friends to Breast Cancer. They died in their homes while the Doctors were on strike in Nigeria. I began to learn about cancer, health policy and cancer prevention when I joined non-profit 501-C3, Trials of Color (TOC), in 2022 as a freelance Communication and Health Advocacy Manager to help solve the information gap when it comes to cancer. A lot of Nigerians living in rural communities still believe that CANCER is a disease associated with rich people or a curse from the gods.

Trials of Color organization’s mission is dedicated to bridging the gap between disadvantaged cancer patients, underserved communities and their healthcare providers. It exposed me to ways of educating underserved communities on health literacy.

I joined Trials of Color from Nigeria, virtually, at a time when the founder, Sharon Rivera-Sanchez had just lost her brother to colon cancer 36 days after his diagnosis. He got screened late. It was also at the time when the World Health Organization revealed that Africa records around 1.1 million new cases of cancer, resulting in up to 700 000 deaths every year. I am a firm believer that a change mindset is all you need to change a narrative. And Our zip code, race, religion or colour should not define how we are passive, treated and receive medical treatment.