Educator Highlight: Emily Watela Wekesa, Kenya
“I know early detection and timely treatment saves lives and information is power” - Emily Watela Wekesa
Emily Watela Wekesa from Western Kenya, Africa, has been a Know Your Lemons Global Educator since December 2023 and in just four months has taught 1,198 people! She credits her success to the passion and love she has for her community and for teaching about early detection to save lives. She said,
“I personally have been a caregiver to a breast cancer patient. This was an eye-opener, and a quest to learn more about breast cancer and educate my community. Unfortunately, I was also diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2020. I went through the treatment and it was not easy. My experience inspired me to volunteer and educate others who still think cancer is witchcraft. I am a devoted individual to ensure no one has to go through this tough and painful treatment of cancer. I promised myself, with the knowledge I have today about breast cancer, I will do my best to reach out to as many women as possible in my community and country. I know early detection and timely treatment saves lives and information is power.”
Emily found our foundation through her friend Mary Nafula, manager of the Warriors of Hope foundation, a proud charity partner with Know Your Lemons.
Emily typically teaches in-person for schools, churches, community gathering and recently she was privileged to teach 900 inmates. About this experience she shared,
“I visited two different women prisons in Western Kenya. In the lead-up to World Cancer Day, I went up and down to different offices for a full month to get the required signatures to permit me to teach the ladies who are behind bars about breast cancer. The feeling was so fulfilling and I felt the impact.”
Emily teaches all of these people with two major resources: the knowledge that she gained from taking the Know Your Lemons Breast Health Educator Certification course and a 12 signs of breast cancer poster. Imagine how much more knowledge she could give people with more materials! To help continue the efforts of this devoted volunteer please visit our donation page.
