Voices of NCDI Poverty Advocacy Fellowship: 2021-2022 Cohort

Moses Echodu, Uganda

Read Moses’s story about how he overcame cancer stigma to become an advocate for children with cancer in Uganda and beyond here.

Moses Echodu is a childhood cancer survivor from Kampala, Uganda and currently serves the Uganda Child Cancer Foundation as the Program Director. While serving as a Voices of NCDI Poverty Advocacy Fellow, Moses spearheaded outreach activities with youth in Uganda to build awareness for cancer and other severe NCDs through printed educational materials, radio shows, and screening campaigns.

He has spent the past eight years building cancer awareness among young people and advocating for policies to improve access to cancer services for young people through his 3C program that engages youth in secondary schools.

Eunice Owino, Kenya

Eunice’s tells about her journey from SCD patient to advocate here.

Eunice Owino is a sickle cell disease advocate and founder of the Sickle Cell Uhuru Trust, an organization working to build awareness about sickle cell disease, teach SCD management, and emphasize the importance of care for people living with sickle Cell disease in Kenya and around the world. Her work as an NCDI Poverty Advocacy Fellow focused on building SCD awareness in Kenya and other areas of the world where SCD is prevalent.

She is the Regional Coordinator for the African Congress on Sickle Cell Disease (ACSCD) and on the Board of Directors for the Sickle Cell Federation of Kenya (SFK). She also represents Kenya in the East Africa Sickle Cell Alliance (EASCA).

Eunice is a sickle cell warrior (a person living with sickle cell disease) and is delighted to serve as an advocate for people living with sickle cell disease. She’s represented the interests of SCD patients on various platforms including; conferences in Africa and California, documentaries and media interviews across the globe. In 2022, Sanius Health names Eunice one of the Top 90 most influence advocates for people living with sickle cell disease.

Anu Gomanju, Nepal

You can read Anu’s rheumatic heart disease story and find out how she found her purpose in advocacy here.

Anu Gomanju is an NCD advocate, person living with rheumatic heart disease (RHD), and registered public health professional pursuing a Master of Public Health in Global Health program of Thammasat University. While serving as a Voices of NCDI Poverty Advocacy Fellow, Anu utilized social media to establish a people living with rheumatic heart disease advocacy group and network in Nepal, a first of its kind in the region. Anu continues to work closely with the Nepal NCDI poverty Commission and provides insight as a person living with RHD.

Anu is involved in mental health advocacy and has contributed to the promotion of health and nutrition in relation to NCDI advocacy. She has experience empowering adolescents and youth on sexual and reproductive health and has worked on family planning projects in the Nepalese communities to bring positive health outcomes. She is committed to advocating for people living in poverty to protect their lives from morbidity and mortality caused by preventable NCDIs, promoting their health, and prolonging their lives.

In observance of World Heart Day in September 2022, Anu’s rheumatic heart disease story was profiled in a WHO series on people living with NCDs.

Paladie Kampuhwe Mategeko, Rwanda

Paladie Kampuhwe Mategeko is a Type 1 Diabetes Champion with a Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Management with a concentration in Global Perspectives. After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, she decided to help other people living with non-communicable diseases (PLWNCDs) to overcome the challenges of stigma and poverty. During her Voices of NCDI Poverty Advocacy Fellowship period, she brought people living with type 1 diabetes together in support groups in the underserved Eastern Province of Rwanda. She continues to work with the Rwanda NCD Alliance to amplify the voices of PLWNCDs.