On behalf of the Kids Kicking Cancer board, our coordinators and volunteers, we are excited to be launching Kids Kicking Cancer in South Africa.
Over the past 6 months, we have seen the positive impact that our highly experienced and skilled black belt martial artists have had on children and their families at Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town. This impact will soon extend to Steve Biko Hospital in Tshwane and to other provinces during the course of 2019.
The initiative was founded in 1999 by Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg (Rabbi G), a black belt karate instructor and Clinical Assistant Professor of Paediatrics at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, USA, after losing his two year old daughter to leukaemia.
The programme, is now running in 59 hospitals across 5 countries and has positively impacted the lives of over 6000 children and their families, as well as the healthcare professionals treating them.
Kids Kicking Cancer is designed to empower and uplift children, who are suffering with a variety of diseases that causes them significant pain and discomfort. Through the practice of martial arts and breathing techniques, the programme is able to bring about a sense of power, peace and newfound purpose into their young, yet challenging lives.
With the rising burden of disease amongst children in South Africa and the challenges faced in delivery of healthcare, an initiative like this is ideally placed to support children suffering from life-threatening diseases, particularly in our public hospitals. It is free of charge for all participants and there is no requirement for additional infrastructure, technology, medication or personnel.
I really hope that you can join us on this journey as we implement this uplifting programme in our public sector and in so doing bring relief and joy to children who need it most!
Power, Peace Purpose
Dr Richard Friedland
Chairperson
Kids Kicking Cancer South Africa
