Shoe-box Christmas Gift Appeal for Children with Cancer in Ghana

Afrox and the Cancer Society of Ghana are launching an appeal to send 600 shoe-box Christmas gifts to children with cancer in Ghana.  The gifts will be sent from the UK to Ghana in time for Christmas 2008 and will will be distributed by the Cancer Society of Ghana. The gifts will go to children with cancer in hospitals across Ghana, including the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the Princess Marie Louise Hospital for Children, the Ridge Hospital, Tema General Hospital and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.

Cancer in the developing world

Cancer already causes more deaths each year worldwide than HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria combined. By 2020 there are expected to be 16 million new cases of cancer every year, 70 per cent of which will be in developing countries, which are least prepared to address the growing cancer burden. In the developing world, one-third of cancers are potentially preventable and another third are treatable if detected early. However, lack of resources and basic infrastructure mean that millions of people have no access to cancer screening, early diagnosis, treatment or palliative care.

The Cancer Society of Ghana

The Cancer Society of Ghana is an NGO based in Accra, Ghana (charity registration number G-11,510).  Its purpose is to facilitate national awareness about the prevention and treatment of cancer and to provide support to cancer patients.

Things you can include in your shoe-box gift: 

A gift suitable for child aged between 1—12 years old such as -

cuddly toys, dolls, books, jigsaw puzzles, toy cars, crayons , felt-tip pens , coloured pencils, colouring books, hard-boiled sweets, t-shirts, soap, toothbrushes, flannel, hairbrush, jewellery and tennis balls

and anything else you can think of that would fit in a shoe-box (as long as it is not on the do not send list below!)

Please do not send:

Food, drink and chocolates
Liquids such as glue, paint, shampoo or bubble bath
Fragile items
Sharp items—such as scissors
Battery operated items
Military toys—such as toy guns

HOW TO Pack Your Gift

A) Find a shoe-box and place your gift inside.

B) If you wish, you may include a message for the child on the postcard.

C) Any donations of wrapping paper would be most welcome.  However, please do not seal or wrap the box.  We will need to check the contents of the boxes for customs purposes.  We will then wrap all the boxes.

D) Please put a sticky label, or write on the lid of the box, to indicate whether the gift is for a boy or girl, and what age child the gift is suitable for.

E) Deliver the box to your nearest donation station or to your shoe-box collection coordinator before Sunday 23rd November .

Donation station locations

More information about our donation stations will be added soon.  We are currently finalising our list of locations.  In the meantime, for more information please contact Savita Anderson on 01865 617 021 or alternatively contact us here