On Saturday 8 October Kenya Hospices and Palliative Care Association celebrated World Hospice and Palliative Care Day 2011 with the first Kenyan Film screening of ‘Wit’. The film is based on the 1999 Pulitzer Prize winning play by Margaret Edson, and features the Academy Award winning actress Emma Thompson. The film tells the moving story of Vivian bearing (Emma Thompson), a 48 year old University professor, who learns the importance of simple human kindness when faced with the most daunting crisis – a diagnosis of advanced cancer.
The event took place at the Alliance Francaise Cultural Centre in Nairobi, with 125 guests in attendance.
Guests received a special introduction by Carole Mandi, Publisher of True Love and Drum East Africa Magazines, who shared a family experience of cancer and the importance of the hospice movement in Kenya. After the movie, Dr Zippy Ali, KEHPCA National Co-ordinator thanked guests and event partners for their support, and introduced a special short film about Hospice Care in Kenya, Frontline Palliative Care (https://kehpca.org/about/missionvision/).
After the films, all guests were invited to stay for a complimentary drinks reception, in which the raffle was also drawn. Carole Mandi picked the lucky winner of the top raffle prize – a three day holiday to Diani Beach!
The event was a great success and raised around Ksh170,000 to support KEHPCA in its mission to achieve quality palliative care for all in Kenya.
KEHPCA would like to thank all who attended the event for their support. Event photos can be viewed on the KEHPCA Facebook page.