‘Imagine Little Kids Who Can’t Talk Facing Chemo’ — Volunteer Nicky Elliott’s Call

By Ross Moyo

KidzCan volunteer Nicky Elliott says childhood cancer volunteering is not about money, but about listening to children who cannot explain their pain.

Elliott, a two-time adult cancer survivor, volunteers for KidzCan Zimbabwe in multiple capacities — through the travel industry and motorbiking community.

Her journey started when KidzCan Executive Director Daniel Mckenzie brought his child to her to arrange travel to South Africa.

“I just figured out kids are so innocent, and the parents who have to look after them are also not sure what’s happening,” she said.

She started an annual February fundraising lunch for the travel industry, bringing tourism players to hear KidzCan staff explain childhood cancer funding needs. Why do we need the money? What do we need?

She then mobilized the motorbiking society — the “vroom, vroom motorbikes” — to donate clothes, clear cupboards, entertain children at Rainbow Children’s Village.

According to KidzCan, Zimbabwe has only one public paediatric oncology unit at Parirenyatwa, with 20% survival rate compared to 80% globally. Treatment adherence is the biggest challenge — 40% of families abandon treatment due to transport and accommodation costs.

Rainbow Children’s Village, built by Meikles Foundation, Roundtable Zimbabwe and KidzCan at US$1.57 million, solves this. It houses children from outside 15km radius of Harare free of charge.

As ambassador of a women’s biking club worldwide from August to September, Elliott organized a children’s party at Rainbow Village in September.

“We arrived here, motorbikes arrived here, we had the kids doing all sorts of things, we had the music. It’s only once when we do it,” she said.

Elliott said her own cancer experience drives her: “Being twice now a survivor of cancer as an adult, I felt lonely. I felt I wasn’t heard. So imagine the little kids. How do they feel? Some of them can’t even talk. How do they understand having the needles?”

She described caregivers arriving with only the clothes they wear — no nappies, sanitary towels, or change of clothes.

“KidzCan is in my heart forever,” she said.