Raina Amer, a UAE resident, set up Pure Heart to help cancer survivors find employment in the UAE.
“We are having a problem in our society. We want to educate organisations on how to support cancer survivors in the workplace. This means accommodating them with part-time jobs,” Amer told Gulf News.
For many, having cancer means facing a vicious attack on all aspects of life – physically, mentally, socially and financially, this disease has no mercy. This became apparent to Amer when her mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2006, who is now in remission.
By 2011, the non-governmental organisation (NGO), Pure Heart, was up and running. The foundation works by providing job fair events where cancer survivors can find companies that will accommodate them, along with their health-related issues.
“We are looking for positive results and for cancer survivors to become active again,” Amer said. “We want to enhance the online job platform – creating the freedom to post vacancies and view cancer survivors. We are looking for organisations to become more active with us in this way.”
She is looking to raise awareness on the difficulties that cancer survivors have to face on a daily basis when trying to get back on their feet.
Pure Heart will continue their effort of helping struggling cancer survivors through workshops, training and online databases. Amer wants to see residents of the UAE and other GCC countries understand this struggle and for companies to take this growing issue more seriously.
