Saving A Thousand Mathiwoses

Jun 7 , 2025. By BEREKET BALCHA ( Fortune Staff Writer )

The Mathiwos Wondu Ye-Ethiopia Cancer Society is a local nonprofit founded by a father who lost his son, Mathiwos, to cancer. Instead of retreating into grief, Wondu Bekele created an organisation that mobilises global and local resources to support families. His vow to save “a thousand Mathiwoses” despite losing his own child was not mere rhetoric. It is being lived out every day in that compound, writes Bereket Balcha.

I was barely 18 in 1994 and just beginning my freshman year at Addis Abeba University when a friend asked me to accompany her on an errand to the nearby St. Mary Cathedral. The seat of the Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarchate, this church is to Ethiopia what San Pietro is to the Vatican, a spiritual and historical anchor. That was the only time I entered its sacred grounds, with its towering old trees, austere architecture, and the quiet weight of decades of devotion.

As my friend prayed, I sat on a garden bench, surrounded by the cool shade and the scent of flowers and incense. The warm evening air and chirping birds lent a tranquil mood that matched the spiritual setting. When she returned, her face bore a quiet serenity and relief, as if she had unburdened herself before the divine. I could sense something heavy had been lifted off her chest.

Later, we walked through the serene pathways near the freshman dorms. She was transformed, laughing, lighthearted, and playful. As we strolled beneath the tall juniper trees, she asked me to carry her. I did, and we laughed like children. I did not know then that this lighthearted evening would be the last time I saw her truly happy.

Just weeks later, she was hospitalised with a sudden and severe illness. She was diagnosed with late-stage leukemia, a word I had never heard before. It progressed with shocking speed, leaving doctors and family scrambling. Chemotherapy failed. Blood transfusions every two weeks became routine. After months of physical torment and emotional exhaustion, she passed away. We were devastated. She was kind, gentle, and far too young for such a fate.

Nearly three decades later fate struck again, this time closer to home. A close relative, whom I considered an aunt, died of cancer last year. Her only son, a longtime resident in Germany, devoted his energy and resources in a bid to salvage her life. I often visited her, as we lived nearby and was very much attached. The final stages of her illness were marked by helplessness and pain, and when she passed, we were all left shaken. Her son, who relied on her for emotional and practical support, faced a lonely reckoning.

But there was no time to mourn her for long. The same aunt who had cared for his mother was absent during the customary 80-day grieving period. It turned out she was quietly tending to her own son, my cousin, who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in his early 30s. A disease typically seen in older men had found him young and full of life. She poured everything she had into his treatment: time, money, and travel.

Most of us only found out when it was too late. Last weekend, news of his death landed like a bombshell. We were blindsided. Another bright soul had been extinguished by this silent, relentless killer.

A couple of years ago, my brother’s close friend also lost her battle with cervical cancer. Despite the toll it took, her thinning hair, weakened body, and failing strength, she kept her spirits high. I once naively offered to take her for a walk in the Addis-Ethiopia-Africa Park. Her face lit up, but my brother gently reminded me of the reality: her body simply could not manage it. I clung to hope, blinded by her optimism. When she passed a few weeks later, I was crushed.

Cancer is increasingly taking center stage in the global health crisis. According to “Our World in Data,” cancer accounted for 15.5pc of all deaths in 2021. Between 1980 and 2021, cancer mortality rose steadily across all age groups, in line with global population growth. This has placed immense pressure on health systems, families, and communities.

Ethiopia mirrors this global trend. A 2022 report in Nature estimated 53,560 new cancer cases and 39,480 deaths in Ethiopia in 2019 alone. Between 2010 and 2019, cancer incidence rose by 32pc, deaths by 29pc, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) by 19pc. Even after adjusting for age, these numbers continue to climb.

A friend who lost her mother to cancer once told me that the triggers are wide-ranging: chronic stress, poor diet, additives in food and cosmetics, environmental toxins, and more. The World Health Organisation defines cancer as a group of diseases caused by abnormal cell growth, capable of invading tissues and spreading through metastasis. It is as complex in origin as it is devastating in outcome.

This same friend has since joined the Mathiwos Wondu Ye-Ethiopia Cancer Society, a local nonprofit founded by a father who lost his son, Mathiwos, to cancer. Instead of retreating into grief, Wondu Bekele created an organisation that mobilises global and local resources to support families, especially women and children, facing cancer.

Since its founding, the organisation has supported 1,860 pediatric and women cancer patients. Currently, it houses and cares for 86 children and 91 women undergoing treatment, many of whom receive care at the Black Lion Hospital. The organisation provides accommodation not just for the patients, but also their caregivers, parents and siblings, who would otherwise have nowhere to stay.

My friend and I visited their facility, which is located near the British Embassy. We were overwhelmed by the warmth and care radiating from the children and staff. Despite their condition, the kids smiled and played. The staff, led by Haymanot Nigussie (MD) psychosocial centre coordinator, Lemma  Ayele operational manager, and other professionals, created a homely environment that uplifted even the weariest hearts.

It is noteworthy that the Foundation also provides accommodation for caregivers, often parents or siblings, while the children undergo treatment at Black Lion Hospital. These young patients receive chemotherapy and follow-up care from dedicated oncologists in the pediatric ward. I was deeply humbled by the noble cause Wondu has undertaken almost single-handedly.

Moved by his commitment, I decided to join the association and do all I can to support his mission as a lifelong member and devoted supporter. Wondu’s vow to save “a thousand Mathiwoses” despite losing his own child was not mere rhetoric. It is being lived out every day in that compound. His foundation has spent two decades giving hope, dignity, and a fighting chance to those the world might otherwise forget.

In a world overwhelmed by tragedy, the Mathiwos Wondu Foundation is a testament to love turned into action, and grief transformed into a lifeline.

PUBLISHED ON Jun 07,2025 [ VOL 26 , NO 1310]