Los Angeles-Based Nonprofit HOPE B~Lit To Serve Kids Braving Cancer in Three Major Cities

New Delhi, December 20th 2019 – Internationally acclaimed Los Angeles-based non-profit organization HOPE B~Lit will be traveling to three metropolitan cities in India including Mumbai, Kolkata and Delhi to conduct workshops and provide much-needed financial support in terms of further education and holistic health care via funding to children affected by cancer and their families. Attended by celebrities and local dignitaries, these workshops will include oral education, a values-based Polaroid photography session, music therapy sessions and dance workshops with renowned choreographers and musicians. HOPE B~Lit in close collaboration with CANKIDS, India aims to touch the lives of many children braving cancer.

Last year, HOPE B~Lit produced “Got Cancer!”, a docu-fiction short film to shed light on the plight of children braving cancer while highlighting the importance of love, care, nutrition and mental attitude in enhancing the healing process in addition to medical care. In a short span, the experimental film awarded as the Best Human-Interest film featured on National TV in California. It has already won recognition and multiple awards globally for its unique concept and altruistic perspective. The team at HOPE B~Lit raised funds in the U.S. to highlight the problems caused by lack of insurance and monetary support for children with cancer.

Since the launch of its newest wing ‘Voices Unheard’, HOPE B~Lit has taken dynamic action towards improving the lives of women and children globally. Through a series of short films highlighting social issues, the organization puts a spotlight on the issue in order to raise awareness and funds to then be able to take real action on the ground. As the creative producer of these films and the Founder of HOPE B~LIT, Ruhi aka Rohini Hak shared, “Our vision was clear from the beginning. While conceptualizing “Got Cancer!,” I knew the story not only needed to drive change in thought, but more importantly, it needed to translate into a call to action. That’s what creates a real impact on the ground for a supported cause.”

Today with the vision coming true in collaboration with CANKIDS, India our Hope B~Lit team members Ashley Obregon (Outreach Director, USA), Dhawal Pokle (Outreach Director, India), Sherry Vallabh, (Treasurer) and Kartikye Gupta (Editor, Post Production Head) will lead these ground efforts in multiple cities in India travelling from Los Angeles to support the cause and meet the brave kids. We will also be capturing in association with CANKIDS, true inspiring stories of volunteers and survivors in an impactful sequel to the short film “Got Cancer!”.

“We at HOPE B~Lit are fueled by passion and working in collaboration with other nonprofits gives us the opportunity to amplify the causes we believe in, making everything seem so much more doable! We found synergy with CANKIDS – under the leadership of Poonam Bagai & Sonal Sharma this organization has the largest footprint supporting children with cancer in India. It not only provides education to children with cancer, they also support the families financially, especially at a time after they have been afflicted by cost of treatment. Harnessing our aligned passion as an energy source, we hope to make a bigger difference in the lives of these children globally,” said Priyanka Banerjee, Communications Director, HOPE B~Lit.

“When cancer strikes, our first emotion is “fear”, but our work with children has shown us that children with cancer deal with the disease with positivity and hope,” added Ruhi. “Their attitude toward a disease that is so heavily feared in the adult world is very inspiring. As adults we can learn from them not only to deal with the disease but also how sometimes to un-condition our minds and handle other worldly struggles. We believe that no-one should have to fight cancer alone – especially not the young brave hearts.”

Inspired by a true incident, the film is written by Ruhi and is enhanced by the sensitive and effective editing skills of Kartikye Gupta and music by composer Aalap Desai. During postproduction this team came together as family, beating multiple odds, inspired by these kids braving cancer armed with a vision to help. “Got Cancer” displays a unique perspective of children battling cancer with a positive attitude.

All Proceeds from “Got Cancer!” screenings will continue to be donated to the kids braving cancer. HOPE B~Lit aims to provide much-needed support to affected children and their families in terms of further education and health checkups.

According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately one in 285 children in the U.S. will be diagnosed with cancer before their 20th birthday. More than 200,000 children worldwide are diagnosed with cancer. {WHO, World Health Organization}. Currently, children constitute 5.5 percent of total cancer cases in India according to the Indian Council for Medical Research. This percentage has doubled from ten years ago. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in children between ages 1 to 14.

About HOPE B~Lit

HOPE B~Lit is an initiative to empower and motivate children to improve their current and future quality of life by nurturing the core inherent values such as ‘Truth’, ‘Love’, ‘Peace’, ‘Non-violence’, and right conduct. Started in 2008 under Bayfield Foundation, based in Southern California, USA the organization aims to provide a comprehensive platform for children to nourish their inherent human values and improve their quality of life through value-based workshops. With more than 10 years of experience designing initiatives, both in USA and India in the areas of education, human values, healthcare, and environment conservation, HOPE B~Lit is completely driven by volunteers made up of young working professionals and students. All funding received is applied a 100 percent to the organization’s projects.
Additionally, through HOPE BEYOND BORDERS, a program HOPE B~Lit aims to provide holistic care with social workshops, cultural exchange, water tanks, water filters, sanitary provisions, and complete oral care for over 10,000 children and sustainable water for three years for over 150 families in various continents like Asia, Africa and North America. Through their efforts, the team has assisted 10,000 children in Uganda and covered over 29 villages in rural India.

For more information, email hopeblit@gmail.com OR visit hopeblit.com or @HopeBLIT on Facebook/ @hopeblit on Instagram..

About CanKids

CanKids is a nonprofit organization dedicated to Change for Childhood Cancer in India. CanKids was set up in January 2004 in Delhi under the umbrella of Indian Cancer Society, Delhi Branch. In June 2012, it spun off and registered as an independent National Society.

Cankids’ vision is to enable global standards of survival, between 70-95%, for childhood cancer in India and to ensure that no child should suffer for want of cancer treatment due to lack of finance. CanKids is the only organization in India that works on all aspects that will drive this change – from support services for families of children with cancer (age 0-21), to awareness, advocacy, stakeholder engagement, capacity building, quality care, research and impact.

We work in partnership with hospitals treating children with cancer throughout India to provide Holistic support to children affected with cancer and their families. We increasingly work with State Governments and other relevant stakeholders to improve Access to care and shared care. Our mission is to provide the best possible treatment, care and support for every child affected with Cancer.