Sara has a degree in biology with a minor in psychology and is also engaged in gender studies and cancer therapeutics research.    Her path was profoundly influenced by her mother’s battle with breast cancer. For five years, her family struggled to find support, including for treatment expenses. Encountering even one NGO, Sara recalls, made them so happy – what mattered was the idea that someone was helping them through their devastating experience.

After her mother passed away in September 2019, Sara leapt into action. By September 2020, she had launched her student-led initiative to create an online platform for cancer patients and their caregivers. The platform serves as a one-stop shop to link patients with supportive entities and create new systems where none existed. “We started offering free services like nutritional consultations, support groups, and awareness webinars”, Sara explains.

One hurdle that Sara faces in her work is the societal stigma surrounding cancer in Lebanon. “People are afraid of the topic and even refer to cancer as ‘that disease’”, she says. Additionally, the economic crisis in Lebanon makes it difficult for patients to receive adequate support, making it necessary for Sara to seek potential donors beyond national borders.

Yet, Sara remains optimistic. To date, her efforts have reached over 1,500 students through awareness events and directly supported numerous patients. A recent addition to her project is a crowdfunding branch aimed at easing the financial burden on cancer patients. 

Her participation in the UNITAR Great Ideas Space 2023 programme buoyed her efforts.

The UNITAR training helped me grow and provided resources that would have taken me a year to find.” —Sara El Koussa, UNITAR alumna, Lebanon.