End-of-Year message from our President
As we bid farewell to 2024, we reflect on a year of extraordinary achievements for Childhood Cancer International (CCI). Together, we have celebrated milestones, expanded our global impact, and deepened our commitment to supporting children with cancer and their families.
Dear Friends and Partners of Childhood Cancer International,
As we close another transformative year, I hope each of you have the opportunity to recharge and celebrate moments of joy during the festive season. Before we chart our course for the exciting opportunities ahead, I want to take a moment to reflect on our shared achievements and extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you.
This year has been a remarkable testament to the power of collaboration, dedication and our unwavering commitment to supporting children with cancer and their families. Your dedication has been the bedrock of our achievements, and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together.
At the start of 2024, we set out with a clear and deliberate intention: to build and strengthen CCI into a professional, well-funded organisation that provides sustainable, impactful services to our members while advancing the global cause of childhood cancer. Together, we have made extraordinary strides towards this goal.
2024 Key Highlights
This year, we took a major step forward in strengthening CCI’s capacity to serve childhood cancer communities worldwide. Alongside appointing Carl Queiros as our Executive Director, we welcomed Raluca Papa as Global Programme Manager and Ellen Salvado as Global Administrator. These strategic additions to our leadership team have enhanced our ability to roll out impactful programmes and services for our member organisations.
Our commitment to raising more funds to support global initiatives bore significant fruits in 2024.
La Roche-Posay, one of our supportive partners and our current sponsor, increased their contributions to CCI.
We secured critical support from Foundation S (Sanofi) to launch the Home Away from Home grant, providing essential assistance to families in need.
Towards the end of the year, we signed a cooperation agreement with Servier, which included an initial donation to further support our services.
To sustain and accelerate these efforts, we confirmed the recruitment of an international fundraiser, who will spearhead CCI's fundraising initiatives in 2025.
Our focus on delivering meaningful and impactful initiatives has fuelled remarkable growth in memberships. This year, we welcomed a significant number of new member organisations, bringing our network to over 209 organisations in more than 97 countries, further solidifying our position as a global leader in childhood cancer advocacy.
A Year of Milestones and Celebrations
2024 has been a truly exceptional year for CCI, marked by significant milestones that reflect our progress.
We celebrated 30 years of CCI anniversary with global awareness campaigns, culminating in a memorable anniversary dinner in Hawaii. Together, we honoured the collective efforts that have made our achievements possible. This milestone is a testament to the vision and dedication of CCI’s Founding Members, past Boards of Trustees, Regional Committees and leaders whose strategies have laid the foundation for CCI’s sustainable growth, transforming it into a global force for change.
The global celebrations not only raised awareness of childhood cancer but also highlighted the essential work of our member organisations. These efforts have further strengthened our shared mission: ensuring that no child or family faces this journey alone, while advancing towards a future where childhood cancer is no longer an unconquerable challenge.
Another proud highlight of the year was CCI’s opening address at the United Nations WHO session on “Co-Creating Priorities for Cancer by 2030”. This moment marked a significant recognition of our leadership in shaping global priorities for childhood cancer care and advocacy.
Global Initiatives in 2024
Home Away from Home Grant: In partnership with Foundation S, CCI allocated €400,000 to support projects in Zambia, Bolivia and Malaysia, providing vital support to families.
Giving2Children Crowdfunding Platform: Empowering members to showcase projects and raise funds globally.
Coursera Free Online Courses: Equipping member organisations with tools to build capacity through access to thousands of educational resources, from short courses to full degrees.
Global and Regional Conferences: This year’s events, including the global conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, as well as regional conferences in Tokyo, Japan (CCI Asia), Johannesburg, South Africa (CCI Africa), Guadarajara Mexico (CCI LATAM), and Milan, Italy (CCI Europe), have fostered collaboration, best practices sharing and impactful networking.
Harnessing the Power of Partnerships
We continued to strengthen ties with our existing partners, including SIOP, WHO, La Roche-Posay and St. Jude while forging new alliances with Servier, Know the Glow and Lions Club International. These collaborations open new avenues for support and expand the impact of our mission, directly benefiting our members as well as the children and families they serve.
Driving Change: 2025 Key Focus Areas
As we enter 2025, we are committed to building on this momentum with a renewed focus on:
Growing CCI: Expanding our network and strengthening our organisational framework.
Accelerating Resource Mobilisation: Driving strategic fundraising efforts to sustain and scale our initiatives.
Expanding Capacity Building: Equipping member organisations with tools and trainings to amplify their impact.
Building CCI Branding: Increasing global visibility and advocacy for childhood cancer.
Developing a Survivor Network: Empowering survivors as ambassadors and advocates for change.
Strengthening Strategic Partnerships: Deepening collaborations to unlock new opportunities for support.
These ambitions towards realising our shared vision of a world where no child dies of cancer and all survivors can live long, healthy lives – are only possible because of the tireless dedication and passion of our Board Members, Regional Committees, management & staff, member organisations, key partners and dedicated volunteers. Your contributions have created a resilient and compassionate network of support and advocacy that continues to drive change and inspire hope around the world.
Thank you for your unwavering support and partnership. Together, we are shaping a future for the lives of children with cancer and their families worldwide.
Wishing you all a peaceful and joyous holiday season and a prosperous new year.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Rodney Wong
President of Childhood Cancer International