Our story

Born from a personal journey
through cancer

"Enat means mother. Birhan means light. Together they speak to the warmth and clarity that only a mother can offer in the darkest of times."

Enat Birhan was born from a deeply personal experience. When a family member faced cancer, we witnessed first-hand how patients were left to carry not just the physical weight of illness, but fear, grief, and isolation too. Mental health support was simply not there.

That experience became the foundation for everything we do. We believe no person facing cancer should face it alone. We exist to bring a mother's warmth and light into that dark hour, through compassionate, free, remote mental health care for patients and the people who love them.

In practical terms, that means free mental health screening and ongoing support, delivered by phone and Zoom, to cancer patients and their families across Ethiopia.

A mother tenderly holding her son, comforting him with warmth and love — the spirit of Enat Birhan

"There is light in the dark."

The process

How we support patients

From the moment a hospital refers a patient, we follow a clear five-step pathway from first contact through to ongoing support or specialist referral.

A counsellor listening attentively to a patient in a calm, supportive session — the Enat Birhan approach in practice
1

Hospital referral

An oncology ward refers a patient to us

2

First contact

We call or message the patient within 48 hours

3

Screening

We carry out a full mental health assessment

4

Ongoing support

Mild or moderate cases receive follow-up calls and a rescreen at four weeks

Continued care
5

Specialist referral

Severe cases are referred to a psychiatrist or mental health nurse

Expert care

Who we serve

Here for patients and
the people who love them

A joyful Ethiopian family walking together on a warm sunset beach — representing the families we support

Patients

  • Adults and young people living with cancer
  • Any stage, from diagnosis through treatment
  • Any type of cancer
  • Anywhere in Ethiopia

Loved ones

  • Parents caring for a child with cancer
  • Spouses and partners
  • Adult children supporting a parent
  • Anyone providing daily care

How we measure

Tracking what matters

Patients screened

We record every patient screened so we can measure the reach of our work across Ethiopia.

Referrals made

Every referral to specialist care is logged so we understand the level of need we are meeting.

Patient feedback

We collect satisfaction and feedback after every session so we can keep improving our care.

Transparency

What we offer and
what we do not

What we provide

  • Mental health screening using recognised clinical tools
  • Remote support by phone and Zoom
  • One-to-one and group counselling
  • Referral to specialist mental health services
  • Four-week follow-up and re-screening

What we do not provide

  • Medication or prescriptions
  • In-person home visits
  • Emergency crisis intervention

The people

Our team

Bemnet Wassie
Founder and Executive Director
Clinical lead, patient calls, and strategy
Joss Divin Ndikubway
Co-Director and Stakeholder Lead
Partnerships, outreach, and stakeholder engagement
Abraham Mekonen
IT and Digital Lead
Website, social media, and digital operations
Dr. Immaculata
Clinical Psychologist
Clinical oversight and psychological assessment
Henry Kuti
Strategy and Funding Advisor
Strategic direction, funding pathways, and organisational growth