Societies can truly flourish when health and well-being are viewed as a priority. This is why RSM Eastern Africa has enthusiastically embraced Faraja Cancer Support, an organisation dedicated to helping cancer patients and their caregivers through their treatment and recovery.

A financial lifeline

Whether it is medical bills or missed work, cancer can put unforeseen pressure on a patient’s finances. The Faraja Medical Support Fund (FMSF) is an offshoot initiative that was founded to help provide the required sustainability for continued financial assistance for life-saving treatments.

To keep FMSF stable and well-managed, Faraja sought help from RSM Eastern Africa, who stepped in to provide tax guidance and direction. ”As part of our pro bono work, we handle Faraja’s audit free of charge”, said Elvis Ogeto, Audit & Assurance Partner. “But just because it’s a pro bono project does not mean it doesn’t receive the full rigour we give to other clients. It’s important not to let our guard down and always live our promise to provide our best work, no matter the size or the means of our client”.

From a fund sustainability point-of-view, RSM Eastern Africa provides advice on how the organisation can take steps to best manage its resources and ensure they have funds beyond what is required for a particular year. With the help of a professional financial services provider, Faraja was able to set up a fund that earns interest and can support a wider group of cancer patients and caregivers. This also enables them to budget beyond a specific year and plan for the foreseeable future.

Furthermore, RSM Eastern Africa leans on its legacy strengths by providing essential tax guidance. The result is a tax exemption certificate that helps the organisation hang onto more of its own monies.