One in eight women may develop breast cancer at some point in their lives, and as the disease's prevalence rises, the public healthcare system's resources and capacity to treat patients are still insufficient. Therefore, Project Flamingo launched its Make Room for Her campaign on Mandela Day.
Dignified cancer care
The campaign calls on South Africans to partner or donate to help fund critical equipment, resources, and programmes that support not only the surgeries but the holistic care that women deserve.
“This Mandela Day, we not only commemorated a rich history left by a remarkable man – we changed lives,” says Dr Liana Roodt, CEO and founder of Project Flamingo.
“Project Flamingo creates space for women to be heard, to be treated, and to reclaim their health and dignity.
“In doing so, we honour Madiba’s legacy through action rooted in compassion and a commitment to justice. Timely and dignified cancer care is not a privilege; it is a basic human right that should be protected and claimed."
Mandela Day surgeries
On Saturday, 19 July 2025, Project Flamingo performed 39 breast cancer surgeries in five hospitals across the Western and Eastern Cape, providing medical treatment to women who have been on waiting lists within the public healthcare system.
To date, the NPO team has performed over 1,800 breast cancer surgeries in SA’s public healthcare system, utilising the time and skills of volunteer doctors to bridge critical gaps in cancer care.
This intervention on Mandela Day took place at five provincial hospitals: Groote Schuur Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town; George Regional Hospital; and in the Eastern Cape - Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha and Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in Mdantsane township near East London.
Volunteer surgeons and anaesthetists were joined by teams of patient support volunteers and nursing staff.
To find out more about the Make Room for Her campaign, go to the campaign website.
