For those who may not have read about her somewhere or seen her before on teevee, Dr. Doris Udensi Davis is the easy going and very brilliant CEO of the Charly Boy Foundation. She’s a pharmacist, an aspiring politician and a business consultant. She studied in the United States, got her degree from the University of North Carolina and also had an OND here in Nigeria.
Dr. Doris has worked in several places including the African Union 6th Region, Canada, as a Communication Director for four years. She has also undertaken several leadership responsibilities with quite a number of accomplishments to show for it.
With her position as the CEO of the Charly Boy Foundation, a foundation that caters specifically for men battling with Prostate, Doris has done a fantastic job within the one year or thereabout that she’s been directing the operations of the foundation.
Only a few days ago, founder of the foundation, Charles Oputa popularly known as Charly Boy, reached out to Nigerians to come to the aid of one of Nollywood’s veteran actors, Tom Njemanze, who has been battling with complications from Prostate. Charly Boy charged Nigerians to rally round Tom and help him raise millions of naira needed for his surgery. Charly Boy himself has led the way with a personal donation of #100,000, hoping if 10,000 Nigerians can donate #1,000 each, it will be more than enough to save Tom’s life.
“We are in the middle of a silent epidemic,” he warned. “Too many of our men dying in silence because they don’t want to talk about their health. This is why we started this foundation, not just to talk, but to act.”
As an advocate for supporting vulnerable Nigerian men battling with Prostate, and one who has undergone two prostate surgeries himself, Charly Boy understands the pain and trauma Tom is going through. And this is why the Area Fada and the CEO of the foundation, Dr. Doris Udensi, have been working round the clock to bring some succour to men battling with Prostate and lead the charge to fight this menace they both described as an epidemic.
A few days ago, Dr. Doris took a break from her busy schedule to speak with the press concerning progress made so far with the Charly Boy Foundation and also took time to appreciate some of the personalities and organisations that have offered tremendous support to the foundation. Here are excerpts.
Journalist: Dr. Doris, thanks for speaking with us today. Can you tell us about your experience as the CEO of the Charly Boy Foundation? What sort of response have you gotten from the public in terms of people coming forward to seek assistance from the foundation?
Dr. Doris Udensi: The experience has been overwhelming. Prostate health is a pandemic, and many men are dealing with it. We’ve received a lot of emails and calls, but unfortunately, we can’t help everyone due to limited funds. Despite this, we’ve made significant strides in promoting men’s health awareness and have tested close to 500 people.
Journalist: That’s great to know. But how overwhelming has it been managing the volume of applications that you get? Do you think the volume of requests is something you’ll be able to manage for a while?
Dr. Doris Udensi: Managing the applications is challenging, especially when we don’t have enough funds. We have to choose who to help, and it’s sad because everyone needs assistance. If we had more funds, it would be easier to respond to the messages and schedule tests.
Journalist: How surprised are you that this prostate issue is a whole lot bigger than you probably originally thought?
Dr. Doris Udensi: I’m not surprised. As a medical practitioner, I see many cases of prostate issues. The problem in Nigeria is that there’s a lack of information and functional healthcare systems. We need to educate people about their health and provide accessible healthcare.
Journalist: What would you say to the healthcare agencies, especially the ones that should take responsibility for publicity, to let people understand how to deal with this situation?
Dr. Doris Udensi: I think it’s the government’s responsibility to provide healthcare and education. In many countries, the government subsidizes healthcare or provides free healthcare to certain individuals. We need a similar approach in Nigeria.
Journalist: Let’s talk about support that’s been coming in for the Foundation. Can you mention a few of the supporters?
Dr. Doris Udensi: Yes, Zenith Bank, Anchor Insurance, and the Chairman of Zinox Group of Companies, Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh have been very supportive. Mr. Ekeh also donated some urinary catheters to us.
We’ve also have received donations from private individuals, which is heartwarming. We are really grateful for their support.
Journalist:* Despite all the efforts from these great people, there’s still a whole lot that you need to move the Foundation forward. Can you elaborate on that?
Dr. Doris Udensi: Yes, we still need a lot of funds to move forward. We’ve tested many people, but we need to do more to help those in need. We’re calling on other prominent Nigerians to support the foundation and help us make a bigger impact.
To well-meaning Nigerians, we invite you to join our mission to raise awareness about prostate cancer and promote men’s health. You can support us through donations, volunteering, and spreading the word.
Donations:
Charly Boy Foundation
Fidelity Bank
Naira: 4010076870
Euro: 4170004889
USD:4170004872
GBP:4170004896
