Overview
Highways Infinite: Beyond Cancer
Empowering people, Impacting lives
Cancer is responsible for 13% of all human deaths worldwide and in the developed world, 1 in 3 people will suffer or succumb to some form of cancer. In India alone, the predictions say that 1 of every 5 of us (even1 in 4) will fight this disease during our lifespans.
Highways Infinite is committed to building awareness about cancer and garnering support for its victims and their families.
Our mission:
To break the silence surrounding the Cancer, to enable prevention, early detection and thereby save lives.
Our vision:
“Spreading awareness amongst people, faster than the cancer cells”
We have set in motion the wheels of change on untrodden highways and paths, to reduce the cancer burden across geographical, cultural, emotional and socioeconomical barriers.
We believe that the driving force of a breast cancer survivor is the attitude to:
- EXPLORE… ones inner strengths…
- UNLOCK and EXPAND …one’s own horizon
- STEER through all odds and trying times…
- OVERCOME the fear of unknown in one’s roller coaster quest
- EXPERIENCE those exhilarating moments of going beyond
- To CELEBRATE …the existence…
The Foundation
Highways Infinite was founded in 2006 by Dr Ritu Biyani Joseph to marry her love for travel & adventure with the cancer awareness cause. She remains the driving force of the organisation, against what humanity knows to be a very base debilitating disease.
Today Highways Infinite has touched over 70000 lives, spread the message of cancer awareness internationally and provided relief to several afflicted people and primary care givers. Our work has been acknowledged by several partner organisations, including the Govt of Arunachal Pradesh, TATA Memorial Hospital & Cancer Centre, CIPLA, KIMS and The Indian Armed Forces. We have represented the cause of cancer at domestic and International Fora including, WCI -TMH Mumbai, IIM Ahmedabad, The Indian Armed Forces (Nationwide), World Cancer Congress 2008 Geneva, Switzerland, 5th World Conference on Breast Cancer Winnipeg Canada 2008, Soroptomist International, Rotary International and several more.
We work with the goal of spreading the message of cancer awareness and knowledge of primary care & diagnosis to as many people as possible.
Aims & Objectives
We aim to decrease the social isolation, increase optimism about the future, provide reassurance on personal reactions and to strengthen patients & families’ endurance.
Our objectives focus on:
Education
- To conduct awareness camps on various kinds of cancers from grassroot level upwards, across the whole country
- To teach self breast examination, oral examinations, and other guidelines to facilitate early detection of cancer
- To provide information / facilities of palliative and pain management treatment for terminally ill patients, by experts.
- To conduct motivational, educational and awareness programmes through media like films, televisions, radio websites newsletter magazines.
- To tie up with other Institute /Organization and/or to take help of other Institute/Organization to achieve the object of the Trust having objects altogether or in part similar to those of this trust.
- To build and strengthen National and International networks concerned with Cancer, AIDS and Environment related Health issues.
- To train and gear individuals/volunteers to carry the message on.
Support
- To conduct personal interaction and dispel myths and stigmas associated with the disease.
- To address psycho-social issues related to the disease through personal meetings, post, emails and help lines.
- And to form Volunteer Support and peer support groups.
Facilities
- To conduct screening camps on various health issues and free health check-ups for senior citizens and underprivileged women, and children.
- To set up care facilities like health clinics and moblle vans.
- To provide prosthesis e.g. Breast Prosthesis, and train individuals for the same.
- To provide need based services to individuals and communities, specially the deprived members of the community, monetary or otherwise, both directly and through established social welfare organizations.
Activities
- To undertake and promote adventure & allied activities in order to reach out to new sets of people across the country. Such activities will enable patients, survivors and their families to boost confidence, challenge physical & mental endurance and create broader social impact
- To organize /hold meetings, talks, discussions, seminars, workshops, demonstrations, projects, symposia, plays and drama, conferences, research and study visits and various activities. Such activities will be undertaken to generate understanding about Cancer, Aids, Environment, Hygiene, Sanitation, Women and children related health issues, ill effects of tobacco and cigarettes. pesticides and other such high risk factors.
Dr.Ritu & Tista
Dr. Capt. Ritu Biyani is a survivor of breast cancer and an awareness crusader. Being debilitated by cancer herself, she understands the deeply moving experience of watching oneself waste away and what it takes to fight against it.
Ritu faced this crisis at the age of 40 when she was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive type of breast cancer. Being a mother and facing the fatality of life takes all the will one can summon. Two surgeries, six chemotherapy cycles and 5 years of antibiotics later, she emerged to rise and fight again, this time for what she believes is the scourge of our times. Cancer.
Her life since, has been a journey of touching over 70,000 people, about the nature of cancer, what it is and what it means to any of us. When she is not traveling or campaigning for cancer awareness, she devotes her time to careing for the sick and infirm. Ritu has travelled over 100,000 kilometers all over the world of which, over 65,000 kilometers in our own country covering dusty villages, big metropolitan cities, hospitals, army encampments, border towns and cancer patients. She speaks from her experiences and spreads the word of preventive and precautionary measures.
Highways Infinite takes its name from her one constant companion on this journey from corner to corner of the country, from one heartfelt experience to another – the road. This love for travel & adventure combined with the message on cancer awareness is what Highways Infinite espouses.
For her efforts, she has won plaudits and awards across the world. She is a recipient of the Manthan South Asia award 2008, and finds mention in the Limca book of records for pioneering the first drive expedition on cancer awareness.
Tista is the young and brave daughter of Dr.Biyani who supports and forwards the cause that her mother conceived. She often travels and volunteers with her mother at cancer awareness workshops across the country. Tista is the only Indian teenager from India to present at the International Breast Cancer Conference, Canada (June 2008).