Edmonton Charity Gifts $5M for Cancer Care in Rwanda

A Canadian couple's generosity is about to change thousands of lives halfway around the world.

The Dianne and Irving Kipnes Foundation in Edmonton just donated $5 million to Partners in Health Canada, making them the largest individual donor in the organization's 15-year history. The gift more than doubles their total support for the global health charity and will directly fund cancer treatment and maternal health programs in Rwanda.

The money will strengthen facilities like the Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence in northern Rwanda. There, mothers with breast cancer will receive lifesaving treatment so they can raise their children. Kids with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma will get care that gives them a real shot at long, normal lives.

"These outcomes were unimaginable in rural east Africa a generation ago, but this kind of support makes them a reality," said Mark Brender, national director of Partners in Health Canada.

Dianne Kipnes passed away in 2024, but her husband Irving continues their legacy of giving. Together, they've supported medical research, the arts, and community initiatives across Canada and beyond for decades.

Irving issued a challenge to other Canadians who have the means to help. "Especially in an era of government aid cutbacks, it's important that those of us who have the ability to step up, do so," he said.

He emphasized that helping globally doesn't mean abandoning local needs. "We also need to improve health care at home, of course, but it shouldn't be one or the other," Kipnes explained. "It's also a fact that money goes a lot further in the places where Partners In Health works."

The Ripple Effect

Partners in Health operates in 11 countries, working directly with governments and communities to strengthen public health systems. The organization advocates for universal health care and treats access to medical care as a fundamental human right, not a privilege.

The Kipnes donation will impact entire communities over the next five years. When a mother survives cancer, she can continue supporting her family. When a child beats lymphoma, that's a whole lifetime of potential unlocked.

In places where quality health care has been out of reach for generations, this kind of investment proves what's possible when resources meet commitment.

One family's dedication to helping others is now giving thousands of families in Rwanda hope for a healthier future.