Sofiya Ismagilova, a rising fourth-year at the University of Minnesota, co-founded the Prometheus Cancer Literacy Initiative after realizing how hard it can be for immigrant families to navigate a cancer diagnosis without reliable information in their native language. "If my parents were here, they would not be able to navigate," Ismagilova told the Minnesota Daily. "It's very important to talk about those things in languages that are appropriate for different communities."
PCLI, founded last summer, now offers educational materials in 15 primary languages, including Ukrainian, Somali, Tamil and Navajo, plus more through institutional partnerships. The independent, student-led group has grown to about 30 volunteers from universities across the country, working alongside graduate students and aspiring healthcare professionals to research, write and translate resources, per the Minnesota Daily.
Volunteers start by researching evidence-based medical literature and drafting material in plain English before simplifying and translating it into other languages. The group is currently developing its first pamphlet, aimed at helping patients identify trustworthy information about cancer treatment, according to the Minnesota Daily.
Fellow co-founder Quinn Tran, a biology student at Virginia Commonwealth University, said clarity matters as much as availability. "A cancer diagnosis often introduces patients and their families to a tremendous amount of new information in a very short period of time," Tran said, per the Minnesota Daily. "At a time when patients are processing so much information, having resources that are clear, easy to understand and accessible to people from different language backgrounds becomes especially important."
Andrei Badalov, a UMN biochemistry student who volunteers as a translator using his Russian and German, said the effort counters misinformation. "I feel like this initiative will help to spread more true info about cancer, not disinformation about cancer," he said, according to the Minnesota Daily.
Tran said building a volunteer community has been a top priority for the co-founders. "We've recruited volunteers representing more than 15 languages, and we're continuing to grow that network at the same time," Tran said. The organization is still recruiting volunteers and takes sign-ups through its website, per the Minnesota Daily.