< back Partner Directory

Olijf

As a network, Olijf offers support and information to women who have (had) gynecological cancer and their loved ones. Forms of gynecological cancer are ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, vulvar cancer or vaginal cancer. On the basis of experience, Olijf wants to contribute to prevention and good quality of care and life.

Who we are

The Olive Foundation is the network for women with gynecological cancer.

Every year, more than 4,800 women are told they have some form of gynecological cancer. Gynecological cancer often has a huge impact. After a cancer diagnosis, women are confronted with their mortality. Due to the treatment, women can, among other things, go into menopause early and unintentionally no longer have children. Many also face problems with sex and intimacy. Olive is there for them. And Olijf helps from her own experience and knowledge.

Together at Olijf we are committed to prevention, research, information, contact with fellow sufferers and of course advocacy from an independent position.

We want fewer women to get sick and die and for the (after) care for patients to be as good as possible. But also that patients feel supported, that they can make informed choices and that they feel powerful enough to make their voice heard and take control of their quality of life or end-of-life.

What we do

What does Olive want to achieve?

  • Less gynecological cancer
  • More survival
  • With good experienced quality of care
  • And good quality of life
  • Patient at the center of care and policy
  • Women gain more control over their lives
  • A safe nest where everything can be discussed and where you are stronger together.

Mission Olive

  • Olijf wants to offer patients with gynecological cancer and their loved ones a safe place, where they can indicate and find what they need: share experiences, promote quality of care and life and achieve self-direction.
  • The vision of the best quality of care and quality of life for (former) patients with gynecological cancer and their relatives is only complete when it is supplemented with the vision of (former) patients and their relatives. Olive therefore strives to make the patient’s voice heard nationwide in all relevant organizations and bodies.
  • Olijf is committed to information, education, prevention, early diagnosis, and to no longer being hindered by a taboo on gynecological cancer for the (ex-) patient/relative.

How do we do that?

  • Information provision and information
    Olive collects and provides information. This allows patients and relatives to make informed choices with regard to their health. The information can be found on this website, in the Olijfschrift, in our brochures and on social media. In addition, Olijf organizes meetings for fellow sufferers.

    Olive is also present at conferences and fairs and regularly gives guest lectures and lectures in hospitals for nurses in training, oncology nurses and gynaecologists.

  • Contact with fellow sufferers
    Olive brings women into contact with each other to share their experiences and knowledge and thus gain or maintain a grip on their lives and care.

    Fellow sufferers can find support at Olijf and ask their question by e-mail or by telephone via the Olijflijn. You can also ask your question via the online forum on Kanker.nl. A medical specialist is also active on this. He answers many questions. In addition, we organize contact mornings, theme meetings for fellow sufferers and the national Olive Day once every two years.

    Contact with fellow sufferers not only ensures recognition, but also contributes to recognition, information and empowerment.

  • Advocacy
    Olijf promotes interests in improving the quality of care and life of women who have (had) gynecological cancer and their loved ones.

    a) Olijf represents the interests and introduces patient perspective into policy in care, society and research : quality criteria, care pathways, guidelines, patient guides, but also, for example, lobbying via NFK (Nederlandse Federation Cancer Patient Organizations) for insured psychosocial care or around expensive medicines. Olive also reads along with research and brings in the patient’s perspective.

    Demand for patient perspective has increased significantly
    The requests to Olijf to provide input from the patient have grown considerably in nature and size over the past 3-5 years. Until about 2015, Olijf’s activities were largely limited to reading along – including research proposals, guidelines, information products; We actively participated in a few projects.

    In recent years, Olive’s work has grown strongly, because:

  • Olive is actively involved in, among other things, knowledge agendas, decision aids, refresher courses for care providers and care pathways. And we are also asked to participate during the process of a guideline development or a study.
  • Conversely, Olive also ‘sees’ more and more subjects on which we want to take a clearer position. “What do the medical aspects, care organization and social issues mean for the quality of care and life from the point of view of the fellow sufferer and her relatives

    b) Prevention
    In the context of prevention, Olijf is involved in, for example, the population screening for cervical cancer of the RIVM, vaccination with HPV and in awareness campaigns, such as why door questions (a campaign by the Dutch Breast Cancer Association and Olijf with the aim of ensuring that healthcare providers are well aware of the referral criteria, so that they can immediately refer patients with a possible hereditary predisposition to a clinical geneticist).

    c) Care pathways

    d) Aftercare / Late Effects

Strong together with more than 135 volunteers!

Olive works with more than 135 volunteers on a wide variety of activities and projects for (former) patients with gynecological cancer and their loved ones. In addition to the board, Olijf currently has three paid part-time employees: a coordinator for quality care, a coordinator for peer contact & information and a coordinator for marketing & communication. Furthermore, Olive works exclusively with volunteers. The foundation mainly receives its funds from subsidies, contributions from donors, gifts and legacies . The board facilitates the working groups in the realization of all activities.

Olive has several working groups: Fellowship contact & information; Editorial Olive Leaf, (online) communication and Quality of care & Advocacy.

Olijf is affiliated with the Dutch Federation of Cancer Patient Organizations (NFK) to jointly represent the interests of all cancer patients. More information about Olive and its activities can be found in the annual report .

  olijf@olijf.nl   088 00 297 29

To top