Hope ! The Oxford dictionary defines hope as “a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen”. Hope is basically a state of mind that enables us to tread into the unknown, take on the future with a pinch of salt! Hope is also something that will creep up on you in a time of crisis, sickness of a loved one, or during your own ill health. Hope is a very powerful emotion. It makes us stronger as we take on the adversities of life. In today’s times, cancer has become a common household name. It is no longer the elusive stranger that it once was! Cancer can affect anybody, anytime; irrespective of their lifestyle or health. Today, cancer is the second leading cause of death, all over the world. I have come across people who have led healthy lives, adopted healthy habits and incorporated a healthy diet plan in their daily lives. Unfortunately, all of these could not save them from the big C. The changing times, fast paced lifestyles, irregular eating habits; anything could be the cause of this disease taking over your life. But, the one thing that will keep you going always is, hope! Very aptly then, the Festival of Hope. The Webzine hopes to reach out to each and every person to generate awareness about cancer. We hope to educate you, inspire you and motivate you. As we launch our webzine on International Women’s Day we want to appeal to all women – the nurturers, to hit pause on your life, and learn to nurture yourself too. Go to a doctor for any irregularity or tell tale sign, big or small, because prevention is always better than cure. We look forward to hearing from you. Let us celebrate life, let us celebrate hope, the Festival of Hope!

(Shivani Yadav pursued her love for writing and started working as a freelance content writer cum proof reader in 1999. She soon moved on to heading projects with content management, along with supervision of pre press and publications. She has worked for 13 years for the Indian chapter of the world lighting body, compiling and producing the only professional publication of its kind for the lighting industry in India. She went on to launch a hyper local community news magazine in Gurgaon and then, another in Ghaziabad. She is currently the consulting editor for one such local magazine. As she completes 20 years of experience she joins us as the Editor- in-Chief of Festival of Hope, The Webzine.)