Sunday Times 2
Cancer Survivor’s Day and their say
View(s):The Cancer Survivor’s day is an event organised by AIESEC Colombo Central under its Project FAITH 2.0, with its focus being raising awareness of cancer among Sri Lankans and helping the affected.This event will be held at Mahaweli Centre Auditorium on Saturday, April 2, from 2 pm to 5 pm.
The organising committee along with AIESEC Colombo Central Local Committee invites everyone who wants to be a part of a life of an innocent cancer survivor’s agony to make his or her life a quality one. AIESEC Colombo Central’s Outgoing Exchange Team Leader Andrina Fernando says their vision was to create a country where the people are aware of all factors that cause cancer and where no one fears cancer.She says the organising committee together with several foreign interns carries out several programmes in Colombo and outstation areas. “At present, we work in collaboration with two other organisations — the National Cancer Control Programme and the Courage Compassion and Commitment (CCC) Foundation of Sri Lanka,” Ms. Fernando says.FAITH 2.0 has the mission of saving lives by promoting cancer awareness, early detection and enhancement of the quality of life of those affected by cancer.
Together with foreign interns, they conduct cancer awareness programmes at schools, clubs and organisations. Reputed doctors attached to the NCCP participate in these programmes.Partnering with the CCC foundation, FAITH 2.0 members also organise activity sessions for children receiving treatment at National Cancer Hospital to develop their soft skills. They also conduct leaflet campaigns in Colombo to create awareness of breast cancer.The Project Faith 2.0 also has also lined up a programme called “The Cancer Survivors’ Say” in collaboration with the NCCP. Ms. Fernando says this programme promotes awareness of cancer through videos and other visual presentations while establishing the first ever cancer support group in the island. Besides an island wide study on the awareness of cancer among the local community, FAITH 2.0 will also launch a project called #TellYourStory, with the interns collecting stories of people touched by cancer, interviewing them and posting their stories on the website and publishing them in their newsletter, Ms. Fernando says.”Ignorance is never bliss when it comes to cancer. Come; help us to educate the Sri Lankan community and to help the affected,” she says.