Sunday Times 2
Zonta Club II’s continues its breast cancer awareness programmes
View(s):October is globally known as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and what better way to help than to create awareness where you live? On October 2, members of the Zonta Club II of Colombo joined the National Cancer Control Programme for an awareness walk for breast cancer and the importance of saving lives and early detection.
Breast cancer is one of the most universally known cancers affecting both women and men. Research shows it affects women a great deal more.
The Zonta Club II of Colombo, a non-profit organisation established in December 1994, has made it their mission to educate citizens about this cancer and how it can affect us as a nation if one of us or our loved ones has cancer.
Club President Roseanne Wijayanayake says that as a club, they want to “uplift the status of women and children” in the country.
The club encourages women over the age of 40 to have a self-examination, ideally one week after their period, and for this to become a daily routine. Project chair of the breast cancer awareness project Vidyani Hettigoda, stressed that it is “your responsibility to check, why wait; check your breast every month.” The sole responsibility for your body is you, she reiterated.
Getting a mammogram done is crucial for early detection and treatment of cancer. Through a lottery conducted by the club, five mammograms are given free to women in need.
The club has an ongoing project titled “The Breast Cushion” project in collaboration with both government and private hospitals, including Asiri, Nawaloka and Lanka hospitals to offer enhanced support through a “Breast Cushion” designed to aid women in their recovery from cancer surgery. 2000 cushions are given out annually, all free and funded by the club. The cushion is padded for extra comfort and helps aid a smooth recovery. The cushion has been given out to 34 hospitals.
The club is meanwhile arranging visits to companies, village clinics, schools, hotels, public places, factories and government institutions to foster more awareness about breast cancer. They have now created a 5-10 minute video about breast cancer so the people can get a clear idea as to how they can help themselves and other people around them. Research has shown that several people retain more information via video in this century than by physical means.
The club also takes doctors and consultants to rural areas to talk about the need for self-examination.