AUSPS Women’s Wing, USPSU raise $3k for cancer awareness

Supporters of the Pinktober Morning Tea last Friday. Picture: Travelling Light Photography/AUSPS Women’s Wing

By JACQUELINE SUTAHI

A Pinktober Morning Tea event last Friday hosted by The Association of The University of the South Pacific Staff (AUSPS) Women’s Wing and USP Staff Union (USPSU) raised $3000 to support the work of the Fiji Cancer Society in creating awareness about cancer and offering financial assistance for cancer patients and survivors.

AUSPS President Elizabeth Reade-Fong said the response from the USP community was overwhelming.

“Self-care is important and the response from the USP staff community indicated just how much we care for each other, by donating to the Pinktober cause and listening to the messages. It was an occasion that brought us together for a worthy cause,” she said.

“Keeping our women safe and getting the message across that women must take care of themselves. They should go to the hospital as soon as they feel a lump is significant.”

AUSPS Women’s Wing president Rosalia Fatiaki said the Pinktober event was not only geared towards raising much-needed funds for the Fiji Cancer Society, but it aimed to raise awareness of breast cancer through cancer survivor testimonies for the USP community.

She said this was an opportune time to reiterate support and encouragement for staff who were undergoing treatment at this time.

AUSPS Women’s Wing executive Alanieta Lesuma-Fatiaki said the 2020 Pinktober Tea event was a USP family initiative with the ground works carried out by AUSPS Women’s Wing coordinating and seeking donations from sections within the University.

USPSU President Tarisi Vacala shared similar sentiments, saying awareness was vital in the fight against cancer and thanked staff and students for making the event a success.

Speaking at the event, surgical registrar Dr Losalini Tabakei said early detection was important and urged women and men to undergo an examination and ask question about breast cancer.

“Breast cancer is curable. If you come early for an examination, you can be treated early,” she said.

“If your mother, sister or daughter was diagnosed with breast cancer then you are at risk of having breast cancer.

“Self-breast examination is vital because if you regularly examine yourself then you may notice the changes that come with breast cancer or how it develops.”

Breast cancer survivor Tia Tarawa Lanyon, 30, they appreciated the effort of stakeholders to support awareness around breast cancer.

She said educating people about breast cancer was important as well as raising funds to support vital work around this area.

“I’m a proud breast cancer survivor and like many others, I appreciate the support through Pinktober initiatives like this event. All these contributions from the public would go a long way to meeting the needs of survivors, even those who are going through treatment because from experience, I can tell you it is an expensive exercise,” she said.

USP executive director for human resource department, Jone Nemani, also called on men to take it upon themselves to get checked as “cancer knows no gender”.

“We, men, need it probably more than women because of the kind of toxic things that goes into our system. I think for us it’s also a cultural thing to say ‘it’s okay’. For men, we always think I don’t need this,” he said.

“But detecting early can help fight cancer. As they say, prevention is better than cure. We owe a duty of care to our sisters, our mothers, our wives and everybody else. Be brave enough to have this kind of regular checkups.”

The Fiji Cancer Society, which does not receive direct funding from government, said their services and programmes were funded through the generosity of corporate and individual donors and sponsors across Fiji.

“Cancer doesn’t stop for pandemics or cyclones nor does the work of Fiji Cancer Society. We continue to educate people to detect cancer early when it’s easier to treat, what they can do to reduce their cancer risk, how we can support them and their families if they do receive a cancer diagnosis, and celebrate survivorship with those that complete successful treatment,” the society said.

“Your support during these challenging times would definitely be a testament for the work we do and patients we support because of you.”

More than 200 people attended the event at USP’s Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies on Laucala campus, including USP Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Pal Ahluwalia.

*Jacqueline Sutahi (Solomon Islands) is a final year journalism student at USP Laucala campus. She is a senior reporter for Wansolwara, USP Journalism’s student training newspaper and online publications.