Roadshow Redefined: Ovarian Cancer Awareness
Ovarcome, in collaboration with Nigeria based Cecy Health Consult, conducted an awareness campaign during Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, on September 29th. Led by Dr. Yomi Jaye and his team, the awareness event consisted of a roadshow and a walk along the two major market areas in Lagos state. The average population of both markets is over 100,000.
Thousands of women and families were reached via one on one engagement, over public address at various points, distribution of fliers, as well as by distributing Ovarcome t-shirts.
REPORTING FROM LOCATION:
The team of fifty volunteers, majorly current students of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital school of nursing, with a number of registered nurses and paramedics converged at the muster point at about 8:30 am on the 29th September, 2018. The team was conveyed to the Mushin market in a coaster bus with some team members on the truck creating the awareness along the way.
The oncology nurse who was using the public address system to educate the populace. Mushin market is a densely populated area in Lagos State, Nigeria especially on a weekend when so many people want to get groceries and veggies for the week ahead, so it was a good choice of location for the awareness program.
The team members engaged the market women, one on one enlightening them on what ovarian cancer is all about, some of them were given the t-shirts to serve as a form of reminder to them, on checking up themselves for early detection. We had to come up with a creative way of sharing the t-shirts to avoid mobbing of the team members, so we told them if anyone could dance very well to our music, it would qualify them for the t-shirts. We had a number of them do that at different locations and it was awesome!
From Mushin market, we walked all the way to another market area called Tejuosho ultramodern market, also densely populated, we danced along which really caught the attention of passerbys, we stopped at strategic locations to educate people and give branded t-shirts to those audience who participated well.
It was an exciting time with the great team of nurses. Different nurses at different times interpreted in different languages (Yoruba, Igbo, hausa, efik and pidgin English). It was fun all the way. We ended the walk at the school of nursing where we took off from at about 12 noon, after which all the participants (volunteers) were served lunch and drinks.
As for the volunteers, they were so grateful for the opportunity to give back to the society on the platform of Ovarcome and they really appreciated the certificates that were awarded them after the program.
Dr. Yomi Jaye, Campaign Leader:
In summary, the ovarian cancer awareness program for the year 2018 was a huge success, and in my opinion the roadshow/ walk created more awareness and we were able to reach out to more people than if we had embraced the hall kind of enclosed program, because most of the market women are so naive and ignorant of about their health status. Such programs to make the impact we are trying to achieve, have to be taken to them in their comfort zones.
We therefore, appreciate Ovarcome for being a blessing to our nation Nigeria by making this awareness program possible. We look forward to doing greater things together to impact our world. TOGETHER, We Can Ovarcome!
