To mark breast cancer awareness month, Parkwood Primary School teachers and learners wore pink and invited St Luke’s hospice for a dialogue.
On Friday 21 October, about 600 learners from grades R to 7 assembled to learn more about breast cancer.
Sherona Scheepers, deputy principal at the school, says that many learners were not “really aware” of breast cancer.
“I don’t think that they are aware of breast cancer. I spoke to my children in class and I speak openly to the boys also.
“I said that we need to respect bodies. They have mothers and aunts. The main thing was to make them aware because they are not really aware.
“The questions they asked me in class was that they really don’t know what is going on. We had the lady from St Luke’s speak to them and had posters printed.”
Scheepers adds that everyone knows someone who has been affected by breast cancer and for her, it hit close to home.
“I lost my aunt early in the year and we have always supported St Luke’s, so we invited them for a talk today. It (cancer) hit close to home; my sister-in-law is also a survivor.”
Teachers wore pink, some with pink wigs, and Scheepers opted to spray her hair pink too.
“Last week, we had funky hair day so my hair was green and I also went to buy pink hair spray and my daughter sprayed my hair pink. We try to also make it fun for them.”
Sihaam Meyer, who represents St Luke’s combined hospices, runs the retail department and makes sure their charity shops have stock to enable the hospice to run.
“October is breast cancer awareness month, so there are different cancer organisations.
“I’m at Parkwood Primary to educate them on what we do at St Luke’s and that we take care of palliative cancer patients.
“At St Luke’s, we have an 860-bed unit, a 10-bed unit and community hospices. We have community nurses who take care of those patients as well.
“We have different charity stores, one in Grassy Park and one in Wynberg, Maitland, Hout Bay and Tokai.
“We request pre-loved items, anything in a re-sale condition. We collect from a Monday to a Friday.”
Meyer, who has been at the organisation for 11 years, says she started out as a volunteer.
“My late grandparents were taken care of at St Luke’s, so I started to volunteer when I was still at school. I’ve been with the company for 11 years as a permanent staff member.
“I always say that it is a calling to work for an organisation like this.”
