06 Jul 2015

August 2015 would mark the sixth year of the big journey, which is a convoy of pink Vespa scooters that travel to towns and villages across Botswana’s clinics and hospitals giving talks, conducting breast exams and teaching self examination techniques, reaching thousands of people.


A press release from the Journey of Hope Botswana stated that this year’s big journey, which aimed to raise awareness on breast cancer, would start in Maun on August 8 when the team will travel for a period of one week to Shorobe, D’kar, Kuke, Ghanzi and Kang before riding back to Gaborone.


The statement noted that the riders, crew and support team who go on this journey were not health professionals but rather volunteers who believed in the power of educating all women about breast cancer.


“A team of trained professionals who include nurses, a doctor from Lenmed Bokamoso Hospital and medics from Rescue One accompany the volunteers in order to provide quality examinations and make referrals where necessary.”
It says that the main target audience occupying a 75 per cent is women who are 40 years and above while the remaining 25 percent is a female audience from puberty until their early 40s.


The release said while men were not a target audience, they played a key supportive role for their wives and daughters and hence are encouraged to attend the talks and even get breast exams if they wish.


The statements further highlights that they also have a land marking project where they collaborate with business and local centres to paint their buildings bright pink and convey their key message Touch, Look and Check (TLC) to the general public.


“Through the Journey of Hope Botswana and our annual big journey we are determined to keep spreading the message that ‘early detection saves lives’ and that it begins with a simple three step process of Touch, Look and Check. Ends