Enmore, Georgetown mandirs observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Members of the Enmore Arya Samaj and the Georgetown Arya Samaj gathered on Sunday at the Avenue of Hope, Main and New Market Streets, Georgetown, in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
The Avenue of Hope- marked by a huge pink arch – was unveiled earlier this month by First Lady Arya Ali as part of activities in support of the fight against breast cancer.
The initiative is part of the “One Guyana” project which seeks to promote unity among Guyanese. The members of the religious organisations, including children, prayed, sang and did an acrostic in which they found meaningful words to describe breast cancer.
Renuka Mahadeo of the Georgetown Arya Samaj said, “We came out this afternoon [Sunday] to make presentations in observance of Cancer Awareness Month. As a religious group, we brought out the children to help raise awareness. The children came out and they said prayers for health and well wishes for those who are suffering from this disease.”
Meanwhile, Seukumar Harikishun of the Enmore Arya Samaj said that on Sunday morning the mandir facilitated talks on breast cancer from a doctor at the Georgetown Public Hospital. He added, “We are here to do prayers and also to support breast cancer awareness. The Arya Samaj has 10 principles, three of which speaks of God and the others about the upliftment of mankind.”
First Lady Ali has reiterated that early detection is of utmost importance in the fight against breast cancer. During the unveiling of the Avenue of Hope, she urged everyone to be responsible while noting that part of that responsibility is ensuring screening becomes part of their health check routine.
According to the First Lady, as resources become available and Guyana moves to a better financial position, support for screening of every woman at the age of 40 and above on a continuous basis should be considered as a preventive and early diagnostic tool in the fight against breast cancer.