Breast Cancer Awareness and Period Poverty Initiative

During the month of October (Pinktober), the Guild embarked on its traditional Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign led by our External Affairs Chairperson Ms. Britney Gray and our Public Relations Officer Mr. Jevaughn Gordon. The Guild has always acknowledged that raising awareness and encouraging regular check-ups continue to be imperative in the fight against breast cancer and catching it early.

This year the campaign focused on three main areas; celebrating survivors, encouraging those currently living with breast cancer and encouraging citizens to schedule a check-up with their doctor. The main channels were the Guild’s social media pages on platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. Here we ensured that the core message reached at least a third of the student population, as measured by the level of interaction the campaign material achieved on social media.

The material used in this campaign featured Guild Councillors in breast cancer awareness shirts giving words of support to those living with breast cancer, the disseminations of facts about the disease and instructions on how to do self checks. The Guild also sold breast cancer pins and later donated the proceeds to the Jamaica Cancer Society. It must also be noted that in conjunction with the Guild’s primary breast cancer awareness campaign, all halls and faculties executed individual awareness initiatives within their own spaces.

Period Poverty Initiative The Elsa Leo-Rhynie ‘Towers’ Hall: EAC Period Poverty Project- Women First, period impacted 100 females on the hall and even off campus as 100 packs of sanitary napkins were distributed by the EAC (20 of which were reserved for off campus towerites). This was done with the help of the Mary Seacole Hall.