VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1

THE YEARLY
LIFELINE
Official Newsletter of the Fiji Cancer Society

FIJI CANCER SOCIETY

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER BELINDA CHAN
Cancer is the third leading cause of deaths in Fiji.
The vision of the Fiji Cancer Society is nothing short then
“A cancer free Fiji”, taking a proactive stance in combatting cancer from all
angles. In doing so we need to “Stand together so no one fights alone”
In 2018, the Society celebrates 25 years of existence; whilst reflecting on the
past successes, we at the Society have over the past couple of years grown to
embrace a holistic approach to Cancer control and prevention.
I would like to extend my appreciation to everyone who have supported the
Society in the aim of a Cancer Free Fiji.
Whoever you are, YOU have the power to reduce the impact of cancer for
yourself, the people you love and for the world.
“I AM AN ADVOCATE AND I WILL FIGHT FOR A CANCER FREE FIJI”
WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT WILL YOU DO TO FIGHT CANCER?

Motibhai Group of
Companies along with
cancer survivors and
their carers
 WHO WE ARE &
HOW WE CAN SUPPORT YOU
The Fiji Cancer Society aims to ensure that
individuals who need support as a result of the
impact of cancer have access to what they
need.
Our main is for our national community to be
free from Cancer by embracing holistic
approach towards Patient and Family care.
Through this, we engage and educate the
community through conducting awareness Cancer survivors (L-R)
Salote Qalo & Lily Chung visiting
programs and provide screening services if
patients at the Oncology unit,
required. CWM hospital
The Society is committed to providing anyone
battling with Cancer access to holistic care with
empathy and well being in their cancer journey.

(Left- Right) Fiji Cancer

Society staff and Palliative
nurse Ulamila on home
visitations.

Handover for the Society's
second vehicle from Kontiki
Finance Ltd
Kontiki Finance Ltd Board Chairman
Mr. Daryl Tarte presents the vehicle
keys to Fiji Cancer Society Chief
Executive Officer Belinda Chan.
Kontiki Finance staffs and
management presenting Fiji
Cancer Society their new set of
wheels.
PARTNERSHIP WITH
KONTIKI FINANCE LIMITED
On the 15th of November, the Fiji
Cancer Society received a new vehicle
from Kontiki Finance LTD. With our
new vehicle this has allowed the
Society to increase its services such
as transportation.
February 1st, 2019 the Society
received a second vehicle. With these
vehicles, one was allocated for home
visitations and one was for patients
drop offs.
We would like to sincerely thank the
Kontiki Finance Ltd for your selfless gift
and helping us in expanding our services.
HEALTH MINISTRY SIGNS
AGREEMENT WITH FIJI
CANCER SOCIETY
27 AUGUST 2018 - Fiji’s combined efforts
for cancer control was strengthened
through the signing of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) between the
Ministry of Health and Medical Services
and the Fiji Cancer Society.
This joint-agreement will (a) Improve the
holistic care of Oncology patients and
families (b) maintain a shared
understanding of the roles and
responsibilities for each party in
surrounding each other to achieve goals of
the National Oncology Policy and (c)
maintain mutual support between the
parties in sharing of data and other
resources where possible.

(Left - Right) Acting Executive Officer for the Executive Support Unit,
Asheel Narayan, FCS Chairman Philip Low, FCS CEO Belinda Chan,
Acting Permanent Secretary for Health Susan Kiran and board member
Inoke Bainimarama after the official signing of the MoU at the Ministry of
Health headquarters on Friday.
 OUTREACH PROGRAMMES
OUTREACH
AREAS The Society organized outreach programmes with
invites from various NGO's to be part of their
Navatukia community outreach.
Nakorovatu With these outreach programmes, we provide
Nanuku I Lau awareness talks along with the help of a survivor
Cautata and bra fitting for the ladies.
Vusasivo Breast Cancer survivor Mereoni Taginadavui
Nairai travelled to Vusasivo & Natewa in Vanualevu, Yaroi
Yaroi in Malolo and Nairai in the Lomaiviti province to
Natewa create awareness on breast cancer and also
conduct bra fitting.
The Vanualevu outreach was accompanied by the
Suva Golden Oldies Rugby Club members who
created awareness on prostate cancer for men and
the Fiji Cancer Society representatives on breast
and cervical cancer with the help of our cancer
champions Mereoni Taginadavui & Nanise Marama.
With all our outreach programmes our main aim is to
educate the community on the rising cancers in Fiji, its
signs & symptoms and most importantly Early
Rural outreach at Nakorovatu Detection.
village in Naitasiri

Photoshoot after awareness talks with the

women from Vusasivo
Breast Cancer Survivor Mereoni
Taginadavui amongst women of
Vusasivo village in Vanualevu

Outreach at Navatukia village in Naitasiri

 BUSHELLS FIJI'S
BIGGEST MORNING TEA

Motibhai group of companies

management and staffs with cancer Bushells Fiji's Biggest Morning Tea” (BFBMT)
survivor Asenaca Driso at the BFBMT
campaign, with the very first morning tea
traditionally hosted by our major partner in this
initiative, 12 successive years in the running.
ORGANIZATION A total number of 7 corporate sectors
organized a BFBMT at their workplace with the
THAT CAME ON
aim of raising funds for the Society.
BOARD FOR The official period for hosting a BFBMT is from
BFBMT July to September.

Media launch -
Motibhai Group of
companies
Shipping services
Ltd
BSP Joskes
St.Towers
Price Waterhouse & Coopers BFBMT
Pacific Center Shipping Services Ltd
Comm presenting their donation along
with cancer survivors
Motibhai Group
National HQ-Nadi
Munro Leys
Price Waterhouse
Coopers

Gynaecology nurse Marica Bau at

BSP's BFBMT

Motibhai Group in Nadi

after counting funds
raised

Pacific Center Comm

BRA FITTING WITH A GIFT BRA & BREAST
OF LOVE FITTING IN:
Navatukia
Nakorovatu
Vanualevu
With Outreach Programmes, the Society Women's Expo
conducts Bra fitting along with awareness and Post Mastectomy:
screening in partnership with the Reproductive & Lautoka
Family Health Association Fiji. Suva
Bra fitting with a gift of love is something that we North
want to gift to our women in Fiji and we are
grateful to our supporters Lily Bliss to you for
providing bras and many more accessories.
The Society is duly blessed and grateful to all
our supporters from overseas and in Fiji, in their
pledge to assist the patients and their families in
their journey with Cancer.

Different bra sizes

Prosthetic Breasts

Awareness talk & Bra fitting at the North

EVENTS FOR
PINKTOBER 2018
Pinktober Symposium
Pink Walk
Pinktober morning
tea/awareness talk
Fiji Cancer Society
Open Day
Participants of the Pink walk
2018
Fiji Touch Rugby mix team
showing their support during the
Pink walk
PINKTOBER
WOMEN CANCER
AWARENESS MONTH
As a prelude to the launch of our 2018
PINKTOBER CAMPAIGN, the Society with the
Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Fiji
National University – held the annual
‘PINKTOBER SYMPOSIUM’ at the FNU’s
Pasifika Campus.
The Society also partnered once again with ANZ
Bank, to organize our annual walk dubbed ‘PINK
WALK’ – which was a huge success!
Participants were required to attend this event
decked in ‘Pink’. The event was held on Saturday
morning, the 29th of September.
A ‘Gold Coin’ registration was levied ($1 or $2)
and an estimated 300 people turned up despite
the rather horrendous weather.
Cancer survivors at the Pinktober
Symposium last year
EVENTS FOR
PINKTOBER 2018
Pinktober Symposium
Pink Walk
Pinktober morning
tea/awareness talk
Fiji Cancer Society
Open Day
Asco Motors Pinktober
morning tea & Hefrani
Fashion show
REALB supporting women's
cancer awareness month
PINKTOBER
MORNING TEA &
AWARENESS TALKS
This year also saw the commencement
of a new program that had to do with
“Screening and Awareness Talk”
sessions.
The Reproductive & Family Health
Association of Fiji – an NGO and
Support Group that partnered with the
Society, conducted all our ‘Clinical’
Awareness Talks and Screenings in this
regard.
The number of Morning and Afternoon
Tea’s slightly decreased this year, but
the new “Awareness and Screening”
program made up for the numbers.
Some organizations requested for
Screening in the work place, and this
was a huge success with the few that
we encountered.
Teachers of International School
Suva with FCS staff after
presenting their donation to the
Society
 SHAHANA'S
JEWELLERY

Shahana Kimiangatu, owner of

Shahana's jewellery has been
a great supporter during
October showcasing her Shahana's Jewellery & Hefrani Fashion
beautiful jewelleries. show
Second from left is Cancer Survivor
We have partnered with Asenaca Driso
Shahana from 2017 and the
Society appreciates the work
she does in order to assist us
with the services that we
provide for those diagnosed
with Cancer.
2018 Ms Kimiangatu in
partnership with Aisea Konrote
Hefrani's hosted another Pink
event where Cancer survivor
Asenaca Driso took part as
one of the models.
Shahana also took her time
out to visit patients at the
Oncology unit at the CWM
Hospital with her self-less gift.

Shahana visiting the

Oncology Unit at the
CWM Hospital
 FIJI CANCER SOCIETY
OPEN DAY 2018

The Society’s message of prevention – is that

‘early detection does save lives!
Screening organized in partnership with the
New World staffs and
Reproductive & Family Health Association.
management taking advantage
The Open Day recorded more than 100 of the services provided during
people that took advantage of the free the Open Day at the FCS office

screening provided.
With this initiative we were able to make
referrals for further tests and talk to women
on looking out for signs & symptoms.

Pink merchandise

Information Booth

Women from Tailevu who took

the opportunity of getting
themselves checked

Parliament of the Republic of Fiji
joining us during the Movember
campaign
Nurse practitioner Richard
Hudson from the Prostte
Cancr Foundation of
Australia conducting his
presentation at Revenue &
Customs office
Movember Campaign
The Vinod Patel Foundation, in conjunction
with Vinod Patel - Home and Living and Vinod
Patel - Complete Home & Building - launched
their Movember campaign in a big way with
the Fiji Cancer Society, by having all their
male staff “Grow a Mo” during the month.
There was also Screening and Awareness
Talks at the launch. Dr. Rajeev Patel – one of
ONLY TWO UROLOGISTS in the country was
the Guest Speaker at the event.
Suva Golden Oldies Rugby Club also kicked
off with the Balls & Beards Rugby festival
which provided free screening for men
followed by Prostate Cancer awareness
Vinod Patel Home and Living and Vinod Patel -
Complete Home & Building "Grow a Mo'
campaign .

Prostate Awareness done by
staffs of the Suva Golden
Oldies Rugby Club members
Prostate screening done during the
Balls & Beards rugby festival
organized by the Suva Golden
Oldies Rugby Club
SUVA GOLDEN OLDIES
RUGBY CLUB
The Suva Golden Oldies Rugby Club have
been a major partner in creating awareness
on Prostate Cancer.
Last year, Suva Golden Oldies Rugby Club
kicked off with the Balls & Beards Rugby
festival which provided free screening for
men followed by Prostate Cancer
awareness.
The Suva Golden
Oldies Rugby Club
team
 25 YEARS OF EXISTENCE

2018 was also commemorated for the Fiji Cancer Society's 25 years of
existence.
The Society was established in 1993 in the aim to provide assistance for
those living with cancer and since then, the Society continues to grow in its
services to cancer sufferers.
Fiji Cancer Society celebrated its existence on the 14th of October 2018
with a church service at the Pacific Tertiary Evangelistic Center where it
was attended by loved ones of a cancer survivor and families of those who
lost a loved one through Cancer.

Scripture reading by Cancer

survivor Salote Qalo

(Left- Right) Cancer Survivor

Lavenia Chand with her daughter
at the thanksgiving service

Remembering those who have passed

on with families and friends at the
thanksgiving service.
 APPRECIATION COCKTAIL

An evening to say "Thank You" to all our partners, Stakeholders,

Sponsors, and Survivors.
The evening was attended by representatives from our partners,
stakeholders sponsors, volunteers and a night to honor our survivors
for all that they do in creating awareness for Cancer.
We would not have been able to continue with the work that we have
been entrusted with if it wasn't for YOU!.
Our sincerest gratitude to everyone for your generosity and your
support.

(Left-Right) Asenaca Driso, Nanise Marama, Capt Phillips of Fiji

Airways, Fiji Cancer Society CEO Belinda Chan,FCS Board member
Samantha Kenny, Josephine Oyagawa, Salote Qalo and Vosita
Taleniwesi at the appreciation cocktail.
SERVICES ACCESSED
FOR 2018
HOW TO CONTACT US

Divisional Support Groups

Suva - Ms Lily Chung

Ph: 9912706
Western Support Group Margie Erbsleben
Ph: 996 2115
Men's Health Awareness Committee
Ritesh Naicker
Ph: 924 0654

FIJI CANCER SOCIETY

2/333 Waimanu Road, Suva
Mobile : (679) 999 0670
Telephone : 332 4960
 Acknowledgement

Major Sponsors

Overseas partners