Empowering Women in Isolation
Flying for Life is a local initiative that seeks to bring sustainable solutions to isolated communities across South Africa.
They do this by flying aircraft and utilising partnerships with NPOs, doctors, education specialists and other professionals to bring the community what they need.
On a recent flight, the cancer screening project was able to help women in isolated communities with pap smears and some basic education around the importance of cancer screening and prevention. This awareness is a necessity, as many of these communities know very little about cancer and how to identify its early stages.
Cathy Middleton - nurse and midwife who volunteers her skills for Flying for Life - shares her experience of a recent cancer campaign in Hamakuya:
When we arrived at the clinic there was already a long line of women waiting to be screened. They were excited and grateful that they could be tested. The local nurses were very appreciative of the initiative made by Flying for Life in assisting them in the huge task of screening the women in their region.
It’s difficult to assess how aware the community is about cancer, but as resources are very limited, it is hard to promote PAP smears as they are not readily available.
Traditionally rural South African women are very private about their bodies but, with some education about the importance of screening, many came forward. So far, I have been on two outreaches to the clinic and screened 40 women.
The screening and PAP smears revealed many infections and looked for abnormal cancer cells that can be easily treated when detected early. If undetected, cervical cancer is a serious life-threatening disease and the incidence is much higher in those living with HIV. If detected early, much suffering can be avoided in the community. Government guidelines recommend yearly PAP smears for those living with HIV and AIDS, but with limited resources this is almost impossible for local clinics. The project assists the local clinic in meeting government guidelines and providing holistic care for women.
By supporting rural clinics, women feel valued and cared for and the nurses feel empowered to provide necessary screening that they were unable to fully provide due to lack of resources. This community receives very little outside support, so the work of Flying for Life is extremely important in promoting women’s health and detecting cancer.”