On 18 October World Menopause Awareness Day was observed. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
I am glad that women-focussed health is taking a prominent seat. There’s a reason so many companies offer a platform and a product for women only travel, women focused travel, female led tourism initiatives, and women wellness retreats.
I am being intentional about spending time with the sisters, aunties, mothers and female friends that help me on this journey called life. Whether that’s with phone calls, or it involves getting into the car or jumping on a plane to be in their presence.
We need each other as women, for our own connections around healing. Healing of the body, soul, and mind. And this takes many forms.
This past weekend, I was so proud to participate in the inaugural Cook-a-thon in Lusaka, Zambia, held by the Breakthrough Cancer Trust. I was part of a team of four amazing women, including my bestie Thokozile Lewanika, and her sister, Kasolo, for whom this charity is a chance to honour their mother’s memory. My best friend’s mom lost the battle to this awful disease, breast cancer, on 24 October 2006. But on 19 October 2023, we honoured her memory by going into battle! 😊 We cooked our hearts out battling for ingredients, jostling for space at the stove, and mindful of the need to cook with healthy local ingredients.
There was blood, sweat, and tears… I do not exaggerate! There was also dancing, screams of elation, attempts at bribing the judges, and stealing of ingredients- all in good fun! After all, it WAS a cooking competition! 🤪
In the background, and all around us, spaces had been created for lesson in breast self examination and breast cancer screening tests. After all, early detection saves lives!
In creating fun spaces like this, perhaps it makes it easier for women to speak about the scary topics around breast and cervical cancer – about 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer in their lifetime. It can occur at any age, but the risk increases as you get older. Early detection saves lives. Conversations, and accessibility to information could be the catalyst for saving your life or the life of a sister.
At Peku Peku, we believe that travel is medicine – preventative and prescriptive. Travel to nourish your soul, travel to heal your soul. Travel, because, movement is health.
Love, Semwano 🤍
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