INDIAN COMMUNITY LEADERS IN SOUTH EAST SYDNEY HOST ‘LUNCH IN PINK SARI’ TO RAISE BREAST SCREENING AWARENESS

Leaders from the Indian community in South East Sydney have come together to host ‘Lunch in Pink Sari’ to raise awareness about the importance of breast screening and breast cancer prevention. On Thursday 19 May at 12.30 pm at the Hurstville Senior Citizen’s Centre, the Resourceful Australian Indian Network Inc (RAIN), a group that works for the welfare of seniors in Indian Sub-Continent (ISC) community will be hosting the lunch event in partnership with the Multicultural Health Service from the South East Sydney Local Health District. The event supports the Pink Sari Project, a community initiative that aims to increase awareness of low participation rates in the BreastScreen NSW program among Indian and Sri Lankan women in NSW. RAIN will also be launching its recruitment drive to get women in the community to volunteer with its forthcoming projects including supporting asylum seekers and refugees and a support programme for women living with breast cancer. Sudha Natarajan, Public Officer of RAIN said “We are passionate about ensuring that women in our community are aware of Breast Cancer and the need for regular mammograms, so we organised the ‘Lunch in Pink Sari’ event with an informative talk by Dr Saroja Srinivasan, a practising Clinical Psychologist”. As part of the event, breast cancer survivor and author of Indian Cooking, Gladys Roach, will also be sharing her experiences with battling breast cancer. “It was an utter shock to me when I learned that I had a tumour in my breast. It was so deep that they only detected it when I went for a mammogram” explained Ms Roach. “Thankfully, I am cancer-free today. I still can relate to the trauma and tragedy related to breast cancer first hand after losing my daughter to the disease recently. Now, it is my mission to encourage every woman to make sure they get tested regularly and to be in tune with their bodies. This is why I have decided to share my story and support the Pink Sari Project.” The Pink Sari Project is led by NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS) in conjunction with BreastScreen NSW and Refugee Health Service with support from the University of Technology (UTS) with funding by the Cancer Institute NSW. ‘LUNCH IN PINK SARI’ Thursday, 19 May 2016 12.15pm for 12.30 pm start to-3.00 pm Hurstville Senior Citizen’s Centre Queen’s Road, Hurstville Highlights of the afternoon will include:  Participants dressed in Pink Saris  Welcome address by Mrs Adarsh Sachdev, Chair Person, RAIN management Committee  Breast cancer survivor story/sharing experience  ‘Why Indian ladies are reluctant to have regular mammograms’ by Dr Saroja Srinivasan, Clinical Psychologist  Q & A  Entertainment by RAIN Heartywood dancers and teacher Sirshah  Lunch ABOUT RESOURCEFUL AUSTRALIAN INDIAN NETWORK INC (RAIN) RAIN started in 2006 as a not for profit community service organisation to cater to the social needs of Indian Sub-Continent seniors. In 2016, its 10th year in operation, RAIN has taken on a number of projects and health initiatives including diabetic and heart health workshops, and the highlight of this year is the awareness of breast cancer through the “Lunch in Pink Sari” project. ABOUT PINK SARI PROJECT The Pink Sari Project is a community initiative that aims to increase awareness of low participation rates in the BreastScreen NSW program among Indian and Sri Lankan women in New South Wales and encourage them to screen regularly. The Pink Sari Project is led by NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS) in conjunction with BreastScreen NSW and Refugee Health Service, and supported by an interdisciplinary academic team from the University of Technology (UTS). The Project is funded by the Cancer Institute NSW. MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES Interviews photo opportunities with speakers and presenters in the program. Photo opportunities with ● Indian women wearing pink sari ● Gladys Roach, breast cancer survivor & author of Indian Cooking ● Dr Saroja Srinivasan, Clinical Psychologist ● Sudha Natarajan, RAIN