Lautoka School for Special Education remember survivors and families who lost loved ones to cancer.

It is critical to educate our young on the causes and effects of breast cancer.

This was highlighted by the Lautoka School for Special Education head teacher, Elenoa Vunitabua, after the school organised a Pinktober Morning Tea with its 120 students, and the parents and teachers on Monday.

Ms Vunitabua said it was commonly known that breast cancer or other diseases was a topic that children with special needs could not talk openly about.

She said coming to school was a safe environment for these children where they were educated about breast cancer including Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).

“Children with special needs, at home they cannot discuss openly about issues about breast cancer and other sickness that they have in homes, it is like a taboo,” she said.

“They don’t talk about this at home so when they come to school, this is where they learn all this.

“It is very important at a lower age such awareness is done to them so when they grow up they know what to do to prevent them from having cancer.”

She said the significance of hosting a Pinktober Morning Tea for the school was to remember the family members of their students who had passed on and the survivors of breast cancer.

She said the school would continue to create awareness about breast cancer to their students.

“We always monitor their lunch every day and it has fruits and drinking boiled water from home and the children are now aware of what this Pinktober means,” Ms Vunitabua said.

Edited by Epineri Vula

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