Police get together for cancer awareness

HONEYDEW – Cancer awareness at Honeydew Police Station.

November 27, 2017

Sonwabile Antonie 1 minute read

Warrant officer Petrus van Wyk and social worker Lydia Mmola are pretty in pink.

The Honeydew Police Station’s support services along with the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa) and Reach for Recovery Breast Cancer Support hosted an awareness initiative at the police station for the officers.

The initiative focused on prostate and breast cancer and the station’s social worker, Lydia Mmola, said they realised that many staff members are directly or indirectly affected by the disease.

Captain Buks Holton and Lieutenant Colonel Zenobia Mulligan colour their hair to show solidarity for those who are affected by cancer.

Cansa representatives sprayed some of the police station members’ hair in different colours to show their support for the initiative. While members could spray their hair, they could also purchase goodies such as ribbons and wristbands from Reach for Recovery.

“We have realised that a few members and their families deal with cancer and we need to increase cancer awareness as well as answer any questions they might have,” said Mmola. “We also want to show our support to the members and their families by doing this awareness initiative. Cancer is a real disease and it does not discriminate based on race or culture.”

Isell van Wyk from Cansa sprays Honeydew Police Station’s Erika Horn’s hair.

The support services department also handed over a monetary donation of more than R1 000 to Reach for Recovery, which was collected by police station members.

Mmola added that it is important to support such organisations that play an important role in the community.

As a social worker, she assists the Honeydew Police Station and organises regular awareness campaigns. She has been working with the station for five years and wants to give officers hope and a reason to continue their job with vigour.

Honeydew Police Station spokesperson Captain Balan Muthan.

“I am at the station to motivate officers and handle events, workshops and campaigns. It’s my responsibility to ensure that the officers enjoy their work and get to know and spend time with each other.

“I love what I do, if a make a difference in somebody’s life then I’m happy. Officers deal mostly with crime-related issues so it is not always easy to motivate them when a negative incident occurs.”