Jordan Workshop on Starting a Support Group Energizes Local Advocates

By Susan Brown, Director, Health Education, Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

Susan and colleague, Sandy Finestone, conducted a workshop with members of the Jordan Breast Cancer Program in Amman, June 3-4, 2009. Together, they are developing a curriculum and materials for institution-based support groups.

Sandy Finestone and I spent two days with more than 20 women in Amman, Jordan. The topic of our workshop was “How to Start a Support Group,” but the information and passion shared by participants really extended beyond that topic. We watched women support each other—with a hug, a smile, a pat on the shoulder—when a group member was tearful as she recalled a friend who had lost her life to breast cancer and when another got a call on the second morning that her friend had died...

The women were there because they want to do something to help women in their communities who are diagnosed with breast cancer. No, they really want to do MORE, because they are already at work in their communities helping women with breast cancer.

We observed women think about new concepts, listen hard (as we did) to simultaneous translators to not miss anything that was said, work in groups, exchange ideas, and enthusiastically participate and compete in an ice breaker about old Arabic songs that caused a lot of laughter.

We saw that women who are involved with the breast cancer cause are more alike than not. Wherever they are, they are energetic, passionate, committed, creative, deliberate, and determined. We are eager to learn all of the great things they accomplish in the coming months and years.