The Association for the Fight against Breast Cancer – Outubro Rosa Moçambique (ALCCM-ORM) was born of an urgent and deeply human need: to bring information, support and hope closer to people affected by the disease in a country where late diagnosis, fear and lack of knowledge were still costing lives. From the very first moment, the purpose was clear. Educating, supporting and encouraging early diagnosis became the central axis of a movement that refuses to leave anyone behind, regardless of age, gender or social condition.
Outubro Rosa Moçambique gained strength by understanding from early on that no awareness-raising is truly effective unless it is anchored in the country’s cultural and social reality. The association has always worked with local language, experiences and challenges, adapting each message to the real needs of communities. More than an annual campaign, it has become a platform for welcome and transformation, where information and affection go hand in hand.
This year’s Family Fair was a clear example of that mission in action. It brought together around three hundred people throughout the day, in an atmosphere of complicity, energy and solidarity. The Family Pink Walk, led by coach Mauro Raja, opened the gathering with movement and symbolism. Activities followed that brought parents and children together, from yoga led by Lisa Yvonne to self-defence demonstrations by the National Tang Soo Do Association, which brought African champions and a world champion, as well as a vibrant capoeira session with the Manganga group. Health was at the heart of the event with MSS (Medical Support Services), which carried out basic check-ups and gave short talks on nutrition and well-being, led by Dr Humberto Xavier and nurse Blanca. The testimony of survivor Alcinda Chavane added emotional depth to the day, reminding us that statistics gain a face and a voice when shared by someone who has lived the reality of breast cancer.
Music and dance heightened the joy of the occasion, with performances by Jay Arghh, Idelsa, the band Os Manguinhas, Kátia Vanessa, DJs Adilson and Kosmic Keys and the MozLatin Movement group, who got whole families sharing a light, relaxed moment. The collection of donations exceeded expectations, with hygiene products, food and water that were subsequently delivered to oncology patients at Maputo Central Hospital. These goods were accompanied by the “Tickets of Hope”, messages and drawings prepared by the families present at the fair. The handover represented much more than material support. For the patients, it meant comfort, dignity and the certainty of not being alone; for the association, it confirmed the strength of the community and the trust of its partners, among them Casino Polana, Joga Bets, Medical Support Services, Grupo Evolution, Água da Namaacha, Grindrod, IMP Diagnostics, Eu Crio, Grupo Perfect, Emotion, Farmácias Maria Elisa, MozLatina Multi Services, Moztickets, Xonguila Magazine, Promotion Media Services, TV Sucesso, Njando Produções, Lambda, ALCC and AMN.
Over the years, ALCCM-ORM has consolidated achievements that changed the way Mozambique looks at breast cancer. It was a pioneer in launching Pink October in the country, in 2016, at a time when the subject had no place on radio, television or social media. It took information to places it did not reach and became a reference for schools, institutions and communities that now actively seek out its training. It has provided emotional, financial and practical support to countless people in treatment and has extended its presence beyond Maputo, also reaching health units in the central and northern regions. It has fostered national and international partnerships that broadened the movement’s reach and has witnessed a real increase in early diagnosis, a direct result of continuous awareness-raising.
But the road remains full of challenges. Many people still lack easy access to early diagnosis. Cultural barriers persist that delay the search for help, and there are not enough resources to take information to the most remote areas. Ongoing psychological support is insufficient, and the creation of more support groups depends on financial means that are still limited. Even so, every difficulty has served as motivation.
Collaboration with partners, artists and institutions has been decisive. They bring resources, visibility and legitimacy to a cause that needs everyone. The association believes that the future lies precisely in strengthening these alliances and taking the message above all to communities that arrive at health centres at advanced stages for lack of information. The lessons learned on the ground have shown that every story is different and deserves to be heard, that courage shows itself in many forms and that no one should face breast cancer alone, because affection is as essential as treatment. For this article, Xonguila had the collaboration of Sílvia Sacur, Vice-Chair of the Audit Committee of the Association for the Fight against Breast Cancer – Outubro Rosa Moçambique, where she is also responsible for Marketing, Communication, Partnerships and Projects.
For next year, new community campaigns are planned, along with strengthened training and talks, more activities in peripheral areas and an expansion of the Family Fair, so that it becomes even more inclusive. The association wants to strengthen its psychosocial support programmes and extend the reach of its screening and prevention activities.
And ALCCM-ORM leaves a simple, direct and deeply human message for Mozambican families. Knowing your body is caring for it. Touching, feeling and observing are acts of prevention. Ignoring signs is a risk that should not be taken. Seeking help in time is a choice that can save lives. Breast cancer does not choose gender, age or appearance; everyone should be vigilant. When each person looks after themselves and their loved ones, the whole community grows stronger. And it is precisely from this collective strength that the movement lives, because together, as ALCCM-ORM never tires of reminding us, we are stronger.
