Artists care too

They are some of the many Namibian female celebrities that are taking a stand to fight cancer. Tjil had a chat with artists Queen Oteezy and southern belle Lize Ehlers and they opened up on how ladies can take a lead to combat cancer saying it starts with their own health. Songstress Lize says the first thing that crosses her mind at the mention of the word cancer is her family members who have lost their lives to cancer. “I see my late aunts and uncles before me who all lost their lives due to cancer. It is a very terrible thing to witness,” she said. There are many myths and misconceptions regarding cancer which have mislead many people in our communities. Such dangerous myths include the belief that cancer is a disease of the wealthy, elderly and only for developed countries. Lize and Oteya discourage such talks and mentalities. “What we need to understand is that cancer does not discriminate or see age, it affects everyone,” said Oteya. Lize suggests that cancer as a subject becomes frequent within households and amongst friends.” By talking about it in our homes and destigmatising it is not a foreign phenomenon. Consider how the HIV virus has become much less stigmatised since the influx of massive giant and the information wave since the early 2000’s,” said Lize. She strongly urged spreading important information and educating especially the youth about cancer saying nowadays young people in their 20’s are being diagnosed with the disease. “Again information and communication are key. So many people watch TV, but don’t they see on the news and in films, or at local hospitals the amount of children suffering from cancer. I think cancer campaigns can get a little more focussed on the youth in order to inform them more and this can be done through music and films. I feel more can be done by us all in every Industry. I applaud the pink October for Breast and Cervical Cancer awareness and I applaud the ‘Movember'' campaign. But we as artists can do more for youth cancer awareness,” said the singer. Oteya said she applauds the Cancer Association for their generous contribution towards awareness and urges everyone to step up and join the movement. “It is not only the job of the cancer association to inform and educate people about the disease but rather a job that everyone able must take part in,” she said.Some of the ways of finding out if one has cancer is through regular check-ups which can be done by a doctor or by self-evaluation and examining for unfamiliar lumps on the body. The check-ups are not only for those that have family members that have been diagnosed with cancer but for everyone because cancer is not only genetic. “I go for my yearly full check and there is nothing shameful. In fact it is a MUST to get a pap smear or mammogram, especially if your family has a history of cancer,” said Lize. Oteya on the other hand goes an extra mile in protecting herself in various ways and she even hinted on making a song on cancer awareness. “My role is to support the Cancer Association as I do with performances, to wear a hat and sunscreen, to get my annual checks, to eat unprocessed healthy food and work out and lead a life that can be an example to young girls. I think I have to get a song out very soon and with the help of sponsors perhaps a video as well. It is very important,” she concluded.Oteya ended on a very powerful note of encouraging people in the black communities to accept cancer as a reality and start taking action. “As women, we should never shy away from cancer awareness because it’s on an increase in our country. We should always encourage all females especially in those remote areas to go for regular check-up at their nearest health centres. It’s important to talk about it especially in our black community as we tend to shy away from it even though we know it exists. I would like the Ministry of Health to extend its wings to remote areas to educate and inform people about it,” she concluded.June Shimuoshili

Artists care too

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-07

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Artists care too

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-07

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