Founder and President of Think Pink Bahrain, Julie Sprakel, tells Farah Baig about the NGO’s latest campaign – #DinarForDistance.
Following the tumultuous effects of the pandemic for the majority of last year, the world seems to be adapting and regaining its footing with life slowly, yet surely, approaching a pre-COVID pace. Despite the worldwide standstill, the need for healthcare and awareness in certain aspects remained the same throughout. This was especially in the case of life-threatening conditions such as breast cancer – the main focus of Think Pink: Bahrain Breast Cancer Society.
The non-profit organisation was founded by Dr. Julie Sprakel in 2004 and has since raised invaluable funds that would better support the Kingdom in regards to Breast Cancer awareness, education and research. “It’s been nearly 18 years since I founded Think Pink and its most notable achievements to-date all depend on perspective. I arrived in Bahrain in 2002 and soon founded the organisation as I believed there was a need for breast cancer awareness in the Kingdom,” explains Dr. Sprakel.
“Since then, and moving forward, the main focus of campaigns will always be to raise awareness,” she says.
#DinarForDistance Explained
The Think Pink 2021 campaign, #DinarForDistance, aims to not only raise funds for the cause and awareness, but also encourage people to move. The idea for the campaign came to Dr. Sprakel while she was placed in hotel quarantine in Australia for two weeks. “I decided to walk back and forth in my room, once a day, for the duration of my quarantine and managed to cover 42 kilometers in that time. We didn’t want to do a walkathon this year in order to be responsible and avoid crows, so I realised that this is a great way to get people to move,” she says.
Those wishing to participate can register through the Think Pink website, and get their family, friends or workplace to sponsor them. “The pledge is very much their own with #DinarForDistance as the focus of the campaign is movement. People can swim, cycle, walk, jog and getting moving in any way they see fit. Staying healthy through fitness is said to contribute to reductions in non-communicable diseases such as breast cancer, and also contributes to mental health, so encouraging people to move works well with our cause,” she says, adding that the campaign is already receiving a positive response with people registering even in September.
At the end of the campaign, and following the collection of donations, Think Pink will calculate the total distance that the community covered for the cause. “I was in Australia to say my final goodbye to my father, Frank, so this campaign is very much dedicated to him too,” she adds.
Digital Awareness
One of the most significant developments in the organisation’s drive to raise awareness has been the creation of the Think Pink Bahrain mobile application. “Through the app, users can find out what they need to know about breast cancer including what to look for,” she explains.
The application has also been peer reviewed and has links to the new Decision Aids and National Breast Cancer Guidelines. “The application was developed in close collaboration with Bahrain Polytechnic University and functions in both: English and Arabic,” she says.
Achievements and Accolades
As of 2020, the organisation has raised over USD3.5 million that has gone towards research, the equipping of highly specialised healthcare facilities in the Kingdom and awareness campaigns. “On a personal level, I believe that the greatest achievement has been our ability to create conversation around the subject that was otherwise not talked about,” says Dr. Sprakel, who has on numerous occasions given lectures on the subject. “It has been rewarding to have people approach me and explain that they detected a lump early and were able to receive treatment, as they were made aware through a lecture, or that they were able to have conversations with their mother or daughter and help them through it,” she says.
In 2017, Think Pink held its Longest Ribbon Challenge with the support of Bahrain International Circuit – Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa and his team. “The challenge received a phenomenal response, but one of the most memorable experiences that came out of it for me, specifically, was when I was invited to an individual’s home so their daughter may tie a ribbon for the cause,” she says. “This 10-year-old girl was able to explain to me exactly why she was tying the ribbon and said she wanted to raise awareness for the cause. It made me realise how much of an impact our cause has had – that a girl so young would understand.”
The organisation, notably, raised BD499,900 through events, functions, private and corporate donations for the purchase of a digital MRI machine at Salmaniya Medical Complex. “We are still very thankful for the communities trust in us as an NGO, and moreover thrilled that this machine is utilised daily to better support our community and those at higher risk,” she says.
Challenges and Strengths
The organisation, too, faced challenges during the onslaught of the pandemic last year. “We usually have public events in October to raise funds and awareness but had to avoid gatherings to avoid breaking any regulations and support the Kingdom’s efforts to quell COVID-19,” she says.
“We raised under BD10,000, which is the lowest we have ever raised since we were founded, but chose to be audited for the year regardless. This amount contributed to updating our website and contributing to research as there are some common variants which contribute to breast cancer, in the region, which are being researched,” she explains.
The organisation has grown over time, granted that over the years some expatriate members may have left when leaving the island. “There is a consistent interest among the community to volunteer for the cause. We receive applications through our website and sometimes have volunteers apply to be a member of the board,” she says, adding that the team also has three men contributing to their efforts.
“And of course, we have original founding members and people such as Tahera Al Alawi who volunteered to be part of the original Founding Group and hereafter has remained its number one champion, advocate and Charity’s Vice Chair.”
For more information on Think Pink and #DinarForDistance,
visit www.thinkpinkbahrain.com
