Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — With the goal of increasing awareness about breast cancer in an interactive and artistic way, a new initiative entitled "Doodle for a Cause" has been launched in Jeddah this month. Free mammograms are available to women who simply need to telephone the Al-Zahra Association to book an appointment and avail of the opportunity. Deina Arif, general manager of Cube Solutions and head of Doodle for a Cause Initiative, explained that the campaign is focused on providing free mammograms. "It is like we are seeking appointments from hospitals charging a minimum fees for mammograms and offering them to prospective beneficiaries with the help of Al-Zahra Association," she said. Dr. Soliman Fakeeh Hospital has also joined the initiative. Arif started to focus on breast cancer awareness after losing someone close to her to the illness. "I was going through a self journey trying to find myself and how to make myself happier. I read many books and researched the meaning of happiness. It all pointed back to giving to others and helping others," she said. "At the same time, while I was going through this, a friend of mine passed away due to breast cancer which made reality hit home," she added. After that, she began questioning why she passed away, whether she could have done something to prevent it and how she could help other women fight breast cancer. It was then that she got the idea of detecting the illness early. "I started the initiative with the help of my two children, Rayan and Leena. Rayan designed the beautiful logo and Leena helped me with research. We then came up with the whole concept. This was in 2014," she said. The goals of the initiative include providing free mammograms to all women throughout the year, reaching out to women across the Kingdom, helping society realize how early detection can save lives and reaching as many people as we can by combining art and social media. "We are taking the burden of cost from the breast cancer patient, and letting her concentrate on herself and her loved ones. So far, I have had a positive impact. People of Saudi Arabia are great supporters of good causes and also in giving back to the community," she said. In 2014, Arif launched an initiative encouraging people to draw doodling art around breast cancer incorporating the color pink. The outcome was positive with 700 doodles received from September to December 2014 from across the Kingdom, Japan, the USA, the UAE, Spain, Brazil and Egypt. The doodles were displayed at an exhibition in Jeddah at the art venue called "21,39" on Feb. 5 2015.
