About Yananiso
Who We Are
Why We Are Here
Why We Are Here
Yananiso is dedicated to empowering women and youth, focusing on imparting crucial life skills and offering networking platforms to share experiences. Our capacity-building initiatives aim to motivate, inspire, and equip individuals for success!
Why We Are Here
Why We Are Here
Why We Are Here
We believe that thriving communities are the cornerstone of strong communities and nations. That's why we advocate for establishing sustainable livelihoods for women and youth through our life skills training centre. Life skills are like a versatile toolkit, empowering individuals to navigate life's challenges. From communication and prob
We believe that thriving communities are the cornerstone of strong communities and nations. That's why we advocate for establishing sustainable livelihoods for women and youth through our life skills training centre. Life skills are like a versatile toolkit, empowering individuals to navigate life's challenges. From communication and problem-solving to collaboration and creativity, these skills equip people to tackle obstacles with resilience and shape their own destinies. At Yananiso, we're committed to the belief that life skills are crucial for enhancing women's employability and broadening their opportunities for income generation.
Who We Love
Why We Are Here
Who We Love
Our team is dedicated to providing top-notch life skills training for women and youth, and we are motivated by the remarkable changes we witness in the people we serve. At Yananiso, we advocate for accessible life skills education regardless of economic status. Our training is facilitated through two distinct centres:
1. Eve-olve: This i
Our team is dedicated to providing top-notch life skills training for women and youth, and we are motivated by the remarkable changes we witness in the people we serve. At Yananiso, we advocate for accessible life skills education regardless of economic status. Our training is facilitated through two distinct centres:
1. Eve-olve: This initiative partners with both private and public-sector organizations to address issues related to women's emotional well-being and overall wellness.
2. Fortune Foundation: This program focuses on empowering high school students by enhancing their skills in Financial Literacy, Ethical Decision Making, and Business Management.
Breast Cancer
Knowing Your Body Could Make a Difference
Breast awareness isn't about diagnosing yourself. It's about noticing changes and knowing when to seek professional advice.
Your breasts don't have to look or feel exactly the same every day. Hormonal changes, age, pregnancy, breastfeeding and other factors can all affect how they look and feel. What matters is knowing what is normal for you and paying attention when something changes. A change does not automatically mean cancer. Many breast changes are caused by conditions that are not cancerous. However, a new or unusual change should be checked by a healthcare professional rather than being ignored or self-diagnosed.
A New Lump or Thickening
A new lump or area of thickening in the breast or armpit is one of the changes that should be assessed. People sometimes describe breast cancer lumps as hard, firm or less mobile than the surrounding tissue. However, there is no reliable way to identify a cancerous lump simply by how it feels. Some breast cancers may feel soft, tender or painful, while some benign lumps can feel quite firm.
Breast tissue can also naturally feel lumpy, particularly around hormonal changes and menstruation. The important thing is to pay attention to a new, persistent or noticeably different lump or area of thickening and have it assessed.
Changes in Size, Shape or Appearance
It is completely normal for one breast to be slightly different from the other. What deserves attention is a new or unexplained change in the size or shape of one breast. This might include a new swelling, bulge, distortion or other change that wasn't there before. A breast that suddenly becomes swollen, feels unusually heavy or changes noticeably in appearance should be assessed by a healthcare professional.
Skin Changes
Pay attention to new changes in the skin of the breast, including:
- Dimpling or puckering
- Persistent redness
- Scaling or flaking
- Thickening of the skin
- Changes in texture
- Swelling
One possible appearance is sometimes described as "peau d'orange", meaning the skin develops a texture that resembles the surface of an orange. These changes can have several causes, including infections and other non-cancerous conditions, but persistent or unexplained changes should be checked.
Nipple Changes
If your nipples have always been flat or inverted, that may simply be normal for you. A new change, however, deserves attention. This can include a nipple that was previously pointing outward and suddenly becomes inverted or changes direction. Unusual nipple discharge should also be assessed, particularly if it occurs without squeezing the nipple, comes from only one breast, or is clear or bloody.
Changes such as persistent crusting, scaling or sores around the nipple or areola should also be checked. In some cases, these changes can be associated with a rare type of breast cancer called Paget's disease of the breast.
But Here's Something Important...
You cannot determine whether a breast change is cancer simply by looking at it or feeling it.
Many non-cancerous breast conditions can cause symptoms that look or feel similar to breast cancer. For example:
- Fibroadenomas are common benign breast lumps that can feel firm and may move under the skin.
- Breast cysts are fluid-filled sacs that can appear suddenly and may feel firm or cause pain and swelling.
- Mastitis and other infections can cause redness, warmth, swelling and pain.
- Hormonal changes can cause breast tenderness, thickening and temporary lumps, particularly around menstruation.
This is why the answer is not to panic when you notice a change, but it also isn't to assume that it is nothing. Get it checked.
Early Detection Matters
If a breast change does turn out to be cancer, finding it at an earlier stage can provide more opportunities for effective treatment and can improve outcomes. Early detection does not mean that every change will be cancer, and it does not mean that cancer can always be cured simply because it is found early. What it does mean is that we give ourselves the best opportunity to understand what is happening and to receive appropriate care as soon as possible.
So don't diagnose yourself. Don't panic. Don't ignore something simply because you are afraid of what it might mean. If you notice something unusual, get it checked. Breast awareness isn't about living in fear of cancer. It's about knowing your body well enough to notice when something has changed and giving yourself the opportunity to find out what is happening.
October Is More Than Pink
Why We Need to Talk About Women's Health
Breast Cancer Awareness Month gives us an opportunity to start a much bigger conversation about women's health. Every October, we see pink ribbons, pink clothing and reminders to check for breast cancer. But perhaps the bigger question is: how well do we actually know our own bodies?
Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings attention to things we should already be thinking about - not just in October. It reminds us to pay attention to changes in our bodies and to take notice when something doesn't feel quite right. Since October gives us an opportunity to talk about issues that affect our health, breast cancer is a good place to start.
Breast cancer occurs when cells in the breast develop abnormal changes and begin to grow uncontrollably. These cells can form a tumour and, if the cancer progresses, may spread to surrounding tissues or to other parts of the body. At its earliest stages, breast cancer may not cause noticeable symptoms. This is one of the reasons appropriate breast cancer screening and knowing what is normal for your own body are important. When changes do occur, they may include:
- A new lump or thickening in the breast or armpit area
- Changes in the size, shape or appearance of the breast
- Skin changes such as dimpling, puckering, scaling or redness
- Changes to the nipple, such as a newly inverted nipple
- Unusual nipple discharge
Not every change means cancer, however a new or unusual change should not simply be ignored. It is important to seek medical advice so that you can find out what is happening and, if necessary, what can be done about it.
The thought of having cancer is frightening for most of us. It can make us think about everything we could lose and make us feel as though our lives have suddenly been put on hold. But fear should not stop us from paying attention to our health. We don't need to live in fear of cancer. We need to learn to notice, ask questions and seek help when something doesn't feel right.
The conversations around women's health shouldn't only happen when something goes wrong. So often, we keep quiet about things that concern us because we are afraid of appearing vulnerable, afraid of what people might think, or simply because we have become accustomed to putting ourselves last. Talking openly about our health can help someone else realise that they are not alone. It can encourage another woman to make that appointment she has been postponing. It can give someone the courage to ask a question they have been afraid to ask, and it can create a safe space where women can share their experiences without feeling judged.
As we begin October, think about one thing about your health that you have been meaning to pay more attention to. Maybe it's a check-up you've been postponing. Maybe it's a change you've noticed. Maybe it's simply taking better care of yourself. This month doesn't have to be only about wearing pink. It can be about knowing our bodies, paying attention to changes and taking our health seriously.
Breast cancer is our starting point, but over the coming weeks we'll also talk about cancer more broadly, prevention, early action, emotional wellbeing and the importance of women making their health a priority. Our health deserves our attention before something goes wrong.
Contact Us
We would love to hear from you!
Call or text us on: +263 (0) 784 457 367
4 Kirkaldy Road, Pomona, Harare, Zimbabwe
Hours of Business
Open today | 08:00 am – 04:30 pm |
