Dubai: When you’ve been taking 12 days of your annual leave for years to do volunteer work for people you’re not related to, the terms ‘being determined’ and ‘generous’ are understatements.
Abdullah Al Khawaldeh, 25, along with scores of volunteers for the 7th Pink Caravan Ride, has been selflessly giving up a portion of his annual leave to the pan-UAE breast cancer awareness drive for the past three years.
But for the Jordanian expatriate, it’s hardly a sacrifice.
“Breast cancer has nothing to do with gender. As a man, I volunteer with the Pink Caravan to show other men that it can also happen to them,” Al Khawaldeh told Gulf News while walking with the caravan on the second day of the ride.
“I have an uncle who has cancer, although it isn’t breast cancer but blood cancer. So I’m doing my bit to warn others about cancer in general.”
Al Khawaldeh is tasked to organise the route for equine riders, to keep them and the people around them safe. The task sounds simple and easy, but not really when you’re doing it on foot.
“There’s no difficult part in the ride since we all work together whether on the roads or elsewhere. We’re all like one family,” said Al Khawaldeh, who works in the aviation industry.
“But it can get physically challenging sometimes. We walk with the rest of the team for long distances. Today, we walked 25.6km from 9.30am to 4.45pm. So, for us walking with the sun shining brightly above us, it could get challenging sometimes. The good thing is we can take breaks and sit in the car when needed.”
The caravan is expected to cover a distance of 200.2km on horseback across the seven emirates this year.
Through the years, Al Khawaldeh said he has seen an improvement among men’s perception about breast cancer.
“I’ve seen around 80 per cent improvement in terms of men coming in to get themselves tested. Just in the first two days alone, I’ve seen old men, young men, and teenagers walking into the clinics for screening. I did the same. I checked myself to show them that cancer happens to both men and women.”
One in eight women could develop breast cancer in their lifetime. For men, the incidence is one in every 100, or one per cent.
“The most rewarding part of the Pink Caravan Ride is seeing people on the streets and their reactions when they want to go for screening. Some even want to volunteer for Pink Caravan,” Al Khawaldeh said. “That’s the most [gratifying part] for me.”
