Carol El-Jabari, Director, Patient’s Friends Society (PFS)
Interviewed by Amanda Bingley - 10/03/05 – duration of interview: 25 minutes

Carol El Jabari talks about her work with the PFS and how she became interested in psychosocial work. She explains:

‘I’d started working with the Patient’s Friends Society in the late ‘80s, and in 1990 we started the first mammography centre in Palestine. I identified women coming through being diagnosed with cancer and knew they had no psychosocial support, amongst other things, so it was a service I was really very keen to develop. It wasn’t until 2000 that it became a reality because it was important to identify women that were as keen, or committed as me to make it happen. My educational background is nursing and psychology and public health, so it all came together.’

She describes the very successful model for support groups for women with breast cancer that she and other volunteers have developed based on the Reach to Recovery model and introduced by the Israel Cancer Association; noting what a tremendous difference the service has made for the Palestinian women involved: Importantly the programme has been adapted to meet Palestinian needs and culture.

‘The women who are part of the group are so happy. If I told them to come three times a week, they’d be here in a shot, because it’s made such a difference to their lives, you know, because it’s empowering.

They participate in activities they never had the chance to do before such as fund-raising events, attending conferences, and workshops. For many of the women the diagnosis of cancer meant death. Now they are living productive, happy lives.³⁷

Carol explains that she is now also able to teach this model of self help at the King Hussein Cancer Centre (KHCC) in Jordan. She has taught 11 women to be Reach to Recovery volunteers in addition to attracting over 30 women to the SANAD support group.