From Wellness Garden to Recipe Book

 

I can remember that sunny morning on 15 February 2014 when the Johor Bahru Breast Cancer Support Group (BCSG JB) moved into their new center at No. 12 Jalan Ru, Melodies Garden, Johor Bahru.

 

BSCG JB presents their first recipe book,
Flavours from Our Garden
[Photo courtesy of BCSG JB]

The event kicked off with an exhilarating morning walk from their previous center at Jalan Rengas to the new center at Jalan Ru, within Melodies Garden.

 

Brightly dressed in Pink T-shirts, members were accompanied by then Johor Bahru Member of Parliament, Tan Sri Dato’ Shahrir Abdul Samad and his wife, Puan Sri Shahrizan, a group who made an eye-catching sight as they trekked the short distance within the same area.

 

While this walk was short, it was particularly meaningful as it symbolized the members’ support and solidarity in a journey together in meeting the challenges of fighting breast cancer and their battle for survival.

 

Then the members, supporters and invited guests (like me!) witnessed a simple ceremony where Tan Sri Dato’ Shahrir, a strong supporter of this Non-Governmental Organization, unveiled a wall plaque and declared the new center open.

 

Cover design of the recipe book,
Flavours from Our Garden

It was a grand celebration for BCSG members, many who are survivors, as they stood together in reaching out to give hope to newly diagnosed patients to support and encourage them on their journey to wellness.

 

A registered NGO since 2004, BCSG JB continues to effectively support members and newly diagnosed patients with their outreach campaigns, education and road show activities.

 

As breast cancer has affected countless lives worldwide and is the Number One highest occurrence of cancer in Malaysia, BCSG JB has annual campaigns to raise awareness of breast cancer and reduce its stigma as well as promote education on the symptoms because early detection may lead to higher survival rates.

 

The National Cancer Society in Malaysia and dedicated partners like support groups, are fostering an environment where breast cancer will no longer be a silent threat.

 

List of Contents in the recipe book

Through the Breast Cancer Awareness Month dubbed Pink October, public campaigns and events are effectively raising awareness of this disease and reducing its stigma.

 

BCSG JB members are made up of survivors and supporters. They are being helped by volunteers, many of whom are retired medical professionals, trained to provide practical advice as well as emotional and psychological support to help newly diagnosed patients deal with the challenges in their journey to recovery.

 

On 25 April 2021, a group of four BCSG members and two friends met at the center to discuss ways to set up a Wellness Garden that is sustainable and to consider what plants to grow in this garden.

 

This garden was developed from the flower beds around the center building that were available to plant a variety of herbs and vegetables.

 

A section of the Wellness Garden at the BCSG JB center in Johor Bahru

BCSG is aware that Nature heals and that gardening would be therapeutic for new patients because such physical exercise can contribute to their wellbeing.

 

Easy-to-follow recipes in this book

Then at the harvest, produce from the Wellness Garden can be shared with new patients and BCSG members.

 

With the help of Yaw Yin Kin, a BCSG volunteer, the Wellness Garden soon became a reality. Yaw’s wife is a volunteer at the Prosthetics and Brassiere Shop in BCSG JB.

 

Yaw, a keen gardener who enjoys planting his own garden, came to BCSG as a handy-man to help around the center and he eventually became the Captain of the Wellness Garden.

 

With Yaw taking the lead in the garden, BCSG members who were keen on gardening, joined him in cultivating a range of herbs, vegetables and fruits.

 

Among the vegetables planted were sweet potato leaves, Brazilian spinach, Okinawa spinach, asparagus, winter melon and Ginseng Jawa.

 

Some of the herbs growing in this garden were Thai basil and ginger while the fruits included Dwarf Cavendish Banana and chillie plants.

 

These plants will be harvested from time to time and made available to members while slices of winter melon may be sold to members at a nominal price of only RM2 or RM3 per slice.

 

In the past three years, BCSG celebrated Pink October in partnership with Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast to raise funds for their Prosthetics and Brassiere project.

 

When General Manager of Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, Murray Aitken, learnt about the work in their Wellness Garden, he suggested that BCSG should come up with a recipe book that made use of the produce from their own garden.

 

Supported by GM Aitken, the hotel’s Executive Chef Halim Chek Lah generously contributed eight recipes to add into BCSG’s first recipe book titled, Flavours of Our Garden.

 

Other contributions of recipes in this book were from BCSG members and Daisy Harry of Iskandar Regional Development Authority, a Sarawakian and supporter of BCSG who appreciates the Wellness Garden and enjoys cooking.

 

The timely publication of this recipe book in 2024 coincides with the 20^th anniversary celebration of BCSG JB* since this NGO was registered in 2004.

 

Collage of photographs to showcase some of
the cooking demonstrations held in BCSG JB

From their experience, BCSG members are aware that cancer treatments may sometimes cause patients to lose their appetite, and feel lethargic and physically exhausted.

 

The recipes in this book present cancer patients and survivors with simple but hearty recipes that aim to whet their appetites when they most needed to eat well on their journey to wellness.

 

Cancer patients and survivors may be concerned about their diet after surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, so recipes in this book will be useful to them and their caregivers.

 

This recipe book also aims to give them the confidence to use the ingredients and cooking methods listed in the book. Best of all, recipes included the one-pot convenient meals which do not take much effort to prepare.

 

The BCSG JB recipe book, Flavours of Our Garden, is priced at RM40 per book and is now available from the center.

 

Place your order by email to thebcsgjb13@outlook.com or call to arrange for collection from the center. Orders can also be posted with additional postage charges.

 

* As part of the BCSG JB 20^th anniversary celebration, a Line Dance Party dubbed Come Dance with Us, is planned for Sunday, July 28, in collaboration with the Women’s Committee of the Johor Bahru Tiong Hua Association.

 

Line Dancing not only emphasizes the importance of physical exercise in the journey to wellness but this activity will also bring much joy and fun to participants.

 

To create breast cancer awareness, a Roadshow will be held at this event organized at Wisma Tiong Hua located at No. 8 Jalan Keris, Taman Sri Tebrau, 80050 Johor Bahru, Johor.

 

BCSG’s handmade merchandise and copies of Flavours of Our Garden will also be available for sale to raise funds.

 

All proceeds from the sale of this recipe book will go to BCSG to help members cover transport expenses to and from treatments and cover costs incurred for screening of PET and CT scans.

 

The Johor Bahru Breast Cancer Support Group center is located at No. 12 Jalan Ru, Melodies Gardens, Johor Bahru. It’s Prosthetics and Brassiere Shop is open on Tuesday and Friday from 10am to 1pm. For appointments, please call Tel: 607 – 335 7211.